Melita ,
There are many new training methods being used today as the next best thing on the market , most of which are parts and pieces of long standing training technique rebagged under a new name. I am a fan of what works for you and your dog. I would like to hear what you think of the push training method. You have a very good attitude , and I expect you will use what is working best. I am a big fan of positive reward based training and have a couple of modern favorite trainers. When you have time take a look at the Kiko pup series , timing , reward and motivation are always key. The magic is in finding what combination of training method best suits your need.
Emily Larlham of the KIKOPUP training series has many free video shorts and is a great source of basic ideas to draw from.
Example links:
http://www.youtube.com/kikopup
On the Dog food question. Sounds like you are making informed choices using a selective process of elimination. Your thoughts on a food being too rich are spot on accurate as all dogs can not eat the super prem kibble. The main thing I stay away from is corn wheat and soy. The next most important item is who is having a recall on pet food/treats and why , always stay on top of this one. I am currently feeding 4Health adult chicken and rice which is a house brand for TSC. This product is made by Diamond Pet food and has gotten a lot of bad press of late , however , if you check recall history you will find many major brands have problems from time to time. When the recall first came out I made a cold switch that day to Earthborn Primative Natural and all was good and no problem with any of my 10 hounds. It is important for me to feed quality and get value at the same time and I continue to evaluate my choices always keeping in mind that I may need a backup at any time. After some time passed and new stock was on market I went back to a dog food I knew was good quality. (4Health)
Education is key when evaluating dog food and I find my best choices and value at feed stores. I try
not to feed a dog food that has many sources of protein in one brand. I do rotate protein sources and do not feed grain free all the time. I keep track of protein sources fed because if I ever have a dog with allergy I will know what protein sources are open to try. If you stay with a quality kibble you will most likely get the best balance of nutritional needs and dry kibble will help keep teeth clean if used on a regular basis. You can tell a lot by how you dog looks and acts along with general health.
Best , oldhounddog
