# Which Black Gold to feed?



## bigdaddyx4 (Jan 11, 2008)

I have a female Chocolate Lab that is just about 7 months old. I have heard a lot of good things about Black Gold, and I would like to try her on it. I have had a couple of people tell me that the "Red bag" would be the best for her, but I have also had other suggestions. I went on their website and could not really narrow it down too much. I have been feeding her Purina puppy chow, but would like to switch, but I am not sure which way to go. 

She is pretty big for her age. She is very tall and lean, but she weighs about 70 pounds already. She is very active and has a lot of energy. (I know, which 7 month old lab doesn't huh?) 

Anyways, I would appreciate any suggestions that any of you have to offer. 

Thanks


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I started my 5 month yellow lab on Black Gold a couple of weeks ago and he loves it. I feed him the black bag. Good Luck


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

I feed the black bag 3 months of the year and the yellow bag the rest of the year. If you are going to be working your dog hard, do the black bag.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

I have been feeding BG for many years now. I also sold it for a good part of it. I have raise 5 or 6 litters of pups off of the RED bag. Momma was eating it and when the pups could get to it they was eating it. My OP is that the RED bag is the best of BG for growing pups. When temps get cold and work increases I will switch up to the BLUE bag. The BLUE has more fat and less protien and is a red meat base. Kinda sticks to the ribs and let the dog burn it off at a lower rate. The RED is a Chicken base and burns at a faster rate.
The BLACK is a great food and during slow down periods and summer I will feed it. I have many friends that feed the BLACK the whole time, never changing it up and love it.


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## Ironman (Sep 7, 2007)

Switched recently to BG red bag from Sam's Exceed and had to cut way back on the amount I was feeding, dang dog got fat. Just got some Ultimate Performance (blue/gold bag), cant wait to see how the dogs do on it.
Good food IMO.


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## bigdaddyx4 (Jan 11, 2008)

When you guys switch from one bag to another (from red to blue for example), do you switch it over slowly, or is it not a big deal to just switch it over a day or two?

I really appreciate all of the help with this!


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

I would feed red for the pups first 10 months then switch to black...I never switch over gradually, just when one bag runs out time to switch to the next. Good luck.


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

I have a half comment half question for all the BG folks:

Every single person I know that feeds BG, which is quite a few, has mentioned getting "a bad bag" every now and again. After hearing about this at least 20 times, my impression is that BG is generally very good, but probably has some level of quality control problem.

Any comments about this from the BG loyalists?

I've been feeding Purina Pro Plan for over 12 years, and have never had a single quality niggle. It's widely available and I don't have to go through the hassle of finding a distributor either. All of my dogs have thrived, either indoors or outdoors, on Pro Plan.


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

Nice pics...I feed BG only..I have NEVER had a bad bag.

I think when some THINK they get bad feed, BG or otherwise, they have an issue with their dog and don't really know what is going on. Their first instinct is to blame the issue on the feed.

BG is a great feed...the customer service is second to none!


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## Ironman (Sep 7, 2007)

I've heard the same thing about "bad bags". It is a concern for me, but so far so good. I have heard that BG has never had a recall, so that is good. Any idea what would make a few random bags go bad other than improper storage?


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

Do you KNOW there were bad bags...or are you just passing on rumor from someone who just ASSUMED?

BTW, BG has never had a recall.


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

bwhntr said:


> Do you KNOW there were bad bags...or are you just passing on rumor from someone who just ASSUMED?
> 
> BTW, BG has never had a recall.


bwhntr: If you're asking if I've inspected the bags using a Perten Diode Array 7200 for a full-spectrum multiparameter content analysis, no I have not.

When you hear someone comment about getting a bad bag of food, usually there is some degree of speculation unless contamination is proven through chemical analysis (a recall scenario). When you hear 3 or 4 similar comments, one wonders. When you hear, as I have, over 20 statements ranging from the owner of a single dog to pro trainers it becomes a pattern.

BG has an excellent rep as a quality pet food producer with equally good customer service. The people I refer to have stayed loyal to BG, and have simply requested a new bag of food (which they always get). I've simply heard this so many times that it seems curious to me.

Also, since there are many meanings of "bad" perhaps I should clarify: What I refer to is quality assurance, resulting in the occasional inconsistent bag. Too little moisture content, protein and fat ratios less than average -- the kind of thing that would be not be harmful to a dog but would disrupt the dietary routine, just like you see when you suddenly switch brands without a transition.


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## utfireman (Sep 7, 2007)

I have said it a time or two on here about getting some BG food that my dog would not eat. When it first happened I did take her to the vet. Vet said she was perfectly healthy. He was the one that first brought the food issue to my attention. I would have never of thought that it was the food since Black Gold was so highly talked about and rated here in Utah. 

This happened with 3 or 4 bags during a two year deal. Since then, I have switched brand's, and I have never had a problem.


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

Hmmm...So, just rumor. Thanks for the clarification.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> I think when some THINK they get bad feed, BG or otherwise, they have an issue with their dog and don't really know what is going on. Their first instinct is to blame the issue on the feed.


*DING DING DING!!!* What do we have for him Bob!

My dogs ALL went off their feed last summer at the same time. The only common denominator was their food... Well I called the BG rep to see if they had any problems with the feed I should be aware of. John said they hadn't had a single problem and offered to help in any way he could. During the conversation he asked if they had got into some bad water? Sure enough, the day before I was up in the mountains swimming them in a lake that was down quite a bit. Well the water they were swimming in was stagnant and they all came down with Geardia.(sp) One trip to the Vet for some pills and the whole pack was up and eating again in 24 hours. John didn't have too, but he called several times over the next few days to make sure my dogs were healthy and back on the food with no problems. I think that speaks volumes about a guy who stands behind his product and truly cares about his customers. I will be a BG guy for the duration.


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

bwhntr said:


> Hmmm...So, just rumor. Thanks for the clarification.


Rumor is usually something nebulous in general circulation, what I have is information from dog-saavy people I personally know, but again I'm mainly trying to understand why I hear this so often because of the good rep of BG.

Tex: I'm with ya, all the dogs I've ever owned have occasionally gone off their feed for whatever reason. The thing is, I always ask if that's a possibility and I don't think it's the case here. Why? Simple, because in the specific situations I'm referring to the guys opened a new bag and the dogs ate like normal _immediately_ but would not touch food from the bag in question. If they were not feeling well, off their feed, or just not hungry then why would they dig right into a different bag of the same formula?

Maybe I hijacked the thread -- If I wasn't completely satisfied with my current food BG would be a brand that I'd try so don't hold back. You can count on good customer service if you aren't satisfied.


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## bigdaddyx4 (Jan 11, 2008)

Yeah the thread did get a little hi jacked, but don't worry about it Threshershark. It is good to hear the good and the bad about everything before making the decision. Personally, I don't know anyone who has had a bad experience with BG, but it seems like there have been a few. I imagine it is like that with just about every brand though. 

Since my Lab is only 7 months old, I think I will pick up a Red bad and give it a try. 

Do you guys get it from a Rep, or do you get it from the store. There seems to be a little difference on the price from what I have seen. I know a Rep that lives close by, but the local grocery store also carries BG. Where do you think I should buy it? (Do you get any special service if you buy from the Rep?)

Thanks guys!


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

Thanks Tex, great example. That is exactly what I was talking about. I have found in most of my life experience customer service is critically important. I consider myself very dog savvy...that in no way makes me an expert in nutrition. Thanks to the people that are so I don't have to be.


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

You can probably save a buck getting it from the rep. The store is probably more convenient. I feed blue and found it convenient and cheaper to buy it by the pallet and split it up with two other guys. Either way, goodluck with the new pup. The red should be a good feed until he is grown.


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## tshuntin (Jul 13, 2008)

Let me start off by saying that I think Blackgold is a fine food and I think highly of the company both nationally and locally. In the past when I had questions or concerned they were always answered promptly and to my satisfaction from a corporate level and I also think John Evans is a good guy that has also been helpful to me in the past. BG also supports the sports that many of us enjoy. Although i no longer feed BG to my dogs, my brothers still both feed it and specifically one of their black dogs probably has one of the most beautiful coats, muscle tone, and physiques of any lab I have ever seen and does great on the food. I think it is a good food for the money and most people that try it, like it. If I was to feed BG again, it would likely be the Signature series Ultimate performance.

That being said I can not speak of them ever having a recall but, i do know of a time that the food quality was changing quite a bit from bag to bag that I purchased and fed my dog. It looked totally different in color and texture and the smell from one bag to another was dramatically different. My dogs began doing very poor on it (this was mostly the red bag which I liked up until this point). I went from feeding my dogs 4 cups a day to over 6 cups a day and was losing weight and this was at a time where my training and hunting were limited as well. Blood work and other tests were done with no issues being found. I finally switched foods and had to cut volume down a lot because of how well weight was coming back on. Once steadied, I was feeding 3.5 cups a day and has done great ever since. I do know for sure at this time they replaced many bags of food from people that were having similar problems (unfortunately not mine). I was told afterwards that some of the inconsistency problems were due to trying a different plant that was closer to cut down on shipping costs. Good business decision, bad outcome. I believe they switched back. Rumors have been around that they were going to start having it made in a plant in the west. That would be good.

There are several foods out there that I consider good foods that are reasonably priced. Then there are several foods that are even better but, cost more. I know some people that 20 bucks is a lot for a bag of food and others that would easily pay a hundred bucks a bag if it gave them the best performance possible.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

To answer the original question: I have a Lab and a wirehair. I found the red bag to be too 'hot' for the Lab. I feed the black bag year round and mix it with the blue bag during the cold months. My dogs do excellent on BG and they've never had a problem. I think I've been feeding it for about three years now.


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## Ironman (Sep 7, 2007)

Just curious what you mean by "Hot".
Thanks


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

Ironman said:


> Switched recently to BG red bag from Sam's Exceed and had to cut way back on the amount I was feeding, dang dog got fat. Just got some Ultimate Performance (blue/gold bag), cant wait to see how the dogs do on it.
> Good food IMO.


My dogs lost weight on the food???? I have no clue why they did but they did? I know that there are those that live by the stuff but I could not get on track with it....


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

bigdaddyx2 said:


> When you guys switch from one bag to another (from red to blue for example), do you switch it over slowly, or is it not a big deal to just switch it over a day or two?
> 
> I really appreciate all of the help with this!


I have never believed in the slowly change there food, so I go from Blue to Black to Red...... Matter of fact I had about 1 dog worth of Red tonnight and 3 dogs, so two got some REDBLUE!


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

To me its hard to say what the best feed out there is... I have feed so many, and many I was super happy with. What I ask myself is can I have class dogs with the food I feed and can I afford the stuff? I have won my fair share of ProPlan and have feed dogs it time and time again. Great stuff! But I can not afford to feed all the dogs it, all the time? So I ask myself what more am I getting from the ProPlan than the Black Gold. Well I could not come up with anything, but... The dogs looked the same, ran the same, hunted the same and bounced back the same... The only thing I could come up with is the $$$$.

My advice to anyone is to get the best food possible for you $$$$ I would also look at the Feeds that help you out in the long run. I like to buy from the companies that give back to us. I know Purina(ProPlan) Black Gold donates countless items to the clubs we all participate in. I am sure there are others and I say them are the feeds that you should look at the most.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

I buy mine at Maceys here in Orem. I would like to buy it from a rep but I think he lives in Ogden or something. Too far and Maceys has what I need.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

Ironman said:


> Just curious what you mean by "Hot".
> Thanks


My opinion is that the food is a little rich for them, if they say it is to hot. They tend to get the runs, or they gain weight to fast and most of that would be as fat.

With my dogs and many of the dogs that I was feeding found that the Red bag in the none working dogs did not do all that well. The coat was nice, but the stool did not make them happy. Most times it was a cow pie. I found in dogs that got lots of field time did the best on the Red bags. The Blue bag in the none working dogs put lots of fat on them, but in the working dogs muscle was added and lots of energy to go all day.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

Nor-tah said:


> I buy mine at Maceys here in Orem. I would like to buy it from a rep but I think he lives in Ogden or something. Too far and Maceys has what I need.


Call John he can find you someone close 435-452-1441


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

> Just curious what you mean by "Hot".
> Thanks


Too hot/too rich...here's a few links to help explain what I mean:
http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/much-too-rich-t7289302.htmlhttp://www.dogster.com/forums/Food_and_Nutrition/thread/536956
Basically I mean my dog's digestive system was never able to adjust to the Black Gold in the red bag. Too many K/Cal's per cup and too complex of a formula left me with a choice of either feeding too little (which left the dog hungry, losing weight, and without sustained energy) or feeding too much (which gave the dog the runs and he lost weight that way). That feed was just too hard for me to find the right balance with. The black and blue bags work great for Gus. I believe Scooby could eat nails and leather for dinner without getting indigestion.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

TAK said:


> Nor-tah said:
> 
> 
> > I buy mine at Maceys here in Orem. I would like to buy it from a rep but I think he lives in Ogden or something. Too far and Maceys has what I need.
> ...


Maybe I will, I thought he was the only rep. I have talked to him a couple times. He is a great guy.


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## Ironman (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks for the claification of Hot, you learn something every day, if your not careful. 

Nor-tah pm "Labs Inc"; He's in Spanish Fork and has good prices on BG.
http://utahwildlife.net/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1950


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## Duurty1 (Sep 10, 2007)

buy it from a rep. you will be more happy with the service


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## Comrade Duck (Oct 24, 2007)

threshershark said:


> I have a half comment half question for all the BG folks:
> 
> Every single person I know that feeds BG, which is quite a few, has mentioned getting "a bad bag" every now and again. After hearing about this at least 20 times, my impression is that BG is generally very good, but probably has some level of quality control problem.
> 
> Any comments about this from the BG loyalists?


How dare you question the quality of black gold on these forums? Those are fighting words around here.

I had problems with the red bad. I asked the same question on here about having a bad bag and was given the same lines about it being an issue with my dog and not the food.

I switched brands, problem solved. I won't feed Black Gold. No rumors here, just what I experienced.

Shane


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## bigdaddyx4 (Jan 11, 2008)

Just thought I would update you guys a little bit...

I decided to go with the Red bag. It has been about a month now and she seems to be adapting really well to it. I took my time getting her switched over and it didn't seem to bother her in any way. She is still full of energy, and her coat is looking really nice. 

Thanks for the help!!


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