Food for growth? - Page 2

the matter is complex genetics+proper food+exercise which is important factor genitics is not onely factor because you can find different size in same litter from the same father and mother

I feed meat .. primarily raw chicken leg quarters .. I also feed dairy to my under 3 month old and some to my under 4 month old puppies.  I won't feed any kibble with corn or wheat (or any derivative thereof) to my dogs.  Some dogs of some breeds and dogs in general have adapted to survive on a high carbohydrate diet but they thrive on an animal protein and animal fat based diet.  I want to make breeding choices based on genetic potential and I can't do that if I feed a high carbohydrate diet that limits growth and the expression of genetic potential.  If you feed a high carbohydrate diet then you may be selecting for animals that can do slightly better on such a diet and not for genetic potential based on feeding a diet of foods that dogs were designed to eat.  In general dogs fed an animal based diet hit their milestones earlier and mature quicker than those fed plant based diets in my experience with GSD.  While genetics is important .. genetics is not fixed before or after birth.  Environment and importantly food play a huge role in how genes are switched on or off during early development of the puppy and even identical twins will look and develop differently based on environment and nutrition.  Genetics just gives a window of where your dog can land ( high to low ) and environment determines where in that window the dog finishes during development and training.  People familiar with animal science will tell you that with good stock be it cattle, chickens, or pigs the environment is 80% and genetics is 20%.  Put another way even the best genetics will be a disaster if nutrition and environment are inadequate and most commercial animal producers know this and try to optimize the environmental factors within economic retraints.  So genetics is important in commercial animal production only because the environmental factors are as close to ideal as return on investment will allow.  For my dogs I consider $2+ per day per dog average food cost as all that I can invest over the lifespan of a dog.  If I could spend $5 per day I would but I have no idea how much better the results would be.