First puppy ever! Need help with food choice

[prelimax]

I'm so confused with all the choices and wanting to make the very best choice for our new baby Max. He is an 8 week old mini Dachshund and has already stolen our hearts. After reading, researching, reading, researching...I'm even more confused about choosing the best puppy food. I was looking for a puppy formula made for small breeds, ethoxyquin free. I've looked into Wellness Puppy, Artemis FreshMix Small Breed Puppy, Orijen Puppy, Merrick Puppy Plate. Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated.

[List]

Out of the foods you listed. Orijen is by far my favourite.
In my experience (when I fed kibble) my dogs did MUCH better with grain free kibble. Because you have a small breed pup, you have a lot of options in terms of food, and you don't have to limit yourself to 'small breed' formulas.
Some of my favorite kibbles:
Orijen
Go! Grain Free
Acana Grain Free
Horizon Legacy

Good Luck!

[prelimax]

Thank you for the info. We currently are trying the Wellness Puppy and he seems to be a little itchy. The Orijen seems to be the top choice. Are there any concerns about the high protein levels?

[luvMyBRT]

Orijen gets my vote too. No, I wouldn't be worried about the protein levels. Growing puppies need protein....and lots of it. If your worried about the levels in Orijen, I would take a look at the Acana grain free kibbles. A stellar kibble, but with a bit less protein.

Welcome! And, we'd love to see some pics. of your pup!

[3Musketeers]

Small breed puppies you give a very nice, wide choice of foods to choose from. Higher calcium and phosphorus aren't an issue like it can be for the large breeds. And the high protein is definitely a plus for small dogs, or probably even any dog. Orijen and Acana look like the best options.

[Khan]

I also will chime in and say Orijen. The protein % is what most people mistakenly worry about. It's actually the Calcium and Phosphorous levels that should be looked at. Large Breed Puppy owners in particular since you don't want a LBP to grow too fast. In your case however the Ca/Phos levels are not as critical since you have a small dog. (That's why Orijen makes a LBP formula)
Anyway, hope that helps.
Oh and we love pictures!

[cast71]

Since you have a small breed, you do not need to use a puppy food. Any adult formula would be fine. Just keep the weight in check. Grain free is a better choice

[prelimax]

Luckily, Orijen is available locally. I am going today to pick up samples or the small bag of Orijen puppy. If Acana were available, I would probably go with it, but it's not, so....grain free Orijen it is! If for some reason this doesn't agree with my Max, what would you suggest? Merrick Puppyplate is also available at our specialty store. Merrick seems to carry quite a variety for future adult choices as well. Is this a bad food?

Finally, on a side note...Is he too young for treats such as apple or carrot chunks? My daughter loves to reward him for going potty and being such a good boy, but I don't want to give him doggie treats.

[Caty M]

I have a 4.5 month old shetland sheepdog and he has eaten carrot bits from the start for training.

[whiteleo]

If you can get Orijen than you should be able to get Acana as they are made by Champion, I have always reccommended Acana to anyone wanting a great food as some dogs do have issues with the high protein, not necessarilly the protein itself but the richness of the food. Acana has always been a good choice to start with and then after a good time on it move up to the higher protein level. Good Luck with the new love of your life!