The American Beagler Forum

Any input. I got a pup that is growing like a weed. I have heard of guys putting pups on low maintance food to slow down there growing. It Sounds good, but does anybody really no if it works.

I have never heard of such a thing? You mean a food with less protein?

Ya thats what I have been told. Remember I have not done this yet. But I was told that Dogs didnt go over as much 20 years ago because the feed was nt as good. U didnt see such good food back then. so I guess the figue is less protein might slow the growing process.

A dog is going to be the size of it's genetic make up. Provideing that pup with low quality food is not right. Let the pup grow to his potential, if he goes over size. Have the animal fixed and let him hunt. after all that is what we breed these dogs to do right.

It is not the food that is the problem it is the ingredients that go into the food that is the problem, with all the meat processing plants using grower to make the chickens grow faster and bigger in a short amount of time is what is affecting the dogs and the children of our nation. I truley believe that the chemicals that are being used to hyper produce chickens and other meat is leaching down into the food chain and affecting other animals and humans that are eating this stuff.

Look at the dogs today they are seeming to grow bigger and faster then before, look at the children they are as well growing bigger and faster then they were when we were kids.

I wouldn't think putting your dog on a low nutrition dog food is going to help. It will in fact in later years may hamper his over all health. When they are puppies this is when their brains and joints develop if you give them poor nutrition you are in affect hindering the important development of their brains and connective tissue, and joints. Of course you don't want to over feed your dog, but a dog is gonna be as big as your dog is gonna be whether you feed him proper nutrition or not, the only thing you can do is ensure he develops properly with out having poor structure along with a super tall body.

i have always heard that smoking stunts the growth maybe you could start him smoking.

Ya why not add coffee to. It is supposed to stunt growth also.thanks for the input. Im figuring all dogs grow in spurts at different times so he might of took a big growth spurt and might not grow again for a couple of months. I was just wanting some insight. Point made: thats when all the brains and orgens and bones are developing. I dont feel its my right to play with it. I do no guys that swear by it thow.

If you are feeding a high quality adult food you can feed that to your puppies too. There's really no great trick to keeping beagles undersize or us show people would know it, BELIEVE YOU ME

Nutrition should be the most important aspect of feeding your dogs. Trying to keep a dog from growing is just poor animal husbandry in my opinion. The puppy will be what he will be and thats the way it should be.

Leah

This topic was covered in an old issue of the Rabbit Hunter several years ago. Dave Fisher bought back a young dog that was fed cheap low protein dog chow. He had a litter mate to the pup in his kennel that was raised on Purina since weaning. The pups size difference was amazing! The Purina pup was big and beefy, while the other was slim, slender and much shorter!! The Purina pup also had a better coat.

If i was to try it. I would start early around 4 months?? They seem to reach a peak in heighth at 9-10 months.

Also....bottle fed pups are usually smaller in stature than the norm.

good luck,
LPB