about treats and dog food

Question
Hi, right now we feed our puppy Innova, we've heard mianly that its good but there were mixed reviews, what do you think? (the ingredients seem good so i'm confused) also her treats we try to keep it natural sos she gets fresh fruit and veggies, old mother hubbard cookies, 100% preservative, colour, and salt free lamb jerky etc, but the thing with these preservative free treats are that they don't last very long.  Can we put a portion in the freezer? (like will it still be good even after the expiration?) thanks, Jessie

Answer
I think Innova may be as good as anything.  I don't think looking at the ingredients tells you anything about how well a dog will do on any certain chow.  I admit this is in sharp contrast to the opinions of many others on dog chow.  But then my sources of information are very different and I have been trained to make objective assessments of hard data.  I too have read all the discussions of ingredients and the lists of good and bad ingredients.  What I haven't seen are controlled tests proving dogs fare better eating chows with the so called better ingredients.  I am part of a large program that feeds Pro Plan to thousands of dogs.  In any analysis of the ingredients going into it, it fares poorly.  Yet, I see thousands of healthy dogs living long, active lives that eat it.  I know of other, similar programs feeding Iams or other common, low scoring brands with similar results.  How valid can evaluations that such chows rate low on be, if the dogs are doing very well?  X-rays don't lie.  If you breed 300-400 large breed puppies a year, how bad can what you are feeding them be, if virtually all of them score OFA good or better on their x-Rays?  Are there any controled tests showing premium chows do better?  Oh, I never saw any of thse dogs with a hot spot.   

If you feel good about Innova, and can afford it,  I know of no reason not to feed it.  If you switched to a cheaper chow, you might worry your dog sick over it.

I don't know that the steak you bring home for your dinner has an expiration date on it.  Even if it does, it will stay wholesome much longer in the freezer than the refrigerator.  So should your treats.  

I would be careful about jerky treats.  Most better informed people don't give their dogs rawhide.  It seem to me jerky presents the same hazards of tearing off a large piece and it choking the dog or blocking its digestive tract as it swells.  The same large program that feeds pro Plan, forbids rawhide, pigs' ears, hoofs, bones, and other natural treats.  Their dogs are much too valuable to risk it.