What's the best dog food for my 4-year-old Border Collie Lab mix?

Labs have a tendency to grow too fast, and as they get older to get fat. Therefore I like to use Nutro large breed puppy dry, then switch to adult large breed, and weight management later in life if needed. I like Nutro because it’s a complete diet and lower in calorie than most of the other dog foods. Dogs like it and there are several different Nutro varieties for you to choose from. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Arjun.

I would say Joey is a large breed dog based on his mix of breeds. I recommend feeing him a high quality large breed dog food. These foods will have joint support, which is great for bigger dogs. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach! The food I mostly recommend is Science Diet. I have used their food for over 20 years in my own pets and have never had a problem with their food. My own dog was on their food for 20 years and did very well. He maintained an excellent body condition, hair coat was amazing and he loved very long. I contribute his longevity to a good diet and good care as well. If you are opposed to Science Diet, I also recommend Royal Canin, Natural Balance and Purina One. There are so many foods out there and it is easy to get caught up in the marketing game of "natural", "organic" and "grain free". As long as your dog is on a well balanced and complete diet is what matters the most. I typically recommend feeding a puppy food for the first 12 months and then switching to an adult food from 12 months to 7 years of age. Beyond 7 years I recommend a senior formula. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like GoGo is quite the energizer bunny! An agility class is definitely a fantastic ideal to keep a high energy Border Collie healthy. As far as food goes - you can't go wrong with brands like Purina, Hills Science Diet, or Royal Canin. There are a variety of diets offered by these brands, especially for active dogs. What veterinarians do not recommend are grain-free diets, or vegan or vegetarian diets, as these are associated with the development of heart disease in dogs. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there. I would recommend feeding a diet from a company with a good reputation, who employs veterinary nutritionists to help formulate their diets and does AAFCO feeding trials to prove that their diets provide complete and balanced nutrition when fed long-term. Companies that meet these criteria include Iams, Purina, and Royal Canin. Purina Dog Chow Complete Adults would be a very reasonable choice.

Great question! I would feed a good quality food that is specially formulated for large-breed puppies, to make sure that your pup is getting the optimal balance of nutrients for growth at this age. Royal Canin or Purina ProPlan are both good brands - Royal Canin even makes a food specifically for Labs, so it would be great choice for your puppy :)

Thank you for using Petcoach (now Boop). Large breed puppy formula’s are formulated specifically for the slower growth of large breed dogs. Large breeds can develop orthopedic diseases such as hypertrophic osteodystrophy and panosteitis related to caloric intake, fat and protein. Large breed dog food have been developed to provide optimum nutrition while reducing the risk of these disorders. I would definitely recommend keeping Charlie on a large breed puppy formula. Parina pro plan is a great choice. Here is a bit more information. On large breed puppy formula. https://www.iams.com/pet-health/puppy-care/why-large-breed-puppy-formulas-are-different http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2017/02/confused-about-what-to-feed-your-large-breed-puppy-new-rules-may-help/