How to Choose the Best Dog Food for German Shorthaired Pointer Puppies
The German Shorthaired Pointer puppy has energy to spare. Considered to be exceptionally versatile, the German Shorthaired Pointer is a skilled hunter who excels at assisting its owner with tracking both small game and birds. The breed makes a wonderful family pet and is renowned for being particularly loving and gentle with children.
A highly active breed, the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy requires regular daily exercise to remain physically and mentally satisfied. Until this breed reaches full maturity, shorter more frequent activity sessions are recommended to support the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy’s healthy growth.
A sociable breed, the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy enjoys the opportunity to meet new people. Because of its natural tendency towards friendliness, this breed does not do well if separated from those it loves most for lengthy periods of time. If not kept productively engaged, the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy can develop nuisance behaviors such as barking, digging, and chewing.
A dog that is exceptionally eager to please, the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy enjoys learning new skills, making training a breeze. This pup is not particularly prone to stubborn behavior and responds well to training with treats and praise.
Because of its high activity level, the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy is not naturally predisposed to becoming overweight. However, experts still recommend that this energetic pup be fed measured meals with all intake carefully monitored. Free feeding is strongly discouraged.
To help this breed develop at an appropriate rate, it is very important that the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy be fed a large breed puppy food until it reaches one year of age or 75 percent of its adult size. At this time, the pup can then be transitioned to an appropriate adult diet for the breed.
Feeding a large breed food formulation is also an excellent way to help prevent bloat since the commonly believed contributing factors are eating too rapidly and too much. Large breed puppy foods contain pieces of kibble that are large enough to encourage careful chewing and swallowing of each morsel of food.
The best dog foods for German Shorthaired Pointer puppies should contain a minimum of 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat. In addition to this, it is very important that any diet for this breed contain the correct proportions of calcium to phosphorus. This is rated as 1.2 parts of calcium for each included unit of phosphorus.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for German Shorthaired Pointer Puppies
Because German Shorthaired Pointer puppies are immensely active, they require a high performance puppy food to fuel their busy lifestyles. The best dog foods for German Shorthaired Pointer puppies are based on a lean meat protein and are comprised of ingredients that are easy for pups to process and utilize effectively, thus increasing their nutritional impact.
Determining how much food to feed a German Shorthaired Pointer puppy can be a challenging task. Thankfully, commercially prepared diets contain suggested servings sizes on the side of their packaging. These can be used as a starting point with adjustments made incrementally until the correct portion is found.
Dietary Requirements for German Shorthaired Pointer Puppy Foods
The best dog foods for German Shorthaired Pointer puppies base their recipe on a lean, meat-based protein. Whole meats are the preferred option, but meat meals also offer concentrated amounts of protein to help support the needs of growing puppies.
By-products are often taken from inferior cuts of an animal that are unlikely to be purchased for human consumption. These pieces of meat can be difficult for puppies to process and utilize well, and thus, are best avoided. Other ingredients that are undesirable in a food for the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy include plant-based proteins such as soy, corn, and wheat, chemicals, additives, preservatives, fillers, and artificial colors, and flavors.
From carbohydrates the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy gains the nutrients needed to fuel a healthy immune system and good digestion. These can be taken from whole grains, fruits, or vegetables. The primary importance of any included carbohydrate in a diet for this active pup is its high amount of dietary fiber and antioxidants.
Healthy fats are an important component of the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy’s diet. It is from these oils that pups gain strong energy reserves, healthy coat and skin, and support for eye and brain development. These fats are best found in animal-based foods such as chicken fat or oily fish. However, ample servings can also be obtained from the plant-based oils canola, safflower, and coconut.
Supplements help a diet to work its most efficiently. The ideal supplements for German Shorthaired Pointer puppies include glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for German Shorthaired Pointer Puppies
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best dog food for a German Shorthaired Pointer puppy:
-
Lean, meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
The best dog foods for the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy take a lean, meat-based protein as their primary ingredient.
-
Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, fillers, artificial flavorings and colorings, and mystery ingredients provide no nutritional benefit to a growing German Shorthaired Pointer puppy. Avoid foods containing these ingredients.
-
Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
Supplements can be of great benefit to German Shorthaired Pointer puppies. The most beneficial supplements for these pups are glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
-
Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.