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This site will give you an in depth look on what you may or may not be feeding your pooch! http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

Check out this website to find out more about BARF Diets! http://www.barfworld.com/html/barfworld/about.shtml

        How to grade your dog's food Start with a grade of 100 points 1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points 2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points 3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points 4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source subtract 5 points 5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points 6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points 7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points 8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points 9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points 10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points 11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points 12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points 13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points 14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to beef), subtract 1 point 15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point Extra Credit: 1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points 2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points 3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points 4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points 5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points 6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points 7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points 8) If the food contains barley, add 2 points 9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points 10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point 11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point 12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "fish" as 2 different sources), add 1 point 13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point 14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point 94-100+ = A          86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 = F Following are some foods that have already been scored (alphabetical order then ordered by score): ALPHABETICAL ORDER: Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+      Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F Canidae / Score 112 A+ Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+ Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F             Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+ Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+ Eagle Pack Holistic / Score 119 A+ Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken / Score 114 A+ Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy / Score 94 A Eagle Pack Natural / Score 94 A Eukanuba Large Breed Adult / Score 83 C         Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B     Flint River Ranch / Score 92 B (non-specific fat source) Foundations / Score 106 A+ Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 A Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D    Iams Large Breed / Score 83 C    Innova Dog / Score 114 A+ Innova Evo / Score 114 A+ Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+ Kirkland Signature Puppy Chicken, Rice and Vegetable / Score 108 A+  Natural Balance Duck and Potato / Score 114 A+ Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B Nutro Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal / Score 85 C  (non-specific fat source)    Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B    Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice / Score  85 C    Ol Roy / Score 9 F    Pedigree Complete Nutrition / Score 42 F    Pedigree Adult Complete / Score 14  F Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F Pro Plan All Breed / Score  68 F Pro Plan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+ Purina Benful / Score 17 F      Purina Dog / Score 62 F        Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F    Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+ Royal Canin Dachshund 28 Formula / Score 97 A Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+ Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F Science Diet chicken adult maintenance / Score 45 F Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F Solid Gold Bison / Score 123 A+ Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison / Score 136  A+ Wellness Just for Puppy / Score 117 A+  Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+ Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A   NUMERICAL ORDER (BY SCORE): Grade A Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison / Score 136  A+ Solid Gold Bison / Score 123 A+ Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+ Eagle Pack Holistic / Score 119 A+ Wellness Just for Puppy / Score 117 A+ Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+     Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+ Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken / Score 114 A+ Innova Dog / Score 114 A+ Innova Evo / Score 114 A+ Natural Balance Duck and Potato / Score 114 A+ Canidae / Score 112 A+                      Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+ Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+ Kirkland Signature Puppy Chicken, Rice and Vegetable / Score 108 A+ Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+ Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+ Foundations / Score 106 A+ ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+ Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+ Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A Royal Canin Dachshund 28 Formula / Score 97 A Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy / Score 94 A Eagle Pack Natural / Score 94 A Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 A Grade B Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B Flint River Ranch / Score 92 B (non-specific fat source) Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B     Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B     Grades C and D Nutro Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal / Score 85 C  (non-specific fat source)    Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice / Score  85 C    Eukanuba Large Breed Adult / Score 83 C    Iams Large Breed / Score 83 C    Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D     Grade F Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F Pro Plan All Breed / Score  68 F Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F Purina Dog / Score 62 F     Science Diet chicken adult maintenance / Score 45 F Pedigree Complete Nutrition / Score 42 F Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F Purina Benful / Score 17 F     Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F   Pedigree Adult Complete / Score 14  F Ol Roy / Score 9 F   

Little did I know that my 20th birthday would set in motion a life changing set of events...... Exactly one week before my 20th birthday a friend of mine came over and showed me his puppy. It was an eight week old pitbull. A little black rat looking dog. I have never been around a pit before but was no way weary of one either. The puppy and I played for hours till my friend needed to go home, he still was yet to show his mother. I made sure he understood that if he could not keep this little jerk puppy to bring him to me. Sure enough, on my birthday he came over and said the puppy was mine.

What now! I didn't know what to do, I have had dogs prior but a pit bull. What have I got myself into. The only things I have ever heard about pit bulls are that they eat people. "Not this one" I said to myself. The next 3-4 days I found every bit of information I could regarding my playful little man eater, from the internet, book stores, and the only owner I could find.

He went everywhere with me, after all I wanted him to like people. We went to the store, blockbuster, driving, the park, the vet, the lake, the snow, my friends house, on dates, the drive ins, you name it. If people told us to leave or gave us attitude or anything we just ignored them. After all I was a punk 20 yr old.

All this was the first months............... 

Potty training was a breeze, so was everything else. He sat, he would lay down, crawl, bang (play dead like you have never see), stand, dance, kill stuffed animals and plastic bottles, you name it. He was great.

We went on walks, thats when I realized how the world saw these amazing creatures. People would actually run across the street when we were seen. My dog had done NOTHING! Yet no one would get near him. I actually yelled at people, which didn't help. After five years of dirty looks and blantent fear, I grew some tough skin. 

I got used to the fact that the only people that appriceated what a wonderful dog i had were; the mailman and UPS man, who came to the door and became friends with Gauge, Stupid punk kids who thought because they say a pit bull in a rap video that they were cool, and a few OLDER men, who probably remembered Sgt. Stubby ( the most decorated war dog in U.S. History) or Petey ( You all know who Petey was).

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