Food

Opinions of breeders differ greatly on what is the best food for a growing pup and dog and on which vitamin or mineral supplementation protocol to use.

Your dog's breeder should recommend a diet for your dog. Your dog's breeder has experience in selecting a specific diet that has proven to meet the nutritional needs of dogs from their families of dogs. Veterinary advice on diet can be helpful; BUT, your dog's breeder is your best source for learning what kind of food will work best with your new pup and adult dog. The food you feed your dog can help or cause problems with ears, skin, overall health and behavior.

BMD owners feed a range of food from raw diet, homemade diets to commercially prepared kibble. No matter what type of feed, BMD owners seem to agree to feed a high quality food with relatively low protein level, approximately 18 -26% and a moderate fat content, under 16%. The following -www.doberdogs.com is an informative website listing a number of commercially prepared dog foods, ingredients, website addresses, and contact information. The Whole Dog Journal at www.whole-dog-journal.com prepares an annual listing of quality feeds. Whether the feed is grain based or meat based, owners should search to find out what works best for their dog. Rely on your breeder for tips on managing puppy diet to optimize development.

Quantity will vary according to growth rate, exercise and time of year. A young growing dog will sometimes need to eat more than an adult dog. The most important thing is to monitor intake and make sure your dog does not become overweight. Some breeders and vets do not recommend puppy food, as they believe it encourages rapid growth that may be detrimental to the developing bone structure. Others believe in heavy addition of supplements. Read and consult with your veterinarian and breeder to make an informed decision.

Growth

BMDs have a long growing period. Most BMDs do not finish their growth until they are 2 or 3 years old. BMDs continue to flesh out well into their middle years. BMD puppies can put on 2-3 pounds and up to ½ inch of vertical height a week during growth spurts occurring from to 8-10 months of age.

Often during BMD's growth phase dogs can appear gangly, high on leg or unbalanced and gawky. Gait can be substantially altered during growing phases and may become mildly uncoordinated. As long as the dog is not lame and does not develop orthopedic conditions such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia or osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) , usually the gait will return to the gait exhibited by the dog as a young pup. It is not uncommon for BMD puppy's skeleton to grow unevenly and many BMDs gain height in their rear followed a few weeks later by the front growing to catch up. BMDs essentially reach their final height at between 18 months and two years. Environmental factors can also influence structural development.

Please use common sense and do not take your puppy for long walks. Discourage leaping, jumping and running on ice and irregular terrain. Skid resistant rugs might be needed to eliminate slippery stairs and floors. Even those very active pups, willing to go 24 hours a day, need rest and quiet time. Managing growth through appropriate exercise and a quality diet will help to optimize the health and physical soundness of your dog. *Some of the information in this section is from the BMDCNV Resource Guide "Food and Growth" section.