Puppy Food

proudmomof3cats

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Hello again everyone! My family and I are considering getting a dog/puppy, and I was hoping to see how much it will approximately cost before we decide. If we get a dog it will be a border collie. So I was wondering if any of you, first of all, have a border collie or any other kind of dog close in size. And If you do, can you tell me about how often you have to buy food, and what size food you buy. I know thats kinda specific, sorry. Thanks for the help! Also, any other advice would be greatly appreciated!

Manda
 

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I buy for a 90 lb & 50 lb. Each gets a certain # of cups a day. It will depend on the dog & activity level.....BCs are herders & higher energy.....so they might need to eat more. I'd say 40 lbs. a month?
 

goldenkitty45

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Not sure on the feeding, but do hope you've got a lot of room or a big yard for your Border - they require a lot of exercise or they get bored (and in trouble) very fast!
 
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proudmomof3cats

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We have a good amount of room, and there is almost always someone home, mostly me, to take him outside. Thanks!
 

miagi's_mommy

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I hope you guys consider adopting a border collie puppy or adult. there are so many in shelters needing homes.
I love border collies.
have you guys ever had a border collie before?
here's some info on them if you guys haven't. they are great dogs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Collie

also to answer your question we buy atleast 2 bags of dog food a month because we have 4 dogs. 2 are large and 2 are medium sized dogs. they are all fed twice a day. Jenny our rottie mix eats 4 cups a day (2 cups twice a day), Buster our hound eats the same, Rocky our lab mix eats 3 cups twice a day, and Ginger eats 2 and a half cups twice a day and she's a corgi mix.
 
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proudmomof3cats

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Thanks, no we haven't had a border collie before. We will adopt from one of the humane societies, we get all of our pets there, (with the exception of Tubee who was orphaned as a kitten on my husbands steel mill). Thanks for the help!

Manda
 

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One more thing, they *may* be able to give you a more accuate guess on how much the doggie eats if you go through a humane society.
 

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I have an aussie. They are larger then BC's, but also very active. My guy is about 50 lbs. It depends on the dog and what food you chose to feed. If you feed a higher quality food, you can feed the dog a smaller quantity. For example, I feed Canidae, and I feed my aussie only about 3/4 of a coffee cup twice a day, so one and a half coffee cups a day. But on a lower quality food, say perhaps Purina (yuck), a dog of his weight would have to eat twice that.

Sorry I can't be more specific on how much he actually eats in a month, but I have three large dogs I feed


BCs are very intelligent and high energy kids, they need activity and a job to keep them happy. Many people surrender their BC's b/c they aren't prepared for how active they are. Good luck with your future pup!
 

arlyn

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Bear is 90 pounds and eats one measured cup of food a day.
He has a much lower activity level than a Border has though.
He goes through roughly #40 of food a month.

He eats Nutro natural choice
 

faith's_mom

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I have a Border Collie Mix...I usually have her on Chicken Soup brand dog food, or something along that line (I love the Chic Soup though). She eats between 2 1\\2 and 3 cups a day and is at ideal weight.

I have two dogs though (both medium sized), so I can't really say how often you will have to buy food; I go through a 35lb bag every 4-5 weeks; I buy a new bag before I am out usually, but not too far ahead, as you don't want the dog food sitting around forever!

Definitely stick with premium brands of dog food; the more additives, and less amount of meat protein, the more food you will go through. Generally foods without corn, wheat, or soy are the best; these all contain vast amount of carbs, but not enough essential protien for a dog...equaling more waste, because they can't handle all those carbs!

Canidae, Nature's Recipe, Chicken Soup, and Innova are a few good ones to try.
 

faith's_mom

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Originally Posted by Arlyn

Bear is 90 pounds and eats one measured cup of food a day.
He has a much lower activity level than a Border has though.
He goes through roughly #40 of food a month.

He eats Nutro natural choice
90 lbs, and only one cup a day???? Interesting...Hmmmmmm... Nutro's feeding 'regimine' for medium sized dogs is between 2-4 cups a day depending on activity level. A 90 lb dog should be getting between 3-5 cups a day, depending on activity. Also when feeding a larger dog, you also up the amounts by a slight margine, depending on his actual weight; so usually a dog over say 75 lbs should be getting the lowest recommended amount PLUS 1\\4-1\\2 per every 5 to 10 lbs difference.
 

arlyn

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He's a very pudgy boy, built big.
He's eaten 1 cup a day for two years now.
His activity level at 8 yrs is couch potato.

When he was younger, and had an activity level, he still only ate 2 cups a day, split into two feedings.

I honestly was worried about the amount too, but his vet visits say otherwise.
 

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this is my own analysis from ASKING over the last five yrs...

if on a higher protein/ higher fat ie 25-30 protein 15-20 fat ... a ave 35lb border eats 2 cups ( 2 8oz cups NOT big gulps
) ....

on a 21/ 12 food the same dog eats 3 cups ...

the larger the dog the less the really eat ... a 15 lb dog eats up to 2 cups a day yet a ave 60 eat 3-4 ... GSDs are natorious for not eating much ... my own at 2.5 cups a day for 13.5 yrs and was 125lbs... my 12 yr old yorkie if on dry only would eat 1.25 cups a day of a high protein moderate fat
 

2dogmom

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My two that are between 50-60 lbs get 2 cups a day of Canidae. THey also get raw plus treats so figure they get the equivalent of about 3 cups a day. However, they are adult dogs, and growing puppies have a much higher calorie requirement it can easily be 50 % more.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by 2dogmom

My two that are between 50-60 lbs get 2 cups a day of Canidae. THey also get raw plus treats so figure they get the equivalent of about 3 cups a day. However, they are adult dogs, and growing puppies have a much higher calorie requirement it can easily be 50 % more.
ONLY on a adult labeled all stage food ... Puppy or Puppy labelled all stage does not require additional for a growing
 

kittytales

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Keep in mind that there are other costs involved. You can expect to spend around $400/year on a premium dry food. If you're adding canned and/or fresh foods and supplements to the diet, that figure can easily double or even triple. Then there are vet visits (shots, ear infections, etc), flea/tick & heartworm preventatives, some sort to activity class (obedience, agility, flyball, etc) would be a really good idea with a border collie, toys, treats, chews, and more. You should also plan for the unexpected. Puppies get into all sorts of trouble and a broken bone or surgery to remove a foreign body can be in the thousands. Medical expenses are also likely to increase when your BC is elderly.
 
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