Food for Sheltie

Question
I just adopted a 4-year old Sheltie.  There are so many brands that say they are "best".  He is currently eating a food made of sweet potatoes and salmon.  Is there a reasonably priced food that is healthy?  I was told by the vet to only feed him half a cup of food twice a day.  He currently weights 36.4 lbs and the vet said he should lose about 2 pounds.   He is always hungry and I don't believe in filling him up with treats.  What to feed?  How much?  Thanks!

Answer
Dog food is like any other commercial product.  You have many vendors claiming theirs is the best.  You also have many people buying into different vendors stories plus those that are convinced that anything expensive has to be better.  

The only reason to feed an expensive chow such as the salmon and sweet potato, would be if he is allergic to common ingredients such as chicken and rice.  It is not that chicken is a problem, it is just that many dogs become allergic to it because that is what they are eating.  I am familiar with a number of large, professionally managed programs whose dogs are doing very well on common brands such as Pro Plan, Iams, Science Diet, etc.  Those claiming you must feed a premium chow seem to disregard the fact that those with experience with thousands of dogs including careful medical records, feed the common brands I have mentioned.  There is nobody that I would trust that knows more about dog diets than the large service dog schools.  

If ease of cleaning up the stools isn't a big factor, you could consider the basic Purina.  Since your dog is an eager eater, he would enjoy the greater bulk and still be getting the complete and balanced diet he needs.  Where do you feel comfortable shopping?  Wal-Mart has Purina, Purina 1, Iams, and other brands.  I have no trustworthy information on Old Roy.  It may or may not be OK.  Those that condemn it also condemn what I know are fine.  If you feel better about buying your dog chow at a pet store, that gives you more options such as Pro Plan and Science Diet and many others.  Unless your dog has allergies, any of the above should be fine.  Even if it does, you may be able to work around them selecting from chicken, lamb, and beef.

Shelties are great little dogs.  Thank you for giving a 4 year old a home.  See http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx for a system to evaluate his weight.  I would start with the vet's half a cup twice a day.  If he loses too much weight, just increase if a little.  If you switch chow, do so over about a week.  Any sudden change in diet cn cause digestive upsets.