# Where did "don't by dog food sold in grocery stores" come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183 "2017-11-30T21:03:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/41 "2017-12-01T18:01:12Z")
you know my first dog wouldn’t eat the good stuff…id pay a fortune for flavored healthy stuff hed eat it once or twice and then refuse it …if I bought the bag that said “dog food” hed eat it like no tomorrow never understood why … ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/42 "2017-12-01T18:09:02Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > The dog I had while growing up would only eat Jewel (a Chicago- and perhaps elsewhere-based grocery store chain) brand dog food. My parents were concerned that it wasn’t the highest quality and would occasionally get other brands, but the reaction was always the same: she wouldn’t eat it. It would sit in the bowl for days while she scrounged around neighborhood garbage cans for something acceptable So, Jewel brand dog food it was, for eighteen years. > > She also didn’t like chew toys packaged in plastic. You had to buy it packaged in paper or just loose, or she’d never use it. I often wondered if the dog food thing and the chew toy thing were related, but not enough to investigate. In any case, this was all a while ago. I remember the jewel-T man ! jewel had a traveling salesman come by twice a month and you could but the things he had or order things frown jewel …grandma bought their brand of tea for 30 years … ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/43 "2017-12-01T18:11:42Z")
China sucks, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/44 "2017-12-01T18:22:44Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > The dog I had while growing up would only eat Jewel (a Chicago- and perhaps elsewhere-based grocery store chain) brand dog food. My parents were concerned that it wasn’t the highest quality and would occasionally get other brands, but the reaction was always the same: she wouldn’t eat it. It would sit in the bowl for days while she scrounged around neighborhood garbage cans for something acceptable So, Jewel brand dog food it was, for eighteen years. This is an important point. A pet food your pet won’t eat has zero nutritional value, no matter how much you paid for it. To a pet in that situation, scavenging and predation are viable alternatives, and many pets (my own Baby Ruth kitteh included) would literally starve rather than switch. > [@](#): > > She also didn’t like chew toys packaged in plastic. You had to buy it packaged in paper or just loose, or she’d never use it. I often wondered if the dog food thing and the chew toy thing were related, but not enough to investigate. In any case, this was all a while ago. Now I’m curious. Did you ever try unpackaging a plastic-packaged toy outside the dog’s awareness and putting it into, say, a paper wrapping? Would that have sufficed to satisfy the dog, or perhaps it was the lingering scent of the plastic packaging that made the toy unappealing? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/45 "2017-12-01T18:33:04Z")
^ Or the sound of the plastic being opened? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/46 "2017-12-01T18:42:01Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > ^ Or the sound of the plastic being opened? We actually realized that a previous dog had gone deaf, when he stopped rushing into the kitchen when he heard his kibble hit the bowl (or when food hit the floor.) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/47 "2017-12-01T18:45:40Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > We actually realized that a previous dog had gone deaf, when he stopped rushing into the kitchen when he heard his kibble hit the bowl (or when food hit the floor.) I swear, our K9s can hear a shoe scuff, near their food bin, from the backyard, through the sliding glass door. Especially at a certain time of day. Scary. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/48 "2017-12-01T18:47:18Z")
It’s just as difficult to say what diet (or foods) are “right” for a specific dog as to say the same thing about a specific person. Like people, dogs have individual food allergies, sensitivities, dietary needs specific to the individual animal, personal preferences, and “messages from the dog planet telling them what they should eat.” Carnivores? Not mine. They love steamed carrots and green beans. That’s all they would eat if I would let them. I buy name brand foods, but monitor the kids for weight, activity, appearance of their coats, stool condition, etc. If they are getting along fine and seem healthy, great. Some of my friends have dogs that are allergic to meats other than rabbit or lamb. Fine. The idea that there is one absolutely best food for all dogs, or one that is going to turn every single dog into an invalid, is a bit simplistic. Exercise good judgment and keep an eye on your canine companions. (BTW,mine eat Alpo canned food, at 64 cents a can, mostly and are doing just great.) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/49 "2017-12-01T18:55:37Z")
^ Matchstick carrots with French-cut (low salt) green beans mixed with a half-cup of kibble and a heaping tablespoon of wet food. With a half a can of water (stew!) to fill them up. And how dogs have sub-space radio to get orders from the dog planet is beyond me. Good post. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/50 "2017-12-01T19:24:15Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > I actually ended up going BACK to the grocery store food due to the boutique foods either not interesting my dogs or causing loose poops. Right now we rotate between Rachel Ray and Purina. Rachel Ray is dead? :eek: (I immediately apologize to anyone who I may have just offended.) ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/51 "2017-12-01T19:29:16Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Now I’m curious. Did you ever try unpackaging a plastic-packaged toy outside the dog’s awareness and putting it into, say, a paper wrapping? Would that have sufficed to satisfy the dog, or perhaps it was the lingering scent of the plastic packaging that made the toy unappealing? > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > ^ Or the sound of the plastic being opened? The general consensus was that the dog could smell the plastic, because we did try opening the package out of eye, ear, and noseshot, to no effect. She was okay with a plastic mesh packaging, though, if I recall correctly. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/52 "2017-12-01T19:42:22Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > … If dog-food commercials are any indicator many dog-owners are not aware that dogs are carnivores …]. I did a google search on this and must say from what I saw our contention is in question. What I have noticed is that web sights that sell the more expensive dog food claim dogs are carnivores, while other sources dispute this as say that dogs are omnivorous. Even the sites that claim dogs are carnivores say that their digestive system is ‘very adaptable’, which seems to hint at they are really omnivorous. After all a carnivore that does eat plants are omnivores - though there is a debate on percentage. The google search I did was ‘are dogs carnivores?’. and visited some of the top sites. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/53 "2017-12-02T03:44:54Z")
A while back I asked my 70-year old vet what they fed the dogs on the farm when he was growing up. He couldn’t remember. He knew they didn’t buy anything. He figured they must’ve been fed on hog slop and scraps, although he said his mother didn’t just make extra food for them - times were hard on a Minnesota farm in the 40’s. He said back then it was amazing when a dog lived past 5-7. Looking back, he thought a lot of them probably suffered from gastroenteritis. I think most dogs fed on even Ol’ Roy probably eat a more balanced diet than most humans in this country. We do the best we can. Don’t beat yourself up for not prechewing your dogs’ food. They are living better than any bet in the history of domesticated animals. StG ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/54 "2017-12-02T04:29:18Z")
The natural pet store I go to buy pet foods from pet foods companies that made the food in smaller batches so they have better quality control . I went to Walmart only once to buy my last dog a bag of dog food and there was bugs all over the bags and holes in bags from insects eating right through the bags . After this happen I went to a Co Op for farmers and brought for my dog , when a dog food company started to buy ingredients from China the Co Op stopped carrying the food while other pet stores kept selling the food. I feel better buying food for my dogs from pets store that care about people pets than from grocery stores that will sell any kind junk to feed pets . I never buy dog food from a vet office b/c it way over priced and my dogs refuse to eat it . I was told by a couple of vets from difference vet offices that the pet foods sold in vet office is junk . ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/55 "2017-12-02T11:39:17Z")
Another big thumbs up for [Chewy.Com](http://Chewy.Com) . Excellent service and very competitive pricing. I feed Victor foods to my canine overlords. After having skin irritations with several brands of food, my dogs have been issue free since transitioning to the Victor foods. The food is more nutrient dense so they don’t need to eat as much food as with the lower quality foods. In addition, as both dogs are between 50 and 75 lbs, a food that results in fewer and firmer poops is much appreciated. The food is also reinforced with glucosamine, so I no longer have to purchase it separately as a supplement. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/56 "2017-12-02T13:31:52Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > Another big thumbs up for [Chewy.Com](http://Chewy.Com) . Excellent service and very competitive pricing. > > I feed Victor foods to my canine overlords. After having skin irritations with several brands of food, my dogs have been issue free since transitioning to the Victor foods. The food is more nutrient dense so they don’t need to eat as much food as with the lower quality foods. In addition, as both dogs are between 50 and 75 lbs, a food that results in fewer and firmer poops is much appreciated. The food is also reinforced with glucosamine, so I no longer have to purchase it separately as a supplement. Huh, this is the second or third time somebody’s mentioned Victor. I’ve never seen it sold in any store, but then again I’ve never specifically looked for it. My furkids are currently on Canidae supplemented with wet food and sometimes an Honest Kitchen broth. We always add some kind of veggie to their dish and my old boy gets a glucosamine supplement. We switched them when the formula changed for their old food. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/57 "2017-12-02T18:22:44Z")
Victor food can be hard to find. They have very little retail placement. [Chewy.Com](http://Chewy.Com) has it, which is how I found the website -a search for Victor foods. Victor is a small family-owned operation in Texas. They do direct sales out of their plant which keeps their costs down. Lots of reputable breeders use it. I originally learned about it from co-competitors when my son started entering his border collie in agility trials. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/58 "2017-12-02T18:42:48Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I do recall one of the high-end brands of dog food on the supermarket shelf promising, among other things, “firm stools.” I guess I’m just not that much of a perfectionist. You obviously have not picked up as much dog poop as I have. At the end of his life our border collie mix needed his bottom wiped. Firm stools are good. We also participated in a poop quality study from Guide Dogs, so we’re experts on this. On a 1 - 5 scale, you want at least a 3.5 average. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/59 "2017-12-02T18:56:41Z")
We’ve gone by the recommendation of Guide Dogs - which may be influenced by agreements with the dog food makers, but are going to be good since they have a lot at stake. They say no cheap food, but you don’t need boutique brands either. Since the average Golden the age of ours has been dead for four years, it works pretty well. At 13 she is not fat (much to her dismay) and still quite active. On problem with grocery stores (not that I go down the dog food aisle) is that they may not have the specialty blends. We use adult large breed diet food. That’s something easier to find in PetCo (where the pets go) or PetSmart (where the pets fart.) She also loves carrots and cheese, but she is a good Cajun dog in that she will eat any damn thing. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183/60 "2017-12-02T19:38:22Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Since the average Golden the age of ours has been dead for four years, it works pretty well. At 13 she is not fat (much to her dismay) and still quite active. > […] > She also loves carrots and cheese, but she is a good Cajun dog in that she will eat any damn thing. My mom had a Great Dane-Black Lab mix who was a massive dog and lived well beyond expectancy for a dog his size. He mainly ate whatever my mom was eating – she’d make two portions and just give half to the dog. Burgers, lasagna, casseroles, basically anything besides a garden salad. Forget “Oh no this dog food has grain fillers!”, she’d give him a bowl full of spaghetti. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-dont-by-dog-food-sold-in-grocery-stores-come-from/803183.md?page=4)