Littlest big addition to the family!

[alicat]

Me and the significant other have been tossing around getting a puppy for a while, and today we made a 2 hour drive to see some cane corso puppies... soooooo we put a deposit on one!
they're only 4 weeks only now so she can't come home for another 2 weeks.
we have some intense training in our future, she's supposed to get up to like 130 pounds.

now it's ali, michael, piper, and this unnamed little girl.
Petco has xxl crates on sale too so I'm doing a big online shopping trip for Puppy and Piper (petco has every flavor of nutriberries on sale FYI!)


so excited. can't wait. he said we could have taken her today cus she's one of the bigger pups but that would be cruel. she hasn't even learned to bark yet

I can't uggh. hopefully her and piper both being babies will help a little.
puppy!!

 

[Senneth]

What a cute baby!

 

[Wasabisaurus]

So cute! Congratulations!

 

[expressmailtome]

Congratulations!

 

[Beanurita]

Beautiful pup!!

 

[alicat]

Thanks everyone
Sooo excited

 

[Sylvi_]

Congrats!
Beautiful baby! I adore Cane corso's, met one at the dog park once and Tahlia(My bullmastiff) loved him!
Are you going to be getting her ears cropped, or leaving them natural?

 

[alicat]

Congrats!
Beautiful baby! I adore Cane corso's, met one at the dog park once and Tahlia(My bullmastiff) loved him!
Are you going to be getting her ears cropped, or leaving them natural?

she's gonna be au naturale, tail and all. she's perfect the way she is

my boyfriend loves mastiffs, and had never heard of cane corsos before a few months ago and he's obsessed now. we're so determined to have a gentle giant, I can't wait!!
it's going to be the longest 2 weeks ever

 

[Sylvi_]

she's gonna be au naturale, tail and all. she's perfect the way she is

my boyfriend loves mastiffs, and had never heard of cane corsos before a few months ago and he's obsessed now. we're so determined to have a gentle giant, I can't wait!!
it's going to be the longest 2 weeks ever

I love the natural look too, gotta love the floppy ears.
I'm sure they will be! But so worth it.
Do you have a food in mind? A lower protein food is recommended when mastiffs are pups, since if their bones grow too fast it can cause problems.

 

[alicat]

I love the natural look too, gotta love the floppy ears.
I'm sure they will be! But so worth it.
Do you have a food in mind? A lower protein food is recommended when mastiffs are pups, since if their bones grow too fast it can cause problems.

t
the floppy ears are the beeeeest.

OH so glad you said that, I was looking at stuff online about it. Do you have something you recommend? we can spend a moderate amount on food but we just don't know where to start, like raw dog food, large dog blue buffalo, like we're lost at the moment. theres a Lot Of reading online so im kind of glad we have two weeks to prepare. the guy was like "oh I feed them and you know like twice a week we get all the scraps and feed them" but that was it. he also said we could lock her indoors for a year for a nice coat and we were like noo thank you...
but I did read about the low protein cus you want them to grow slower!

 

[Princessbella]

What a beautiful baby! Congratulations!

 

[Sylvi_]

Usually you want to stay away from the higher protein, and I hear higher calcium as well.
Currently we feed Tahlia Blue Wilderness, adult. With a mix of wet and dry. But she's 2 1/2.
I hear a lot of good about Wellness Core, Fromm Gold and Orijen(Though it's a bit pricier). If I remember correctly, Tahlia was on Timberwolf Platinum with her previous owners(who had her since a small pup)

We got her at about 1 year, and started her on the one she's on now though.

So I'd recommend a grain-free, lower calcium and protein food for the pup.

Until she was 2, I gave her wet puppy food but the dry has always been adult. I've always heard to not feed too much of the "puppy diets" when they're so small. So I'd recommend that as well.

 

[atomicfriday]

She's ADORBS!!! Cane Corso's are beautiful dogs, and with proper training and socialization (as with any dog!) she will bloom into a wonderful companion. I would be a little wary of a "breeder" willing to send a month old pup home, as the social skills they learn in the first two months from their littermates and mother is SO imperative!

I do have a little input on diet as I also very recently obtained a Doberman/German Shepherd little boy and did quite a bit of research on the matter of feeding large breed puppies. Basically the food needs to be within a certain calcium level, as too much grows the pup too fast for his bones/joints/cartilage and skeletal disease is a common consequence as they age. "Normal" puppy foods are not sufficient for our big boys/girls, and some will feel adult food as the calcium levels are lower BUT the protein is not enough for a growing baby! In studies done protein did not have an impact on later skeletal issues but higher calcium levels certainly did. There are a number of different foods you can choose from, I personally opted for Blue Buffalo's large breed puppy. I've had my little man for two weeks and he has flourished on it, he loves to eat it (I soak it and heat it up) and his stools are very regular and firm. He went from cloudy eyed and lethargic to a bouncing, happy pup... quite quickly I might add.

Whatever diet you decide, congratulations on your baby as it is so exciting! The not-so-restful nights and crying fits aren't really fun but worth it in the long run.

 

[alicat]

She's ADORBS!!! Cane Corso's are beautiful dogs, and with proper training and socialization (as with any dog!) she will bloom into a wonderful companion. I would be a little wary of a "breeder" willing to send a month old pup home, as the social skills they learn in the first two months from their littermates and mother is SO imperative!

I do have a little input on diet as I also very recently obtained a Doberman/German Shepherd little boy and did quite a bit of research on the matter of feeding large breed puppies. Basically the food needs to be within a certain calcium level, as too much grows the pup too fast for his bones/joints/cartilage and skeletal disease is a common consequence as they age. "Normal" puppy foods are not sufficient for our big boys/girls, and some will feel adult food as the calcium levels are lower BUT the protein is not enough for a growing baby! In studies done protein did not have an impact on later skeletal issues but higher calcium levels certainly did. There are a number of different foods you can choose from, I personally opted for Blue Buffalo's large breed puppy. I've had my little man for two weeks and he has flourished on it, he loves to eat it (I soak it and heat it up) and his stools are very regular and firm. He went from cloudy eyed and lethargic to a bouncing, happy pup... quite quickly I might add.

Whatever diet you decide, congratulations on your baby as it is so exciting! The not-so-restful nights and crying fits aren't really fun but worth it in the long run.

thank you!! she's coming home in 3 days!!
we are super wary of the breeder. honestly not a good choice. backyard guy, but we met his dogs and they're very friendly and we'll behaved... ugh. we didnt want to take her early, i hope no one else did either and he suggested against it but said "but its your dog so if you really want to..." .but we're so excited for our little girl!!

we decided on Fromms large breed puppy, it's grain free and the calcium/phosphorous ratio is 1:1 and it didn't hurt that it was buy one get one free for the 5 pound bags til the end of the month. I plan on cooking up some chicken to add on top like twice a week too.
the guy at the pet store tried to sell us high protein, high calcium food and I got so frustrated I ended up walking away. he was like "my lab eats this and it's great" yeah, well sorry sir but we are not getting a lab! haha.

we plan on having the best puppy, kindergarden and all. I'm so excited. Our little Nalah

 

[atomicfriday]

Fromms is an excellent choice! Blue Buffalo is what was available at my pet store and rated right up there so I gave it a shot and so far he is doing very well on it. I'm really surprised how little employees really know about pets that work at pet shops! Especially if they are owners as well, its really not much more than a half hour google search (or more if you so desire) to get the general idea about proper diet. Labs are a large breed as well and while his dog might have been lucky, skeletal issues are more than twice as likely to pop up on an improper diet as pups. Grain free isn't "hoity toity", dogs are CARNIVORES, how do you expect them to flourish on a diet where the main ingredient is a grain based filler? Adding some chicken is a great idea, all the trimmings from meats I cook get boiled for the dogs .

My niece recently got a German Shepherd pup... her name is also Nala!

 

[Bartleby]

Oh man, the great food debate. As someone mentioned earlier the calcium content is important to keep your eye on, but what actually matters and what the studies have proven is the Cal/Phos ratio. Many foods don't tell you the phosphorus content so the best guidance is to look for a food where the calcium percentage is around 1.2% (If I remember correctly). There are also a ton of resources online that can not only guide you to the proper percentages, but that actually list the different foods that meet those benchmarks.

Something to be cautious of, foods that tout being grain free are often very heavy on the legumes. The problem is legumes are a high protein filler. So while they might be a high protein food in the sense they can list 30+% protein on the bag, exactly how much of that protein is actually animal protein? These companies claim that "dogs are carnivores they need meat, not grains" but then turn around and provide a food where as much as 50% of the protein content is coming from plant based sources. Yeah, that's makes sense. I look for a company that will tell me the percentage of protein that is animal based. I would much rather have a little lower protein content but have 90% of that protein coming from animals. Then to feed a protein percentage 3 points higher, but have only 70% from animal sources.

Also, named meat meals are not bad. In fact you want to see that listed as a first ingredient. "Deboned chicken" or whatever sounds nice, but remember that foods are listed by weight preprocessing. Unprocessed meat is 70% water weight, so when that meat is ground up and dried/cooked it falls way down the list. You do want to see the actual meat meal named though, lamb meal, chicken meal, etc and what not. There are regulations that govern what can be included in named meat meals so the typical garbage in unnamed meals will not make it into your food. Watch for ingredient splitting, which is breaking down ingredients into their different named parts so they fall down the list of ingredients. You'll see it a ton with legumes. You'll see "red lentils" and then two or three ingredients later "green lentils", yeah those are both just lentils and if you combined them they would jump much higher on the by weight list of ingredients.

Grains aren't bad, dog's digest them just fine when they have processed like all kibbles have been. As they say everything in moderation and that's what you want to see for grains in your dog's food.

You want to see quality meat meals and meat products listed predominantly as the first 4 ingredients. I will not feed a food that doesn't include a named meat meal as the first ingredient, and that doesn't have meat products as 3 out of the first 5 ingredients. Personally, I have found the most success feeding sled dog foods. Dr. Tim's is my go to brand, and Dr. Tim himself is readily available to have a chat with you.

As for taking the puppy at 6 weeks, please don't. In fact in the vast majority of states in this country it is actually illegal to take a puppy from it's mother until 8 weeks. I would be very shocked if New Jersey is one of the exempt states. 6-8 weeks is a crucial developmental period in a puppy's life, this is the time when they learn bite inhibition and other social skills that make a very confident and well adjusted dog in later life.

 

[alicat]

thanks for your input, but as I said already I did research the calcium to phosphorus ratio. it wasnt listed on the bag, but we researched into it. grains are okay for dogs sure, but it's also known to cause allergy problems. my mom's dogs skin and coat instantly improved when we switched her to grain free.

as for the food we chose, the first two ingredients are beef and pork meal, followed by peas, lentils, chickpeas, and potatoes. no other "red lentils" "blue lentils" or even rainbow lentils. I'm pretty confident in my choice, we read a lot into it.

as for picking her up at 6 weeks, that's our option. get her or he'll sell her to someone else.

 

[alicat]

Fromms is an excellent choice! Blue Buffalo is what was available at my pet store and rated right up there so I gave it a shot and so far he is doing very well on it. I'm really surprised how little employees really know about pets that work at pet shops! Especially if they are owners as well, its really not much more than a half hour google search (or more if you so desire) to get the general idea about proper diet. Labs are a large breed as well and while his dog might have been lucky, skeletal issues are more than twice as likely to pop up on an improper diet as pups. Grain free isn't "hoity toity", dogs are CARNIVORES, how do you expect them to flourish on a diet where the main ingredient is a grain based filler? Adding some chicken is a great idea, all the trimmings from meats I cook get boiled for the dogs .

My niece recently got a German Shepherd pup... her name is also Nala!

we have a wide variety of dog food near us cus we have an animal livestock store down the road! it has amazing brands. the were looking at Freedom too, but they didn't have the large puppy just large adult.
My mom's dog was chewing at her skin and loosing fur, and as soon as we switched her to grain free she stopped itching and her hairs growing back!

I hate people who just buy the cheapest food and say "it's all the same" my boyfriends coworker tried to stop us from getting Fromms cus it's the same stuff in a different bag. he also feeds his lab Mix like 10 cups of food a day

 

[Bartleby]

Since your mind is already made up, I'm only adding factual information for others who might be reading this thread.

Protein allergies FAR outweigh grain allergies in dogs. Chicken is the number one allergen in pet dogs. Interestingly many people who go grain free to deal with issues often opt for a fish based formula. When the problems clear up they then believe it was the grains, but was it? Or was it getting off chicken? An elimination diet would answer the question, but most don't opt for that and so the vilification of grains continue.

Peas, chickpeas and lentils are all legumes and very protein heavy. If they are 3 of the top five ingredients then it's a safe bet to assume that the food in question is getting a pretty good chunk of its protein from plant based sources.

My beef with dog foods, really pet foods, is that there is so much misinformation out there. Most people saying it are well meaning individuals who are just trying to do right by their dogs. Like they say, "not everything on the Internet is true". The best food for your pet is the one they will eat AND do well on. I can literally share 100s of stories of people feeding their pups "good" foods because "the Internet said so" and their dogs were not thriving. Switching to a food that doesn't tick off all the trendy boxes and the difference was amazing.

As far as taking the puppy at 6 weeks. That is your prerogative, but people need to keep in mind there is a very good and scientific reason why this law was enacted in many states (and countries). If a "breeder" won't hold the pup until it is actually old enough to leave and thus is placing it's welfare in jeopardy.....then what else might that "breeder" be willing to compromise on in the interest of profit or convenience?

People have to make these decisions on their own, but it is important that the correct information is understood and considered when making the choice. Not saying you are not doing so, only that there is misinformation in this thread and as someone who has seen the fallout and cleaned up the mess left behind from the misinformation I feel I have to share what I know when I see it. That's the only way I can try to make a difference. If one person reading this thinks twice about taking home a 6 week old puppy from a BYB then I have made a tiny difference for the better.

 

[alicat]

So, I shouldn't feed my dog chicken or beef, I should feed it fish and grain is what you're trying to say here?
if I had the money we would feed Raw brand, but having 110 pound dog that's not exactly practical to us. we did research, and from that found a food with good reviews, that's well known and we'll recommended. what else would you like me to do? if you have something else to recommend, recommend it. don't just belittle my choice when I've done research, talked to dog owners, and spent hours looking at different foods and ingredients and learning about bone growth.

There is chicken in the grain free food my mother switched to. it was the grain.

so thank you, for belittling my food choice and good intentions, and the age I'm bringing my puppy home. appreciated.