Can I have a little rant?

only_me

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 June 2007
Messages
14,038
Location
Ireland
Visit site
My pup is on Bakers puppy food. I buy it because I can get hold of it easy enough from local pet shop, she likes it (hated JWB) and looks well on it. Is not hyperactive or uncontrollable on it.

So as we are nearing the end of the bag, I went into town to get more & dog came too.

Walk into shop, and ask for big bag of bakers puppy food.
I get told that they don't normally stock it (even though I've bought it off them 3 times now) as it is horrible food, full of sugars and E numbers.
I then am given a 20minute lecture on food & what is good and what is not. Strangely enough he was pushing me to buy royal canin food as it is the best - well DUH considering he was wearing their t-shirt... No matter how much I said I can't afford it & he still pushed his food...


Then he asks me how much of bakers do i feed - I said 400g, as on bag. Then I got told I wasn't even feeding enough (I am) as she is a large breed dog - I told him she is expected to go to probably 20kg as is only 13kg at 5 months old. A small working type I said. So I followed the guidelines from 15-25kg expected weight dogs. There is no way she will be more than 25kg!
"Don't be stupid, labs are only one type".............................................

I was SO :mad: at being told I was doing a bad job when I have an obviously healthy small working type lab!!
I bought a bag of beta just to shut him up!
So SO :mad: with the pet shop - all I wanted was to buy a bag of bakers - if it was so bad for the dog why would they stock it?!
 
Last edited:

Vizslak

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 December 2008
Messages
6,898
Visit site
^ ditto this, pushing a certain food is wrong of him but I wouldnt feed bakers for all the tea in china!
I actually stop anyone I see buying the stuff and lecture them :eek: I feel that strongly about people feeding it. Its like giving a child macdonalds and sweets to live on everyday.
 

blackcob

🖖
Joined
20 March 2007
Messages
12,159
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
Bakers, Beta and Royal Canin are all fairly awful to be honest but Bakers is the worst of the bunch. Pet shops stock loads of things that are bad for dogs so I wouldn't use that as a benchmark either!
 

only_me

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 June 2007
Messages
14,038
Location
Ireland
Visit site
No, it's fine if bakers isn't the best food out there - but it was the one she agreed with after JWB. It was the brand I came into buy, previously bought in their shop. She has been fine on bakers. No hyperactivity etc.

I did not ask for advice on feeding, so why was I given a lecture?

He considered pedigree dog food worse than bakers.
 

amage

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 December 2004
Messages
3,888
Visit site
I'd have voted with my feet and left him minus the business! plenty of other suppliers out there
 

Dobiegirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2011
Messages
6,900
Location
Wildest Somerset
Visit site
I agree about the Bakers its rubbish, as for trying to push another brand on me I would have done the same as Amage and walked out but not before I told him he had just lost a customer.
 

Cinnamontoast

Fais pas chier!
Joined
6 July 2010
Messages
35,355
Visit site
I say fair play. Bakers is cancer causing rubbish that I wouldn't feed to my worst enemy.

^^ This. The bloke was trying to educate you. Bakers contains a carcinogenic-you won't necessarily see this until your dog actually gets cancer and dies.

You're quite likely buying ot because it's widely advertised on TV: the company has a huge budget and people are fooled into buying it. Yu can't stock it near cattle feed in case the carcinogenic gets into the human feed chain.

Up to you what you feed your dog, but I too would have tried to educate you. If you won't listen, then fine, feed whatever you like. Your dog, your vet bill.
 

prosefullstop

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 February 2009
Messages
1,609
Visit site
The pet store where I shop is holistic, so they will try to educate you when you go in, but appreciate that not everyone can afford raw so they will recommend quality dry foods. They stand by their principles, though, and don't stock any of the big commercial brands. I don't mind being educated, actually, as long as the shop assistant isn't overly pushy.
 

mimbulator

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 November 2009
Messages
52
Visit site
we have tried pedigree, royal canin and a few others but have fed bakers up until recently without any health issues. All dogs are different and what suits one dog wont neceseraly suit another (excuse my spelling). i say up until recently because we only changed our dogs feed to get them to gain some weight as after starting agility with them have found it hard to maintain his weight. We still use the bakers moist chunks as treats.
our dogs enjoy them and have been succesfull in the show ring whilst being fed on bakers.
You should feed your dog what it enjoys and looks well on, not what the shop assistant tells you to use. i have also never gone off the recomended amounts/weight of feed for different size/type of dog because as i said earlier all dogs are different
 

littlemisslauren

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 March 2008
Messages
3,423
Visit site
we have tried pedigree, royal canin and a few others but have fed bakers up until recently without any health issues. All dogs are different and what suits one dog wont neceseraly suit another (excuse my spelling). i say up until recently because we only changed our dogs feed to get them to gain some weight as after starting agility with them have found it hard to maintain his weight. We still use the bakers moist chunks as treats.
our dogs enjoy them and have been succesfull in the show ring whilst being fed on bakers.
You should feed your dog what it enjoys and looks well on, not what the shop assistant tells you to use. i have also never gone off the recomended amounts/weight of feed for different size/type of dog because as i said earlier all dogs are different

Surely the well being and health of the dog is more important than how much they enjoy it?

my dog was fed bakers by my MIL for a week or so. She looked well and clearly enjoyed eating it but her poo was disgusting and I care about my dog too much to feed her that crap.

My friend is a model but eats mcdonalds for breakfast everyday as well as chain smoking all day. She has no obvious ill effects from this diet, that doesnt mean it is good for her. :rolleyes:
 

CorvusCorax

Justified & Ancient
Joined
15 January 2008
Messages
57,223
Location
Mu Mu Land
Visit site
I would probably enjoy eating out of the chippy every day, but it wouldn't be good for me, would it?! :p

I know horses for courses, I used to feed my own dog Jollyes cheapest. bargain basement own brand mulch because he did well on it, but I don't think I would recommend it to any dog that wasn't as weird as he is :p

Try Red Mills, Skinners Duck and Rice, both cheap and stocked at Pets at Home or even the Jollyes own brand premium range.
Beta isn't bad but I found it gave one of mine bum explosions :eek:

Like others I feed by eye, you know your own dog better than an inanimate bag!

Bakers is only popular because it has a huge advertising budget and you can get it with your groceries in the supermarket.
 
Last edited:

MurphysMinder

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 November 2006
Messages
17,770
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
I'm with the guy in the shop. Ok he perhaps shouldn't have been pushing the most expensive food on to you but Bakers really isn't going to do your dog any good particularly a pup which has lots of growing to do. Okay dogs might enjoy it but kids would enjoy a diet of crisps and sweets, it wouldn't be doing them any good though. I am not a fan of the ridiculously expensive "premium" dog foods, the best thing to do is actually look at the analysis of the individual foods, most expensive isn't necessarily best. I feed Skinners which is I think cheaper than Bakers complete, and doesn't have all the colours etc that Bakers does. I do agree that you should not go off the recommended amounts on feed bags, far better to use common sense and see how your dog is looking weight wise, too thin increase the food, too fat reduce it.
 

lexiedhb

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 January 2007
Messages
13,959
Location
Surrey
Visit site
To be fair there are A LOT of numpties who have dogs, (OP I am NOT saying you are a numpty!) who could do with an education in feeding darling Fido, so i am with the pet shop owner.

No he should not have been trying to flog you the most expensive stuff in the shop- but steering you towards something that actually had some meat in it.

Always makes me chuckle when i read "dog wouldnt eat such and such"- bet it would if it were hungry!
 

Toffee44

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 November 2009
Messages
6,157
Location
West Sussex almost Hants
Visit site
This is Will, he was fed bakers most of his life. Although never neglected I and my vet feel his condition has something to do with bakers. This is him now cant get much more on him, but its 2.5kg more than what he was. His coat continously shreds and to the point he gets bald patches. No diabetes or liver problems. His teeth were bright yellow, now just stained and he doesn't smell so bad :) he's a 15yr old lab, he has a friend who is 2yrs younger twice the size and been on skinners her whole life.
IMAG0105.jpg



Also my very large breed (to make 50kg at least) was handed to me on bakers, had a horrible growth spurt to which we changed to autarky. Now on raw he's a heavy but lean, steady growing puppy. After researching about while wanting raw diet you would rather feed Mcdonalds than bakers. Although I'm not pushing raw, instead of 4-5 sloppy Orange poos a day he did 2 smaller ones that didn't smell to bad.
 

Honey08

Waffled a lot!
Joined
7 June 2010
Messages
19,005
Location
north west
Visit site
Its interesting though, as I've never heard anything bad about Bakers until I came on this forum. I've had two different vets deal with the dogs and never say anything about their feed, other than suggesting the lite version for labs, and I spoke to two rescue centres at the likes of Bramham and game fairs, both of who were selling other feeds, so asked what we fed. When I sheepishly said Bakers and that perhaps I shouldn't as I kept hearing bad things about it, they both said it wasn't as bad as people thought, just expensive... Not remotely saying anyone is wrong, I just find it strange that all these pros haven't really said anything.

Anyway, back to the original topic. I think he was really rude. I wouldn't dream of pushing a customer like that, and I would back away from someone pushy and not shop there - thats just how I am, I guess. Hate bossy, in-your-face people!
 

lexiedhb

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 January 2007
Messages
13,959
Location
Surrey
Visit site
Its interesting though, as I've never heard anything bad about Bakers until I came on this forum. I've had two different vets deal with the dogs and never say anything about their feed, other than suggesting the lite version for labs, and I spoke to two rescue centres at the likes of Bramham and game fairs, both of who were selling other feeds, so asked what we fed. When I sheepishly said Bakers and that perhaps I shouldn't as I kept hearing bad things about it, they both said it wasn't as bad as people thought, just expensive... Not remotely saying anyone is wrong, I just find it strange that all these pros haven't really said anything.

Anyway, back to the original topic. I think he was really rude. I wouldn't dream of pushing a customer like that, and I would back away from someone pushy and not shop there - thats just how I am, I guess. Hate bossy, in-your-face people!

I guess it is just who you talk to- the rescue mine came from told me to feed pretty much anything OTHER than bakers..... and the vet the same (recently i may add)
 

NicoleS_007

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 February 2010
Messages
2,084
Visit site
Lol change pet shop :p I never new Bakers was considered junk food until coming on here either. My dogs a fussy eater and refuses to eat dry dog food even JWB, she nibbles at them for a few days then point blank refuses to eat. But that is probably because she has been feed canned krap from a pup so is a blimin spoilt child!! I once new a women who feed her dog cat food lol cause thats all it would eat :p
 

Vizslak

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 December 2008
Messages
6,898
Visit site
Bakers is very very cleverly marketed, and notice, they never advertise (even on their own websites) what is actually in it. Just use stupid words like doggylicious and irresistable. Which as already pointed out there is lots of stuff that is irresistable, doesnt mean its good for you. Their main selling point is that dogs love it....that should say a lot!
 

CorvusCorax

Justified & Ancient
Joined
15 January 2008
Messages
57,223
Location
Mu Mu Land
Visit site
I used to only want to eat Chinese and Cinnamon Grahams when I was a kid and nothing that was good to me.
Cats like the taste of anti-freeze, even though it kills them.

I am sure my dogs could survive on their preferred diet of sheep poo and old shoes :p

Not having a dig, just being contrary!!!
 

Dobiegirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2011
Messages
6,900
Location
Wildest Somerset
Visit site
People often say oh my dog wont eat that, wrong if they are hungry they will. A case in point is a friends black lab who is grossly overweight and is staying with me while she is on holiday. Before she went away we discussed feed and her dog was on tinned crap and mixer, I suggested she try Autarky and so my friends dog arrived with a bag of Autarky Autumn and tins of dog food. She said she bought the tinned food because her dog wont eat kibble, well the tinned dog food is unopen and she is eating the Autarky and enjoying it. If I had fed her and she left it I would have picked it up and she wouldnt see it again until the next feed. This hasnt happened.

I know she is getting lots more exercise but my point is if they are hungry they will eat.
 

Cop-Pop

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 October 2007
Messages
8,667
Location
Glos, UK
Visit site
When we got Sandy all she would eat was Bakers - we had to introduce other food quite slowly as if she had too much of the new food she vomited everywhere. When Yellow Dog eats Bakers he gets tummy pains then an explosive rear end!

I can understand the OPs rant tho - when I'm shopping the last thing I want is to be preached at.
 

Missadelaide

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 April 2011
Messages
225
Location
Lambourn, Berkshire
Visit site
I have to agree with the others in that Bakers really is no good.

I feed Wainwrights Dog's best friend from pets at home, which is made by the same company who produce James Wellbeloved and has the exact same ingredients and it's about £10 a bag cheaper. If you can't afford the scienceplan or James Wellbeloved price tag, might be worth giving that one a go as it has no artificials or colorants either.
 

Rowreach

👀
Joined
13 May 2007
Messages
17,003
Location
Northern Ireland
Visit site
Am I the only one who thought that the point of only_me's post is that she went to a shop which previously stocked the product and where she had bought it on several occasions, to be lectured by the shopkeeper and told that the product was rubbish?

And then she gets lectured by you lot ... :rolleyes::)
 

MurphysMinder

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 November 2006
Messages
17,770
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
I think a few of us did agree that the shop owner/assistant shouldn't really have lectured her, but it would have been a bit daft if we had said, "of course Bakers is great food" if we don't think this is the case.
 

Millyard Rejects

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 October 2010
Messages
1,460
Location
Ireland
Visit site
Am I the only one who thought that the point of only_me's post is that she went to a shop which previously stocked the product and where she had bought it on several occasions, to be lectured by the shopkeeper and told that the product was rubbish?

And then she gets lectured by you lot ... :rolleyes::)
Was thinking the same thing!;)

Dont have to agree you like Bakers..but some of the comments somehow infer that the Op had no business buying dog food at all?:rolleyes:

OP-my lot are fed raw. It works for me and them. If you want to go buy a complete kibble and it has no bad effects on your dogs digestion or behaviour or your wallet;) then it is your business to do so!
Ive had the lecture from a guy in a petshop...suggesting I feed my dogs Hills or even James wellbeloved- but then as i found out the guy worked in a petshop didnt own dogs or studied nutrition so had no place telling me anything about my dogs!

If bakers works for you then it is your choice to feed it. Just because others on the forum dont like/approve of it well its tough!;):p
 

Dobiegirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2011
Messages
6,900
Location
Wildest Somerset
Visit site
I think the comment from MR was unfair as to Bakers, we all care passionately about dogs and we know that Bakers is rubbish and so we were informing the op to that fact. If she was feeding her dog chocolate even if her dog liked it she would have got the same response. The effect from feeding Bakers might not be so instant but it is still harmful even if the effects are not seen immeadiately.

I did agree with the op about the pushy salesman and what my response to him would have been.
 
Top