Trying to choose a breed, help please

[Silaria]

I also have the food I decided on feeding Fromm so hopefully she will do well on that, I was going to use TOTW but then found out they were having issues/got bought out (can't remember exactly now) so decided to go with Fromm Gold instead. I just need to buy an air tight food vault to store it in so it stays fresh, I have one picked out on chewy.com just need to order it.

Remember to slowly switch from the food she's eating now over to the Fromm. A quick change from one food to another can cause digestive upset, not something you or her will need when she first comes home.

See if her foster family will provide you with some food when you pick her up or if you have to buy a small bag. Personally, I think you'd be better off with a small bag since you'll probably want to keep her on it for the first week she's in your home. Many dogs don't eat right when they go to a new home so the similar food will be familiar to her. After that slowly switch to the Fromm by mixing it with the current food. A recommended way to switch them is:
--- Week 1: 3 parts old food, 1 part new food
--- Week 2: 50/50 split old food to new
--- Week 3: 1 part old food, 3 parts new food
--- Week 4: All new food

Obviously if there is any issue along the way with loose stool and/or diarrhea, add more of the older food and move forward in smaller increments.

 

[MissyGallant]

Annabelle and Clarabelle will spend hours scrunching up a fuzzy blanket so that it is just right to lay one. And Annabelle MUST have something pillow like.

I have a great fence guy, but the price to bring him to CA from Indiana would probably add to his costs.

 

[Amanda317]

The fuzzy blanket thing is hilarious to me because all my girls have sought out anything soft to lay on. My 1st sheltie got possessive of a sheepskin we got for our baby. She chewed off a piece of it-ugh, and slept with it, crazy dog, but I think she felt slighted that she didn't get one and the baby did...anything fleecy has feud potential, my girls have always staked their claim on fleecewear

That is to funny! Especially just taking one piece but I totally understand how you felt I'd probably be the same if it happened with one of my little ones blankets haha.

 

[Amanda317]

Remember to slowly switch from the food she's eating now over to the Fromm. A quick change from one food to another can cause digestive upset, not something you or her will need when she first comes home.

See if her foster family will provide you with some food when you pick her up or if you have to buy a small bag. Personally, I think you'd be better off with a small bag since you'll probably want to keep her on it for the first week she's in your home. Many dogs don't eat right when they go to a new home so the similar food will be familiar to her. After that slowly switch to the Fromm by mixing it with the current food. A recommended way to switch them is:
--- Week 1: 3 parts old food, 1 part new food
--- Week 2: 50/50 split old food to new
--- Week 3: 1 part old food, 3 parts new food
--- Week 4: All new food

Obviously if there is any issue along the way with loose stool and/or diarrhea, add more of the older food and move forward in smaller increments.

Thank you that is very helpful! I was wondering about that and the rescue said they send a few days worth of food but I could find out what kind and buy a small bag. How do I figure out how much to feed her?

 

[tesslynn]

Remember to slowly switch from the food she's eating now over to the Fromm. A quick change from one food to another can cause digestive upset, not something you or her will need when she first comes home.

See if her foster family will provide you with some food when you pick her up or if you have to buy a small bag. Personally, I think you'd be better off with a small bag since you'll probably want to keep her on it for the first week she's in your home. Many dogs don't eat right when they go to a new home so the similar food will be familiar to her. After that slowly switch to the Fromm by mixing it with the current food. A recommended way to switch them is:
--- Week 1: 3 parts old food, 1 part new food
--- Week 2: 50/50 split old food to new
--- Week 3: 1 part old food, 3 parts new food
--- Week 4: All new food

Obviously if there is any issue along the way with loose stool and/or diarrhea, add more of the older food and move forward in smaller increments.

*yikes, I didn't do this...when I got Kaleigh, the breeder used Costco food. I don't have Costco. I just fed her from the samples I had picked up to see which she liked. No issues at all...Savannah, same deal... but I will say, the breeder required a wellness visit within a week of purchase, so we went to the Vet both times the day after...his take was, if you must feed kibble (not his preference at all), then just add a small scoop of yoghurt and change overs shouldn't be an issue..and that is what I did. Every pup is different. Mine are chowhounds-the only time we have tummy upsets are after shots, or if Savannah eats too many bugs or flowers, she attacked the zucchini blossoms

 

[Silaria]

How do I figure out how much to feed her?

Ask how much she is currently being fed.

Most Shelties don't need a lot of food to be healthy. My two boys get 1 cup of food per day split into two 1/2 cup servings. My girl gets 1/2 cup a day split into two 1/4 cup servings. All of them are a healthy weight. They also get treats once or twice a day or while training so the small servings are compensated for through other means.

How much food they eat really depends on their activity level and metabolism, just like a human. If they are mostly couch potatoes you aren't going to want to feed a lot. If they are actively running around a yard most of the day you'll want to feed more. If you are doing training, remember to take training treats into account for their daily food intake.

Do NOT go by the information on a food bag label. More times than not the recommended serving to too much and results in a fat dog.

 

[Silaria]

*yikes, I didn't do this...when I got Kaleigh, the breeder used Costco food. I don't have Costco. I just fed her from the samples I had picked up to see which she liked. No issues at all...Savannah, same deal... but I will say, the breeder required a wellness visit within a week of purchase, so we went to the Vet both times the day after...his take was, if you must feed kibble (not his preference at all), then just add a small scoop of yoghurt and change overs shouldn't be an issue..and that is what I did. Every pup is different. Mine are chowhounds-the only time we have tummy upsets are after shots, or if Savannah eats too many bugs or flowers, she attacked the zucchini blossoms

The yogurt most likely helped... or you are blessed with dogs that have iron stomachs.

Every pup is definitely different though. I've done hard changes from one food to another and it wasn't pretty for a few days.

 

[Cara Sandler]

My puppy didn't do well on any kibble that I tried (and they were all very high quality kibbles). I switched her over to raw and added a probiotic, and now she's doing great! But it doesn't take much food to keep a sheltie at a healthy weight. My girl is 1 year old, 11 pounds, and she eats 1.5 oz of raw food twice a day. When I look at those tiny little portions I always feel like I'm underfeeding her, but I've experimented with giving her 1.75 oz twice a day and she gained weight on that. So really, you're probably going to end up feeding less than you would think.

 

[MissyGallant]

Thank you that is very helpful! I was wondering about that and the rescue said they send a few days worth of food but I could find out what kind and buy a small bag. How do I figure out how much to feed her?

Ask the foster. And be aware, that the amount you feed will change- constantly. We constantly monitor the Belles weight. When the ribs get a little too hard to feel, then we cut back. In the spring, they run all the time in the yard and we add. It never varies a LOT, but it does vary.

 

[Amanda317]

Alright thanks eve, I will check with the foster parents and go from there adjusting as needed. I wanted to do a raw diet but my husband said he didn't want to so I told him that he would have to be okay with whatever kibble I chose and it wasn't going to be any of those store brands haha