I think it would work. I am very close to saying it would work just as well. The only thing really missing is the easy digestability of the animal fats, especially the chicken fat. The other issue would be picking one of the higher end kibbles like you mentioned, one with a higher quality protein.

The basic requirements would be met with the higher end kibble, and then add the supplementation and it is a solid feed plan. I think the dogs would hold up very well with a good work/rest combination.

The dogs will adapt to most anything fed. My brother-in-law runs fox hounds, both on the inside and outside. (fox pens). He runs his dogs hard and often. These dogs go on 1/2 to 3/4 trots til they jump/strike and then it is an all out sprint til that race is over. This is four-five-six hour hunts. Not saying this is comparable to a bulldog show or a bulldog keep but it is a hard expenditure of energy for long periods of time. He feeds his hogs and chickens old bread and produce from the local food bank. He was getting a pick up truck load of bread for $8. He started feeding his hounds bread. First in addition to dry food (cheap dry food at that) and then to straight bred alone. I told him the dogs would fade in a couple three months of hard running and bread as a staple. It did not happen. The dogs were fed lots of deer meat thru the season and when the season was over it was back to bread. They never lost a step. They ran just as hard and just as long as they did on bread, bread and deer meat or bread and dog food.

Strange comparison. But sometimes we may over think these dogs some. The good Lord intended them to forage around eating what they found, sometimes killing for their next meal. Most of these dogs would eat the ass out of a dead skunk. It was just how they were built, how they were designed.

Great topic.

EWO