# Best of the worst?



## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

The FIL (best way to describe him) has decided to get a Lab puppy, a sibling to Ranger. While me and Scott don't agree with this (he can barely take care of himself and has said he isn't in a condition to care for a dog) its happening. Scott's parents seperated recently and his dad is filling the void it seems with a puppy. This is not a person who is going to go out and by the best of the best or second best dog food. He'll grab whatever is at the grocery store or Walmart. He'll likely only end up giving the dog whatever he cooks for himself or has in the cubboard (he routinely gives Ranger, Spam, bolgona, mary browns etc) more so then dog food which worries me further as it isn't balanced and he's going to be big (100lbs+). *Is there a best of the worst?* 

I don't know if I'm going to be able to bite my lips for this. He doesn't believe in quality dog food (its just a money racket) or raw (my dogs will attack me one day cause blood makes them go vicious). He doesn't train, he won't have the time for the puppy, his health isn't going to allow him to do most things like exercise properly. He'll free feed kibble and then give it 12 other meals during the day of whatever is laying around. The dog is going to be so overweight.... its just one huge horrible mistake. :tape2:


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Don't you hate that, a train wreck you can see happening, but there's nothing you can do to stop it? Frustrating as hell. (whoops, is 'hell' a swear word?). All you can do is think to yourself that there is nothing you can do to stop this happening. Just be prepared to pick up the pieces in time to come. I'm sorry, you have my sympathy.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

People actually eat Spam?

I think Kirkland food would be your best bet... sure it's Diamond but it's going to be better than anything of a comparable price. If it has to be from Walmart, though.. I don't know. Ours has Holistic Select, but it's expensive, as is Eukanuba. Maybe Purina Proplan? It sucks but it's better than Beneful or Ol'Roy.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

My first thoughts are Pro Plan or Purina One...available at grocery stores and Walmart. Maybe Iams? (Ugh, never thought I'd recommend any of those but they're probably better than Old Roy orBeneful)


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Presidents Choice Chicken & Rice


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## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

No way to stop it it seems. Scott has tried to talk him out of it but no go. Who knows though, two weeks before he's ready (letting him go at 6 weeks) and maybe he'll change his mind. One can hope. If we end up with it that means no ACD puppy for me and a whole lot of "undoing" to do. Thank you for the sympathy but it'll be the puppy who needs it. 

Caty they sell Holistic Select at the Sobeys here but I never looked at the price... probably more expensive then Purina Puppy Chow. He might go for Kirkland, if I remember right they do have a Costco membership. I was looking at Pro Plan (gag) today when I tried to scope out what they had. But all of it looked so horrible. Definately some better then Beneful and the like though. Pro Plan might be a bit more expensive though(he's on disability) maybe Iams?

PC doesn't look too, too bad, I fed that to my Lab mix when I was short on cash.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

Iams is more expensive than Kirkland by far. I'd try to get him on that then, it is very cheap. Try to explain that a better quality food is cheaper to feed in the long run generally because the denser foods are more calorie dense and the dog requires less of it. I read somewhere that Orijen is around the same price as Beneful to feed...


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

I totally feel your pain. My cousin has 4 dogs that they don't take care of properly - they leave all day to go out of town and leave the dogs locked in the house with no way to go out to potty, don't train them at all and get mad when they destroy stuff, feed the cheapest food they can find, don't use any flea/tick/heartworm preventative so their dogs area always swarming with fleas (plus they take them to the lake so I'm sure they get ticks too)....grrrr I could go on and on and on

I'm sorry you're going through this though and that you will have to see the substandard care he will give his dog.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

I dont know if you have different merchandise in newfoundland, but wal-marts here sell food called Natural Life. The turkey one seems like the better option (the chicken one has corn and soy) 
NLPP - Adult Complete Turkey Meal & Barley Dog Formula

another one that comes to mind and I think its only sold in Canada is called Actrium Holistic, also its very reasonably prices around $36 for 35 lbs.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

I think Wal-Mart Canada' main brand is Harringtons, which is full of corn protein.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

DaViking said:


> I think Wal-Mart Canada' main brand is Harringtons, which is full of corn protein.


Not in Alberta.. here it's Ol'Roy.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Caty M said:


> Not in Alberta.. here it's Ol'Roy.


I think they are trying to introduce Harringtons as their new brand for those who aren't to fond of Ol Roy with Beef & Pentobarbital and have a few more bucks to spend, lol.


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## Neeko (Aug 11, 2010)

If he will only go to Walmart or the grocery, probably Purina One Beyond.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

DaViking said:


> I think they are trying to introduce Harringtons as their new brand for those who aren't to fond of Ol Roy with Beef & Pentobarbital and have a few more bucks to spend, lol.


Well Harringtons does sound rather upscale! :wink: Will the ingredients be the same except replace beef and bone meal with chicken by product meal? Is it out now where you live? I'll have to keep an eye out, ha.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

If you can just get him to budge a BIT, I'd plead for him to get on Fromm's basic formula...the one in the purple and red bags. Its about $1/lb and really a nice food from a solid company. Plus, I think he'll save sales tax so there's a bit more money. 

Explain to him the cost benefit of likely feeding less Fromm and the costs actually working out BETTER with FROMM over any of the Purina garbage he would stuff into his Dog. 

Annamaet is another food I think he could get for probably under $1/lb. Don't like it like Fromm but its a decent food.

Some of the retail stores actually have some decent foods. Newman's stuff is pretty decent and I think I've actually seen Castor-Pollux in some retail stores. But they are usually in smaller bags and the cost per pound will run way over a buck/lb. 

I just can't recommend Diamond any more. I'm done with them.


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## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

Thank you guys. At least I have a small list here now to try and talk him into. I'm going to see if he'll get Actrium Holistic, Kirkland or PC. 

He just won't budge on anything like Fromm and the like. Its just a money racket according to him, a marketing scheme. This is a man whose previous dogs have either had behaviour issues to the point he put them down and lives on a busy street and would just open the front door to let the dog free roam then was surprised when the dog got hit and killed by a car (and still to this day doesn't see a problem with having done that). I can't remember if it was him or his father that even accidently set they're dog on fire. How does someone do that!? We're hoping that this puppy thing doesn't go through or if it does he'll see just how much extra work there is and give him up to us before long.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

Little Brown Jug said:


> Thank you guys. At least I have a small list here now to try and talk him into. I'm going to see if he'll get Actrium Holistic, Kirkland or PC.
> 
> He just won't budge on anything like Fromm and the like. Its just a money racket according to him, a marketing scheme. This is a man whose previous dogs have either had behaviour issues to the point he put them down and lives on a busy street and would just open the front door to let the dog free roam then was surprised when the dog got hit and killed by a car (and still to this day doesn't see a problem with having done that). I can't remember if it was him or his father that even accidently set they're dog on fire. How does someone do that!? We're hoping that this puppy thing doesn't go through or if it does he'll see just how much extra work there is and give him up to us before long.




wow. So, even if you proved it was the same price or actually LESS than the Purina's of the world, he STILL wouldn't opt for Fromm or Annamaet?

I guess I'd ask him what is the "Scam" if the price is actually cheaper


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## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

The argument turns to "well that's what my family has always fed our dogs and they've been fine". Can't reason with him.


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## 7766 (Sep 20, 2011)

Little Brown Jug said:


> The argument turns to "well that's what my family has always fed our dogs and they've been fine". Can't reason with him.


I have been there. Go through it with the BF's parents all the time. They feed there Maltese/Cocker mix Kibbles and Bits and table scraps. They say she won't eat the Kibble half the time so why spend more money. I argue if they stop feeding her from the table and skip her Sunday Egg McMuffin she might. I get told how all this dog food stuff is hogwash. I just keep my mouth shut and smile. I spend less a year on vet bills for my 3 large breed dogs than she does for her one little one. They day she brings that up is the day I tell he why :heh:


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

here is hoping the future dog gets a fighting chance.

My choice with what Walmart carries (because this does not sound like a pet store shopper to me) would be either Iams Healthy Naturals or Purina One Beyond. Both are horrible in their own ways (Iams has a lot of grain and Purina has a lot of grain AND menidione sodium bisulfate). These are both adult foods, keep in mind. If he goes with Iams, get him to buy the healthy naturals (and try not to think of the horrible beagle testing video) and if he goes with Purina make sure its Beyond One (which probably also test on dogs just havent gotten caught yet). 

Sigh....maybe he will get sick of all the work (hoping he does the work)


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## Midnight (Jul 4, 2011)

*I used to think mostly of price and then.....*

.....I started reading articles on forums like this one dealing with training a rescue dog. Meanwhile, I came to absolutely adore my rescue dog and imagining life without him brings tears to my eyes even now. In the process of wanting to show my little guy how much I appreciated him in my life I ran across articles about teary eyes and the fact that it can be caused by bad quality dog food. He also ate grass constantly and would periodically upchuck his food. That is also caused by bad quality food. Discovering all this put me on a quest for the best quality kibble I could get my hands on. Yes, price is still an issue since I'm on a limited income due to a disability, but I now compare price and amount.

Yes, this is part of being a responsible pet owner but it also takes those of you who know more than we do to teach us. So maybe you could encourage this person to read articles about responsible pet people. Read articles yourself and bring up issues you've discovered, not just your opinion, because this person might think you are harrassing them. The articles put it in black and white though and they can't ignore that for long. Just mho but I hope it helps.

I feel sorry for the dog!!


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## Midnight (Jul 4, 2011)

Caty M said:


> People actually eat Spam?
> 
> I think Kirkland food would be your best bet... sure it's Diamond but it's going to be better than anything of a comparable price. If it has to be from Walmart, though.. I don't know. Ours has Holistic Select, but it's expensive, as is Eukanuba. Maybe Purina Proplan? It sucks but it's better than Beneful or Ol'Roy.


PLEASE keep in mind that "Kirland" is made by "Diamond" and many "Diamond" product have recently been recalled. I used to feed my little guy Diamond but ended up throwing 1/3 to 1/2 bag of kibble in the trash.
I'm going to try "AvoDerm" soon. Yes, it is a bit expensive but it is a better quality food.


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## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

Well I am pleased to say that it looks like he is no longer getting the puppy. He phoned us the weekend while we were camping and asked if we wanted the puppy, since he didn't think he was going to get it anymore and wouldn't be able to get his deposit back. We declined. So that is a huge relief off our shoulders although part of me wanted the puppy as its likely it will end up on the cheapest thing possible. Can't change everyone's mind.


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