Breeders Requiring a Certain Diet?

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#1
Do you agree with breeders requiring that you keep the dog on a certain diet? Not just a in-general, high quality diet, but stating "You must feed this dog X brand of food" or "You must feed this dog a raw diet" - that sort of thing.
 

NicoleLJ

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#2
Personally I don't agree with it. Some brands you can not get in certian areas, others might not have the time to do raw or home made type foods. When I wrote up my contract I requested they keep the dogs on a high quality food. Then in their puppy manuals I included a link to the food analysis web site so that they could see the foods rating and pick something in their price range and that they could get in their areas. I did provide a weeks worth of food as well.
 

Zoom

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#3
On one hand, I don't like the idea of someone telling me what to feed, but on the other, if the breeder has done the research into putting together a quality diet for their dogs, they don't want their breeding results skewed by someone feeding Ol' Roy and then complaining that their dog is unhealthy.
 

~Jessie~

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#4
When I've fostered dogs and interviewed potential owners, I've always asked what they planned on using for food. I always adopt dogs out with at least a 6lb bag of food, and explain to them why they should continue to keep the dog on a high quality food.

If they grumble and say "well, I was planning on feeding Beneful/Pedigree/wood pellets/etc," I try to educate them on why it's healthier to feed a better food. If they don't listen or care, well, no dog for you! I don't care if you're feeding the most expensive food on the market... BUT if I'm adopting a dog out to you, you'd better be feeding something nutritious, whether it's Kirkland or Diamond Naturals or Taste of the Wild or raw, etc.

I think it's silly when a breeder says "you need to feed THIS food. Oh yeah, and I'm the only supplier in the state and you must order from me otherwise your health contract is void. And who cares if the first ingredient is corn. You MUST feed this," etc.

However, I think it's completely reasonable for a breeder to expect their puppy buyer to feed a high quality diet. I would never sell a puppy to someone who planned on feeding Ol' Roy.
 

mom2dogs

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#5
I don't "agree" or "disagree" with it. Most of the breeders I have met who require owners to feed what they do, is because the majority of those looking to purchase one of their dogs do not know the difference between good food and bad. A lot of the times, if you explain why you would rather feed "x" instead of "y" and it is similar quality, they bend. Except those who feed raw and want their puppies on raw as well.

I require a good, healthy diet, but could never imagine requiring only one food, since I rotate/feed occasional raw meals/etc. Would get too complicated :p Besides, its ever changing, I use to recommend Natura products and now hesitant to feed it to my own dogs now. So to me, it's better to educate so they know what to look for. But it's ultimately the breeders choice, and I'm not about to slam one for protecting their dogs.
 

darkchild16

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#6
I wouldnt sign a contract with a breeder requiring that. You never know whats going to happen in the future. Right now we sometimes struggle feeding Kirklands but with Jeremys new job we can afford the GF from Costco which is 30 for a 35 pound bag. We couldnt afford to feed all our dogs TOTW or any thing like that. Walker when it was just him I could but now that we have others its not as feasible. Heck mine have had to be on junk food for a while because that was all that was available at less then 50 dollars a bag.
 

corgipower

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#7
This kinda reminds me of the recent thread on whether or not a dog should be rehomed because the owner could only afford a garbage food...

If I were selling someone a puppy, I'd educate on healthy diet, but I wouldn't rule out a responsible, loving home that will socialize, train, provide vet care and be a lifelong owner just because I disagree with their choice of food. I might nullify parts of a health contract, depending on whether or not food plays a part, but what someone feeds won't change the dog's genetics, and at least most illnesses covered in a health contract are for hereditary stuff.

On the buyer side of things, I once found a breeder I liked...until I got to the part about requiring the dogs to be fed Pedigree. I couldn't feed Nature's Variety instead. :rolleyes: I went elsewhere for a pup.
 
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#8
Is it morally right or wrong? Well that's not for me to decide.

But, would I buy from a breeder that stipulated what food I was to feed, even if it was the food I had planned on feeding to the dog? Not a chance.
 

SailenAero

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#9
I think it's good to take into consideration their opinions and it is def. Good to slowly ween a dog off their diet before you start them on something new, but, for example, our breeder gave us recommendations for feeding but we ultimately chose a grain free high protein and mostly raw diet for Aero and I would never go back. But I do think that it is good for the breeders to at least inform their buyers on food choices. Some people, especially new dog owners, may not know much about feeding a particular breed. I don't think you should have to sign a co tract or anything for a specified diet unless you are possibly co-owning a dog.
 

Gypsydals

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#10
I have, did and will again purchase a dog from a breeder that wants/requires/expects you to feed a certain quality of food. Now she didn't say I had to feed XXX brand, but she did give a list in a variety of prices ranges and availability that was acceptable to feed. Quite a few of those where also available through her, but as a puppy buyer I also got a good discount by purchasing the food through them.
 

Saeleofu

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#11
I think ultimately it's up to the dog's owners to choose a food. I don't see a problem with requiring a high-quality food, but to require a specific brand or formula is a bit much. Of course the breeder knows what works, and they recommend a certain food for a reason. I appreciate Logan's breeder telling me the collies generally don't do well on TOTW, and telling me what he does feed. I still feed the same brand, and for a while the same formula, but he's on a more nutrient-dense version of the same brand (and same protein source) now. And doing wonderfully on it.
 

Laurelin

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#12
I don't mind a breeder recommending a food, but REQUIRING it is too much in my opinion. I don't feed the food either of my breeders recommended. (both recommended grocery brands) In fact though Summer's breeder was very impressed with the dogs' condition on the other food that she is thinking about switching. ;)
 

JennSLK

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#14
In my contract I require a premium food or raw diet. With a clause saying that if the dog is not fed a quality food, then it may nullify parts of the health guarantee.
 

elegy

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#15
i wouldn't purchase from a breeder who required me to feed xyz food (or to vaccinate/not vaccinate for xyz). at some point, you need to trust me as a puppy-buyer that i will make appropriate and good choices for the dog. if you can't trust me, you shouldn't be selling me a puppy.
 

Kat09Tails

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#16
I'm game for making recommendations or even suggesting that poor diet will void a health guarantee however I will not buy from breeders who have what I consider to be over reaching contracts. To me specifying brands and other diet components fall into that category because lets face it - it's unenforceable.
 

NicoleLJ

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#17
To be honest I did require my adopters to have one bag of the brand of food the pups were on so that they had at least a months supple. This way their system would have less of a shock after the shock of going to a new home. I also explained to them how to properly switch them to a new brand if they prefered that.
 
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#18
i wouldn't purchase from a breeder who required me to feed xyz food (or to vaccinate/not vaccinate for xyz). at some point, you need to trust me as a puppy-buyer that i will make appropriate and good choices for the dog. if you can't trust me, you shouldn't be selling me a puppy.
:hail: Exactly
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#19
I am comfortable with nullifying a health contract because of a disagreement over feed/exercise. However, requiring a feed would make me choose not to buy from said breeder.
 

mom2dogs

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#20
i wouldn't purchase from a breeder who required me to feed xyz food (or to vaccinate/not vaccinate for xyz). at some point, you need to trust me as a puppy-buyer that i will make appropriate and good choices for the dog. if you can't trust me, you shouldn't be selling me a puppy.
For me, it's not about trust - it's choosing those with similar beliefs.
 

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