# Orijen Regional Red Dog Food



## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

They made a printing error, it has 38% protein and 70% meat.

This could be the best kibble on the market today. My German Shepherd is to young for this product but I do give him a little every now and then. He just loves this stuff.


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## dogfood_admin (Jun 16, 2008)

Thanks Jess-post has been corrected


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Someone must be jealous of this product, because they gave it a low review score. LOL, I have a pretty good idea who. Their is just nothing on the market that can compete with this food. Just look at how much meat in this and it isn't that fatty crap.


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## roxie1 (Jan 18, 2010)

which formula would you recomend for 10 month old lab -


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Orijen large breed puppy is what I would recomend. Keep in mind when you change foods you do it "very slowly", over a week or so AND A LITTLE AT A TIME. That way you won't shock their system. I also think a little red would not be an issue, but red might be a little rich for him so just a little. You might want to take a look at Taste of the Wild. My GSP goes crazy over their Wetlands.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Does anyone have any comparative before and after pics of their dog eating the Orijen brand kibble. Currently I'm using Dick Van Pattens Sweet Pot & Fish. If this kibble honestly has a amazing affect on the dog I will be first in line purchasing a bag this weekend.


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## Giorgio (Feb 5, 2010)

@ Antonio

I would recommend this to anyone. I have an extremely active cat which loves Orijen's cat food product and also a Shar Pei that refused to eat anything but Orijen Puppy Formula. I'm currently transitioning him to the Red Meat Formula and he seems to love it so far as well.

The only negative thing that I would say is the availability of the product at a low cost. There are 2 natural pet stores where I live and they only receive them in small quantities. Today I purchased a 15lb (last one in stock) and a 5.5lb (they only had 3 left)... and they received their shipment today.

The lady that owns the store advised me to grab it when I see it because it is gone the same day that it arrives. She also said she would put me on a calling list and let me know when it arrives.


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## Giorgio (Feb 5, 2010)

Oh yeah, and another thing to add...

When we switched the Shar Pei to Orijen Puppy we did noticed that his "droppings" became and remained a lot more potent.


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## Mark4 (Feb 8, 2010)

Frankly I don't understand the comment about not for small dogs. It is so generic and broad a statement as to be worthless, and helps perpetuate all these myths about high protein diets.

I own two 7 year old pugs. I would say they would be considered small in the dog world. It just so happens that these little guys evolved in the highlands of China/Tibet over several thousand years and what did they eat in the wild? Wild boar, yak, horse, deer, rabbit as well as the local fruits and vegetables, READ VERY MUCH LIKE THE ORIJEN RED PROFILE.

And by the way, they LOVE and have thrived on Orijen Adult and Orijen Red, as well as Primal raw.

Also, older dogs require substantially more protein than younger dogs. This is irrespective of activity level.

LET'S GET SCIENTIFIC PLEASE!


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

is canidae all life stages still considered a premium food? ive heard that the new formula is not a good food? ive been feeding my dog all life stages for a few years b ut i notice some farting a lot.

hes not a very active dog since i am at school a lot he has no choice but to lay in bed, nut that will change when the weather gets nicer and we take him for walks.


hes a 6 almost 7 (=() golden retrievor, and money is not an option. i figure even if it costs 50 dollars for a 30 pound bag it will last around a month and thats still pretty cheap to pay form a dog.

heres a vid of him. tell me if you think hed do good on this red fod.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vpv_9vD8DjQ


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## Dawn6 (Feb 27, 2010)

Hey Jess & Antonio...Listen Folks, "Being Scientific" about food for us or our 4 footed friends is a no brainer. It's "Common Sense" to eat smart and live long. My GSD or Cats have no choice like I do about what they eat...I have to make sure I give them the BEST possible food like I would my kids. 
Jess...My GSD & Cats love the Orijen!!! I know my Kids are loving the meals now! It's great to sleep at night!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

david, yes it is a good food and has a 5 star rating. Check out the review.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php/product/2038/cat/3


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## jologflg (Mar 8, 2010)

Hi all, 

Dog nutrition newbie here, asking for advice. 

I have two Shih Tzu's (6mo. old; 1yr. 6mo. old). I just started reading about dogs' nutrition, never thought to do my own research. I've always tried to do the best for my dogs according to the recommendations of the vets. However, seems like the vet's recommendations (Science Diet) isn't the best. 

Anyways, looking to find the BEST food for my two Shih Tzu's. I recently switched 6mo. old Mocha to Acana Puppy Small Breed and 1yr. 60mo. old Nike to Acana Adult Small Breed. They're doing well. I'm just wondering, is that seriously a complete complete complete food for them? Anything I can supplement to make it the BEST food for them? 

Also, regarding Orijen, I heard it is "too strong" or "too potent" in terms of its meat content and is only for dogs genetically closer to their wolf ancestors (ie. large dogs like Huskies) and not for small breeds that are "far removed" from wolves? Do you think that Orijen is just too much like wild food and that Shih Tzu's need a more domesticated and "tame" food content? Should I switch them both to Orijen Adult when Mocha is between 10mo. and 1 yr. old? How come Orijen doesn't distinguish Adult Small Breed from Adult Large Breed, should I be concerned about this?

Appreciate any help. Much thanks in advance.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Now I will answer your question, NO, I DO NOT THINK IT IS TO STRONG, but it can be to rich and you need to get the puppy formula for dogs under a year. When they get to be about 9 or 10 months old you coulds start on the adult formula but go really really slow. My dog Tony is 9 months and the majority of his food is Large breed puppy, Orijen. I really can't stress upon people how important this is. Now I also feed Fromm duck and TOTW wetlands, because he loves duck so much. Both of these are, all-life stages food. I would stay with puppy until at least 9 months.
Hopes that helps, ERIC GOT ANYTHING ELSE, Michelle?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Acana is made by Champion food, who also makes Orijen. Acana is a very very good food and if you wish to change foods go for it, but personally I feel if your dog is doing good on Acana leave him their. It is a great food. Now I like to rotate in 3 or 4 really good foods and that would be a thought for you. If you decide to do thats go very slowly and just a little at a time. Now with Red it is really a great food and I feed it, but I feed very little at a time because my dog gets the runs if I feed him to much. Another great brand I really like is EVO and or Innova. Evo is the top brand from Natra pet who makes a whole list of very fine foods. Here are links to 2 of the 3 best foods made today

http://www.championpetfoods.com/

http://www.naturapet.com/


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Why is my last post deleted?? It was for a product called Prozyme-it improves the nutrient absorbtion of you pets food. http://pawsitiveexperience.tripod.com/id4.html


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I posted 5 posts only 2 are here and one is half gone.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Joseph

You've done a marvelous switch by switching to Acana. The two you have switched to do have grain in them. It's not a bad thing at all to have grain in the food, just making sure you are aware that Acana does make a grain free blend as well.

My belief, based on ingredients, nutrition analysis, and metabolized energy is that Acana grain free and Orijen are equal. I like the food rotation of Orijen Adult, Orijen 6 Fish and Acana Grasslands.

You also asked about supplements. EVERY kibble needs a digestive supplement to help the dog breakdown the food and consume it into the body. You can do a study for yourself giving a digestive supplement for a week and then take it away for a week. You'll notice larger stools without the supplement. I personally use supplements from Springtime (www.springtimeinc.com). They have a product called Fresh Factors that is a digestive supplement among other things. 

Be careful with "puppy" formulas. They are gimmicky aimed at humans not puppy's. High protein is excellant, so long as the protein is being sourced from meat, not grain. A meat and grain food for you puppy should have around 26% to 28% protein. They say keep fat levels low, but if it is meat based, it's not going to be low. So yes, fat levels should be low if you've lowered the meat content and added grain. Again, grain is not a bad thing, just make sure there is enough meat. Calcium levels should not be higher than around 1.7% to 1.8% and phosporus levels should really not be higher than 1.5%. Your puppy does need EPA and DHA for brain and heart development, but there is not enough in any kibble to truly support this, (again, gimmicky) so you really should support this with a supplement (form of Omega 3). It's not imperative that you do, but you said you want the best for your dogs.

Again, it's not a bad thing to feed your puppy, adult food....but you need to be able to read and understand the Nutrition Analysis and the only two companies that provide the complete analysis are Champion Pet Foods (Orijen & Acana) and Natura Pet Foods (Evo, Innova, California Naturals, Karma). There is no such thing as raw puppy food, you have to know what you are doing. Puppy food is for those that don't know what to look for, so the company puts a formula together that is suitable for a puppy and lables it puppy. You can also feed adult dogs puppy food. In fact, quality companies like Wellness, Merrick (certainly not on the same playing field as Orijen, Acana or Evo) make puppy formulas that are better suited for adults than their adult formulas in my opinion. I think Merrick Puppy Plate is one of the based foods out there. It does have grain in, which my dogs are not on, but I would totally give Puppy Plate a two thumbs up recomendation to anyone but with the calcium level so high, (2.45%) it's only for small breed pups and large breed adults. Wellness has a good ingredients list and good NA's, it's just to bad that all of their food is made by American Nutrition and Diamond.

If you want to do a switch to Orijen, just do it slow. Take 14 days or more to do it, but I'd also add a digestive supplement to anything you are doing in the kibble group.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Hey Eric, Orijen Large Breed Puppy and the Orijen Adult food are the same price where I shop. It's not like Innova, where the Large Breed Puppy is 10-11 bucks more a bag than the Adult formula and the Innova L.B.P is 6 or 7 bucks more a bag than the Regular Puppy. GRRRRR, and the formula's are very very simular.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Hey Giorgio stick your nose in a bag of Orijen (I don't have to do that I have a great nose), then you'll know why, “droppings” became and remained a lot more potent. LOL


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Jess....price is the same for me too


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## CarpeNoctem (Mar 24, 2010)

I am concerned about the online reviews I keep on reading the Regional Red is not good for small dogs. Why is that?? I have a 14lb lhasa that I feed Timberwolf Ocean Blue and mix it with Regional Red (just started..no loose poop)....will he have digestive problems in the long wrong? Or worse, kidney because he had some of the Regional Red. ( Mind you, I mix a 5lbs of Regional Red with a 35lbs of Ocean Blue)


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Heck no, this is a great dog food for any breed of dog !!


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

My only concern with Regional Red is the inclusion of the pork. Swine are fed the worst of the worst all over the world.

I've also heard both sides of the story about pork causing pancreatitis. I have good sources on this for both sides of the argument.

I think the Orijen Adult and Orijen 6 Fish are fantastic as far as kibble go and I don't feel I need to feed this one regardless of the pork inclusion.

I believe Evo has a "Red" formula as well that does not include pork.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I couldn't find anything saying pork was bad for dogs, except one site about feeding raw pork. But I did find this and it was interesting seeing tomatoes on the list.

http://www.missouriscenicrivers.com/baddogfoods.html


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

huh....interesting find. I feed my dogs granny smith apples all the time as a snack. That is the first time I ever saw apples where bad for dogs.

In regards to the pork....after looking at that list, maybe it is the bacon and sausage (fatty foods) that is the pancreatitis problem. I'll have to ask my vet about it again. Pork is just so uncommon in a dog kibble, it may be tough to find any real evidence online about it.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hey Eric-The apples are fine-it's the SEEDS that are a problem-cyanide poisoning.So if you cut the apple up yourself-it's fine.


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## jen6 (Mar 29, 2010)

Quick question: How would you expect a two year old, 55 lb., inactive English Bulldog to fare w/this product? It sounds great, and I'm excited to try it for her, but I've read it may not be the best for an inactive dog. Any input would certainly be appreciated. Thanks!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

It is the best dog food (kibble) made today and your dog well do fine, but watch how much you feed you don't want your dog to get fat. Also take your time changing foods it can shock a dogs systems changing foods to quickly. It is very rich so buy a small bag and make sure he does good on it.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

After researching Regional Red now for about a week, I feel, based on ingredients and the nutrient analysis, that the red formula from Evo is a better red formula. I ordered a small bag so we'll see how the older one takes to it.

Don't read this thinking that I think that Orijen Regional Red is bad....it is just my opinion that the Evo Red is a little better.

Having said that and how much my dogs love Orijen, I also believe that Orijen Large Puppy formula is just a touch better than the adult formula. The large puppy formula can be fed to any adult dog as well.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

LOL, traitor....and I disagree.. But for me I have been checking out the amount of Glucosamine that is in the food and Orijen Adult seems to be way ahead of all of them. I still have to go to Evo's site and check there, but so far I have found very little in their product. I realize I can get it in powder form but I have been giving this some serious thought. Tony is pushing 11 months and I well be changing to big boy food soon so Glucosamine is an issue for him.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Glucosamine in food is not enough. It is is measured on the bag in kilograms, not cups. So to get the full 1200mg of glucosamine you'd have to feed about 7 cups.

If your dog has a hip or joint issue it is always better to supplement it rather than relying on the food.

Two recomendations is:
Springtime Joint Health (the powder not the tablet) www.springtimeinc.com
OR
CanEVA Elk Antler. www.caneva.ca

The reason I like Evo Red over Orijen Regional Red is that Evo does not include Pork and does use beef. Evo has a much higher calculated calorie per cup and a higher protein and fat percentage. Again, I don't think Regional Red is bad at all and would never tell anyone using to stop. I just like the Evo formula better


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## c.drabant (Apr 9, 2010)

orijen chicken formula is ok but.. heres a Veterinarians advice listen to eric evo red way better product same price or if your in the states LESS $. also try wellness core fish your dogs will look like you waxed them. seriously. if your in canada there all the same price give or take a cpl $ not much. also i like go (grainfree). but have seen best results myself with hundreds if not thousands of dogs&cats . if you have a bit of a budget try taste of the wild i also find their results better than all the orijen formnulas. and jen your local store is ripping you off all orijen chicken formulas should all be roughly 65$ pup-L.b.pup-adlt. p.s. ERIC check your facts about who makes wellness dog food.. they have their own shop... and yess taste of the wild is from diamond but that label has its own plant. now these are researched facts.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

C.DRABANT

You can call Wellness yourself. They DO NOT produce their own food. It is manufactured in six different plants across the states, including Diamond as well. And the Wellness Core that you speak of? That is made by American Nutrition, the makers of Atta Boy!

Check your facts....call or email Wellness, they have to disclose where their products are made and by who. Unfortunately, they do not have to disclose what country their meat is coming from???

I will agree with you that for $40 a bag (30lb) Taste Of The Wild is a great value....but I'm still a firm believer in that you get what you pay for. For $40, something (a lot of meat?) is missing.


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## c.drabant (Apr 9, 2010)

eric , 
and then i guess you beleive ORIJEN 6 fresh fish ,is fresh fish NEVER frozen???ha. do you live in canada? you know how cold winter is here lakes freeze solid cold! i would like to see this magical ice fiherman that gets them all this fresh fish lol!!! my ratings are EVO red meat best , then TASTE of WILD (bison), and this expensive regional red (swine) for people that just want to pay alot of $$$$ for an inferior product( just came out ) and already a reciepe change , and price increase??same time makes me think back to other companys that have done the same. exmpl. IAMS . if people want to shop CANADIAN try GO


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

LOL, you are something. LOL.....IT IS THE BEST FOOD MADE TODAY!!!!I have a new bag of Orijen Red right in front of me BOUGHT TODAY from a store who sells alot of Orijen. AND THE FORMULA IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE ONE ABOVE & ON DFA, SO QUIT YOU DAM* LIEING. ANNND EVO HAS UPPED IT'S PRICE TWICE IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS ORIJEN ZERO NADDA SAME PRICE AS IT WAS 6 MONTHS AGO. You a vet, LOL,LOL,LOL no college grad I know are as half as bad as you in their sentence structure. Dude get you facts straight if you like Evo great it is very very good product,BUT QUIT MAKING STUFF UP. Now TOTW has ethoxyquin in it, so to put that above Orijen is down right nutty. How do I know? I asked them and below is their reply yo my email, also check their reply out in the forums....Geez,it really never ends!!!

Jess,

We know that the heat from our pet food process destroys whatever antioxidants are used in the ingredients that we purchase. After the heat process (extrusion and drying), we apply natural tocopherols (Vitamin E) in order to carry the shelf life of the food. The cooking process at our facilities is at or above 240 degrees. Ethoxyquin that may be in the ingredients is destroyed due to its lack of heat stability. Diamond does not preserve any of its products with ethoxyquin, only with mixed tocopherols.

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/dog-food-ingredients/2292-i-got-answer-totw-2.html


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

And actually Horizon Legacy is way better than anything Petcurean (makers of Now & Go)produces. Now, Now does have one very very good product but I like Horizon better.


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## c.drabant (Apr 9, 2010)

Maybe when I am write fast my sentence structure is not the best. I didnt know we are being judged by the way we write, kind of low to make fun of someones sentences. I sell orijen and yes prices increaced in the last year 2 TIMES. The red meat no it has not, but 80$ for pork dont you think it is expensive for such an inferior meat. You are talking about the last 6 months, no it has not increased in the last 6 months. And yes Orijen and Acana have changed their formulas, adding chicken fat to formulas that should be hypo-allergenic. Expensive ingrediences were also taken off especially in the Orijen formulas. I sell a lot of the Orijen and Acana too, but the truth must be told and I am damn upset that they did not tell us about the ingredient change. Also in Austarlia didnt it kill a lot of cats. Yes I know the company says its not their fault, but didnt Iams and Eukanuba say the same thing about their product on the food recall. Orijen is a fine product, but not with what they are doing. I feel that they are going down the same path as many other companies I have seen in the past. Start with a geat product cheap, change the ingredients to less quality without telling anyone (changing packaging to fool you) up the price. Making at the end a product not worth the money you are spending. 

Evo had one increase lately when they came out with the fish formula and be far you get the best results on your dog and the ingredients and meat content are by far better that Orijen. So Jess since you are the EXPERT why do you think Orijen is the best? Maybe because they sign your paycheck? Orijen now is the same price as Evo. I trust Evo better havent changed the ingredients.

Taste of the Wild does not use ethoxyquin in their formula, First of all it is not made with other Diamond products. They have their own plant and no were is ethoxyquin used or written. You must know that the US are much more strict on their dog food than Canada and that is a fact. So they must list all the ingredients on the bag or they get shut down. Canadain manufactures its not the same so we have to go on their word, until they change the laws, which we should enforce. Eric, how do you know that TOTW dose not have enough meat content, you can not go by what the protien level says in the back of the bag, you should know that. And we are comparing RED MEAT, which TOTW does not have pork, the meat content is just as much as ORIJEN if not more, for LESS $$$$. So JESS I think you should stop your LIEING and tell the public the truth.

Last I heard Wellness had bought a plant in Quebec and that is where it is manufacturing their food. I know that the company is US, but the boxes that they come in say made in CANADA. Anyways these are all older companies, which are really good. Go in your area, because where you live makes a differnce in PRICES and get any of these products. These are the true facts about the products so you can make a informed decision because at the end we speak for our dogs.

Also see how many people have trouble with gas and diareah since they changed the ingredients.


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

Hi. I am a new dog owner, 16 years old. And I have a ton of questions! I'll start off with what kind of dog I'm getting. He is a Alaskan Malamute Husky mix. He is about 3 and half months old. My fist questions is on what food to feed him. I have been reading http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com and that helped me a lot. but now I need to narrow my search. I have a job, but I will be paying for all his food. So I'm looking for good food at a reasonable price. Is Merrick puppy plate good food? Also how long do i feed my puppy on puppy food? I also have a question on Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, and Innova EVO large bites, and Welness Just for puppy. Like I said please nothing to expensive. Please answer back, I am getting him in a week.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

My favorite large breed puppy food is Orijen Large Breed Puppy. With the kinds of foods you listed, the price of this is in the same ballpark.

I personally LIKE Merrick Puppy Plate, but for the adult grown size of an Alaskan Malamute, it's to high in calcium and has the potential to cause bone deformalities

I'm not familiar enough with Solid Gold products to comment on them. Evo is not suitable at all for your puppy (great food in about a year). And I'm personally not a fan of anything Wellness. I've used it all before and am very unsatisfied with their products for the money. The price of Wellness is the same as Evo and Orijen products.

I also like Canine Caviar Puppy Chicken formula.

On a side note.....I cannot stand Dog Food Analysis. You will learn so much more here and more importantly, you will learn why. DFA is a bogus grading system that does not classify feeds correctly.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

yes, stay away from any grainless foods (such as TOTW, EVO, Barking at the Moon, and others) for now (except orijen) due to high Ca content.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Eric, is correct about Orijen LBP. I also like Horizon Legacy puppy and California Natural puppy. I like the C.N.P. because it doesn't have a lot of crap in it that dogs don't need. My dog is old enough to feed twice a day and I feed C.N. in the AM and Orijen LBP in the PM but this kind of feeding might not work for your dog. If you do change foods change very slowly and I recomend you feed more than one brand of food. I also like Innova puppy and I also mix some good powdered vity's with a third of a can of Innova puppy, daily. I only give him a little more than half the recommended amount because I feed really good dog foods.
You can check out how this worked for him by going to his website
http://3toestony.shutterfly.com/


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

Thank you for answering so quick. But I'm a little confused, and have more questions. How long do I feed my puppy puppy food? Is it 6 months or a year?
I think Im leaning toward's Orijen large breed puppy. But as he gets older what would you recommend? So I need to stay away from grainless foods? I thought they were better for dogs? Also what are some good healthy treats to feed him. Is there a good site that helps with basic training?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

There s very lttle difference. My dog is almost a year old and I well most likely keep him on Orijen LBP until he is about 15 months or so. His morning feeding I am gonna change to California Natural adult the next bag. Also I well keep him on puppy vity's for at least another 2 months or so. Well I disagree with the grainless because the best puppy food is grainless. But I feed grain in the AM and grainless in the PM. I like brown rice and only brown rice way more than potatoes.


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

Thank you. That answered my question about how to to feed him puppy food. So is it good to feed a dog two different kinds of kibble? I once heard it was hard on the dogs body to switch foods. Also, some people put yogurt and berries with their god food. Does that help with anything? And did you use any training books to train your dog?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I think some people well diagree with me and I expect that. Some like to rotate, which I do in my own little way. I'll buy a small bag of something, lets say Fromm duck and since it is a grain dog food I might give him a little after feeding his usual CN. I know dogs like a new taste. At night I might give him some TOTW wetlands after he eats his Orijen or maybe some surf and turf. I must say I stay with grainless foods with grainless and the ones with grain I keep with other grain foods. If you do this be carefull and don't feed to much until you are sure your dog can acept doing this, yours might not. I like to feed two different kinds of food daily and as you can tell he "might" get 4 different kinds in one day. But please realize that I have done this over a long period of time and I now know which foods he can take and which ones he can't.

If I add anything it would be a small amount of meat or an egg, the egg I cook, the meat I might or might not, but I don't give him much, because I don't want him to get diarrhea. I don't do this all the time and that is my concern about him getting diarrhea not the fact that I am adding meat or an egg. I believe more meat the better, but the diarrhea thing can be an issue with new foods of any kind.

As far as training goes I have a pretty good grip on what needs to be done. Now, he does have very selective hearing at the dog parks.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Now Eric, derrick and Michelle might have a whole different routine with their dogs and that is cool because they all seem to know what is best for their dogs.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hey Jess I found some info-I'm not sure if you have ever seen the Orijen plant-also their is a picture of the Natura plant posted here.Just scroll down to the comments and click on the names. http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/orijen-dog-food-adult/


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

nikki, 

grainless foods tend to have much higher meat content than grain inclusive foods. the problem is most grainless foods arent suitable for larger breed pups due to high Ca cntent. Orijen is an exception to this.

Orijen large breed puppy is a great choice if your dog tolerates it. if you like feeding foods with higher meat content (which is closer to a natural diet for a canine) you could rotate every month or so to a different grainless food (which uses a different primary protein source). id wait til he is done with most of his primary growth, so tick with the orijen until 1 year, then there are a bunch of grainleess foods that you could rotate.

while grainless foods tend to use potato versus rice in grain inclusive foods, much less potato is used in grainless foods compared to the amount of rice used in grain inclusive foods. this is evidenced in the fact that most grainless foods have a higher meat content with some potato as binder compared to grain inclusive foods with more grains and less meat. 

many grainless foods with high meat content will be around 40% protein, where most grain inclusive foods are at around 24% protein due to a much reduced meat content.

personally, id prefer more meat with some potato than less meat with even more rice ingredients. Orijen has a pretty low glycemic index, which indicates that it is not very potato heavy.

rotating foods once in a while is good because it gives your dog some variety in what he is eating (after all, who likes eating the same tasting food forever), it helps prevent any nutritional defincies that any given kibble might be causing, and it helps prevent allergies from constantly eating the same protein source for long periods of time.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

i would also add than grains are a well known inflammatory, and thus can be a problem for arthritic dogs or dogs other joint disorders, and even some younger dogs can be afflicted by these things (especially larger dogs).

potato can also be an inflammatory, but usualy only for dogs sensitive to the alkaloids in them, which is a small percentage of dogs.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

some of the choice was taken away from me early on, as my dog developed a complete inability to digest grains efficiently at around 4 months old. i also decided that the more meat the better, so grainless foods fit that bill.

one of the grain inclusive foods that i would LOVE to have local acceess to is Natures Logic, which uses millet (for some unknown reason the only grain my dog can handle)as the only grain. they also dont use synthetic vitamins that aklmost all manufacturwers use.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

nice write up


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

Thank you to everyone who responded with advice. What I will do fist is look around at my local pet stores and heath stores to see what they sell. But If orijen is to expensive where I live, what are some less expensive online stores I can buy from with free shipping? The owner which Im getting the dog from, fed him really bad food, so how would I slowly transfer into his new food??


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

If you are going to feed Orijen Large Breed Puppy, it will cost you between $58 and $70 for a 30lb bag plus tax or shipping, depending on where you buy. Where I get mine, it is $61.

To tranisition to this food, I would take a minimum 14 days for a full transfer. But honestly, I'd probably take up to 21 days.


Any quality bag of food (30 pounders) are going to cost over $50 just to let you know.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi-I found some pictures of the Champion food factory and also of the Natura factory check them out-scroll down to comments and click on the name- http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/orijen-dog-food-adult/


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

How long does the 30 pond bag usually last on large breed puppies? For the food transfer would I have to buy the same crappy food she was feeding him so I can mix the two? Or how else can I transfer him to a good food?


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

Nikki,
i can tell you the 30 lb bag of orijen lbp lasted me roughtly 5 weeks at around 3 1/2 cups a day.

just buy a smaller bag of the current food. some dogs can transition cold turkey no problem (my gsd can, luckily). some dogs take a week or even longer. most gsd owners i know have had little problems transitioning over a 1 week period, so you should need much of the current food.


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

Should I feed my puppy for than 3 1/2 cups or around the same?

Would it be bad if I did cold turkey? Like would it harm my dog in any way?


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

The store that i went to only had TOTW. But they didnt have any for a puppy. So I had to get Earth Born Puppy. Has anyone heard of that brand?


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

TOTW doesnt make anything suitable for larger breed pups. in fact (i think i mentioned this earlier) all the grain free foods (other than Orijen) are too high in Ca.

Earthborn Holistic makes some decent foods. the Puppy Vantage (if that is what you are talking about) is rather high in fat at 20%. most foods labeled "puppy" arent usually made with larger breeds in mind. 

personally, i never feed a food to a larger breed pup unless i can get info from the company that the maximum Ca level is around 1.6% or less. if the Earthborn puppy vantage meets that criteria i would think it would work if your dog handles it.

you could just as easily feed the Earthborn Holistic adult as well. switching cold turkey wouldnt likely permanently harnm your dog, but it certainly may well cause him to be miserable for some time, and you would have to be concerned with dehydration caused by too much diarrhea.

unless a person knows their dog can handle cold switches, it is not recommneded to do so.


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

I will keep trying to see if any store near me caries Orijen. The bag says Calcium, not less than	1.20%. So what does that mean? and does anyone know a easy way to potty train a puppy?


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

Also, my puppy is drinking A LOT of water. He always wants more water, and he pee every 30 minutes. Is this normal for a 4 month old puppy?


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Nikki- Hi I would recommend going on Champions website and using the store locater also after you locate a store it's best to call and make sure they have what your looking for.About the drinking and peeing every dog is an individual-just make sure that water is always available or the dog may think he will not have water for a while-so he will just drink all or most of what you give him,being afraid that if he doesn't it may not be there when he comes back.The person that you got him from may have withheld water for some reason-which is never a good idea.Also as he grows so will his bladder.I have a 3 month old Springer Spaniel and when I got him at 8 weeks he peed about every 30 minutes,now that he is 3 months he goes about every 2 hours.But he does hold it for 8 hours at night.He is crate trained.Also I recently bought my first bag of Orijen 6 fish my dog and puppy love it.I give my Lab Before Grain and Orijen 50-50 but when her B.G. is gone i will feed Orijen exclusively.(until next rotation)Also my dogs can handle "cold turkey"food changes.Maybe because all the foods I use are good quality.Also about the house-breaking all I can say is make sure you are getting him out enough-and when he goes-Praise,Praise,Praise-they love hearing what a good little boy they are.Also if he does start to go in the house just say no in a stern voice and carry him outside to finish.You should never hit your dog.I hope this info helps.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Nikki, Some people think I am crazy for doing this, but I filter my dogs water. Now wait a minute, I filter it because of all the crap the city puts in it Clorine, Fluoride and who knows what else. And if I were on a well, I would worry even more. The whole aqueduct under Califorhnia is totally polluted and I just read about one in Eastern Washington that was polluted.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Jess-I don't think that you are crazy-I do the same thing.We have a filter on our kitchen tap and I filter my water and my pets water too.


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

Thank you for all your advice. The closed store the sells orijen is 30 minutes away. Buts its so worth it. So I would get the Orjien large breed puppy? When ever I put my dog in a crate he whine unless Im right by him. How would I make him stop? Also, how much is a water filter?


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## Hameed (Apr 18, 2010)

Nikki give me your email Id and I will provide you with a ebook.. Its free and it helped me through potty training with my labs and pugs.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Nikki-yes you should get the Orijen large breed puppy.It is also okay to feed OLBP to an adult dog too.When I was crate training my puppy we turned my 5 year old son's playroom into the puppy's sleeping area.What I did was take him outside right before our bedtime,then I brought him back in to his crate and placed him in and shut the door to the room.He would whine and howl for 10 or 15 minutes which I just ignored.Then he would quiet down and go to sleep.I put some towels in incase he peed,which he did for about the first 2 weeks.But now he goes to bed around 11 pm and wakes up between 6 and 7 am.He wines and I take him outside because he has to pee really bad.He holds it all night now.And now he actually likes his crate and goes in voluntarily.Dogs need a routine.Also he only wined for about the first week(when I first put him in the crate)now he just goes in and is quiet and goes to sleep.I use a Pur Faucet mount filter,I don't remember exactly how much it was probably under 50 bucks and the replacement filters are like 15 or 20 a piece but they are cheaper if you buy the 3 pack.Around 35 I think.Each filter lasts roughly 2 months depending on each individual persons water quality.They work well for me and take out all the chlorine taste and also remove heavy metals like mercury and lead from your water.


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## mitch (May 20, 2010)

the reason taste of the wild doesn't make a puppy food is that the nutrients are good for a dog of any age.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Actually Mitch, it's an incomplete nutrient analysis, so you cannot make that claim.

Also, Taste Of The Wild (Diamond Pet Foods) is stating that it is not safe for puppies. So what do they know that they are not telling us, the consumer?

Based on the calories, which they do publish, it is not high enough in calories anyway to feed to puppies.


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## Hameed (Apr 18, 2010)

Hi every one could some body please suggest me few brands that is good for my Great Dane puppy ? I know the calcium should be less but how much less, it would be more than helpful if you guys could suggest dog food that suits Great danes requirements. I await your responses. I am posting again because the question was pushed back.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

innova large breed pup and innova large breed pup are two that have fairly low Ca levels. ive known several large breed owners happy with those for their pups. i would never go higher than around 1.6%-1.7% maximum Ca levels. if i were feeding a Dane puppy or anothe giant breed, i might even want it lower than 1.5%. the innova large breed puppy is .9% maximum Ca so it is certainly something to look at.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

oops, named the same food twice....i meant to also suggest wellness super 5 large breed pup, but i like the looks of the innovs LBP better for a giant breed.

also, any adult food with lower maximum Ca levels would work fine for a large breed pup. you are correct that virtually every grainless food is too high in calcium except Orijen Puppy Large (and perhaps Acana's grain free line--there have been some discrepencies with some emails from champion regarding max Ca levels in those).


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

For a Dane? Canine Caviar and Precise.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

id have to know what the expected maximum Ca levels are in the canine caviar or else i wouldnt feed it to a large breed pup, and especially not to a dane pup.


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## Hameed (Apr 18, 2010)

Thank you guys I will look into those brands and take one that buy loves. so below 1.5 i will look for foods 1.3 too. I trust the list Jess posts so I will pick one from those. You guys are helping dog lovers like me. hats off.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Don't overlook what Eric, derrick and Michelle have to say....I do like Orijen LBP the best and thats the one I feed the most of. I also liked Innova LBP, but for some reason it is more than Orijen LBP in my area. I also really like California Natural Puppy and feed mostly that in his morning feeding. I would have to guess Michelle would like Merrick puppy plate, but that did not work for Tony but it is a very good food. Tony is a year old now and his morning feeding is now adult foods but his night feeding is still puppy food, cost's are all the same.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Oh derrick it is 1.3 in the caviar puppy.

http://www.caninecaviar.com/Chicken%20And%20Pearl%20Millet%20Puppy.aspx

Hameed, keep in mind your dog can get bloat very easily, so be sure to keep his activity level down after eating for at least one hour and more smaller meals are better that less and larger meals.


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## Hameed (Apr 18, 2010)

I respect what Eric, Derek and Michelle and i trust them too, but i have seen a list of dry foods you mentioning pretty often so i said i trust that list. Regarding bloat i have read a lot. Danes with the highest chances of getting it. I am having control over his exercises and meals. Thank you all.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

jess. i realize the minimum Ca levels are 1.3%, but many foods range anywhere from .4%-1% higher for the maximum possible values (which Caninine Caviar doent list. that would be something id want to know, especially with a dane pup.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Canine Caviar was develop with Danes in mind especially. 

According to the company, there has never been a reported claim that ANY dog has ever been subject to bloat on this food.

Based on the protein and fat content of the food, I would not be concerned that calcium and phosphorus levels would be out of check.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Eric, when I read this I thought of you...

As part of a well balanced diet, pork isn't any more dangerous than beef, lamb or chicken. The fat content is key, and many pets suffer from pancreatitis when fed excessively fatty, greasy table scraps - which are not part of a balanced diet. The most susceptible animals are those who don't eat anything but kibble all year and suddenly get an overload of "goodies" on thanksgiving or other holidays. 

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=myths


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## Mark6 (Jun 15, 2010)

Why is Orijen Regional Red or other Orijen Grain Free dog foods not recommended for small and/or inactive dogs?


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Mark-I think the reason that the administrator said that is because this food is so nutrient dense that the rations for every dog are reduced compared to most other dog foods.So basically what he is saying is that it would be very easy for a small inactive dog to become overweight on this food.But this is true for ANY breed-size of dog.So you have to be careful on the AMOUNT of Orijen that you feed to ANY dog.Use the chart on the bag for reference but keep in mind that every dog is an individual so any given dog may need a little more or less than is stated on the package,due to metabolism or exercise-energy levels.Also Champion pet foods-the maker of Orijen recommends their products for all breeds from tiny to extra large.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

We are trying this one more time. Boy, Tony loves this stuff and started choking he was eating it so fast and that was after he ate his usual diner. I might be able to give this to him as a treat, LOL. I doubt it, he just loves his meat. Last time his poo was bad, we'll see, this is the second night of a half cup. Surf and Turf is gonna have to wait, I got a whole big bag of the red.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Well Tony is up to a full cup and everything seems to be going fine. I think he was just to young the last time I tried to feed this to him. He just loves the red, almost as much as his Duck...LOL...


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## Carolyn_Levin (Nov 14, 2010)

My dog and I love Orijen (we've tried Puppy and Regional Fish), but every time I try to introduce any of the high protein dry foods (adding 2 tablespoons into her regular kibble - actually she will preferentially eat the orijen before she starts on her regular stuff) she gets extremely soft stools - sometimes even liquid. They do not improve even though I don't increase the amount I'm adding. (The same happened with Taste of the Wild and Acana Fish, each of which had a several week trial.) Her stools are fine on Natural Balance Fish, but her coat is not that shiny and I don't like the limited ingredient list - any suggestions?? She's a 14 month old, 50 pound mixed breed, very active. I think grains make her whiny, although she seems okay with rice.


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## Pete2 (Nov 16, 2010)

Why isn't this suggested for small dogs? What are some suggestions for a picky Chihuahua? She is currently on Timberwolf lamb, I am looking to change because it is too hard to find. Orijin Regional Red is one of the few foods I have bought that she actually liked. She doesn't have any health issues.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Pete-there is no good reason why the Administrator said that.Orijen is the best kibble made today.....for any dog no matter what size!!! Don't deprive your little dog of Orijen because of one dude's opinion.Try it and see what you and your dog think!!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

The doctor seconds that. Michelle is correct, feed your little buddy the red if he likes it. Tony also likes the Fromm Surf and Turf rabbit sized food, it might work for your little guy.


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## Ken_Daniels (Dec 17, 2010)

I have two ACDs who are much less active in the winter, so what I do is mix 1/2 of the higher-calorie Evo/Core with 1/2 Wellness Healthy Weight. That way they're still getting more protein and less grain than with a "normal" food, but not too much. This will be the first time I've tried Orijen, but I like what I've read so far.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

You well like it and it won't take you long to notice a difference in your dogs coat. You do realize they are changing the formula? They are adding more meat....Which means the price well most likely go up.

http://www.championpetfoods.com/


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

Why do I see selenium on your list of ingredients and on the bag it has the nasty sodium selenite and on their website it shows the healthier, expensive and organic selenium yeast???? Even the pet stores I get it from don't understand what is going on. My dogs were doing well on the 75% until they changed their formula to 80%. Now all 3 of my dogs have really bad diarrhea. I did mix old with new. I even tried 1 cup of new to 6 cups of old and still they are extremely sick. I might go back to Party Animal. BTW, there are a lot of dog owners who are saying the same thing so I am wondering if it's too rich for some dogs.


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## David4 (Aug 26, 2011)

Outstanding food! I suggest all dog owners swithc to Orijen and use to rotational diet:a bag of Orijen Adult dry then switch to Orijen 6 Fish then switch to Regional Red. Great rotation that gives your dog many sources of protein.


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## Jacob (Aug 27, 2012)

Orijen Regional Red is the best commercial dog food available. I feed an updated version from when this review was made I guess, because my ratios are

75% Premium Animal Ingredients
25% Fruits, Vegetables, and Botanicals

and my ingredients are different as well:

Fresh deboned wild boar*, fresh deboned lamb*, fresh beef liver*, fresh deboned pork*, lamb meal, peas, salmon meal, russet potato, herring meal, fresh whole eggs*, fresh deboned bison*, potato starch, fresh deboned salmon*, pacific whitefish meal, fresh deboned walleye*, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, dried organic kelp, pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium. 

* DELIVERED FRESH, preservative-free and never frozen. 

On any note, this food is even better than it was then, and it was already hard to beat. My dog is doing so well on this, has a ton of energy, beautiful coat, and she LOVES eating it. 5 stars from me, and I'm an dog nutrition expert.


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## Mitchell1 (Aug 30, 2012)

Please forgive us, Augie. We thought Beneful was good for you. So glad we found Orijen Regional Red in time..


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## Lucy47 (Sep 9, 2010)

I have an extremely active almost 7 year old Lab mix and a handicapped senior Lab rescue. Most of the time both dogs are fed raw meat/chicken/heart, etc., mixed with Sojos. However, I feed Orijin Adult and Orijin Regional Red two or three times a week, more often if I'm using a pet sitter, and usually add half a small can of Evanger's Sweet Potato. Both dogs eat twice a day and get 1 cup of Orijin in the morning and 1 cup in the evening. I adopted Abbey, my elderly Lab, a year ago in August. She shed so much I could have re-furred every small dog in the state of California. Plus, her coat was a disaster; coarse, dry, and flaky. Putting her on Orijin and the Sojo + Raw has made a huge difference not only in her coat but in her activity level. My Lab mix, Shadow, has gone from loose stools and tummy upsets to one small daily stool, no stomach problems, an incredibly shiny coat, and non-stop run, jump, play, swim mode. Highly recommend Oijin products.


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