I'm open to any and all ideas, including raising my own food, maybe hunting? Fishing?

Hunting and feeding raw would probably be the most efficient. Very healthy too! Just make sure you get the right ratios of muscle/organ meat/and bones!

Definitely feed the dog more meat and veggies than grains. Lots of cheap dog foods try to pad out their bulk with grains, which aren't healthy for the dog and just make it fat and nutritionally deficient. It's great that you're thinking outside the box on this one.

There are a lot of dog food recipes out there, which if you make in bulk is cheaper than good dog food. As long as you include a good mix of meat and veggies (and watch out for things that aren't good for dogs, like grapes and onions), you should be good.

A lot of what would probably help most in figuring out what to feed your dog would depend a lot on it's size, breed, temperament and activity level. Blue buffalo is one of the best things to feed your dog, but it is VERY NOT CHEAP- and can not be bought in most stores. The BARF diet is supposed to be one of the best diets to put your dog on, but can be very costly as well depending on the size of your pet. (BARF= bones and raw food)

You could always ask your vet what they would recommend, or tell them what you feed your dog to see if it is appropriate enough for your pet... My mom feeds her dogs Atta Boy, which is what they favor to most dog food and our vet has no problem with it because the dogs are all very healthy and in an ideal weight range; although my mom also feeds them "human food".

Best thing to do is consider what you view as cheap to see what you have to work it... a 15lb bag of Blue Bufflo could cost you 40$ where a 40lb bag of Atta Boy or other similar brands may cost you 20$

Dry food is always less expensive than moist or semi moist food. Dry food also allows the dog to chew their food, which assists them in keeping tartar off their teeth. So dry food will save you money and save you on dental care for your pet. The cheapest price food is not always the most economical way to go, you can read an article I published to learn more (see reference below) about dog food. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Best of Luck in your choices, and I know you will make the best decision for your loyal friend.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Pet-Food-Intelligence
http://hubpages.com/hub/-Your-Pets-Teeth

It is important to feed them good quality food for the first 1 1/2 years of their life and in their late years. In between, you can go cheap if the puppy dog doesn't need to run all day. Maybe improve the quality during hunting season if you go with the dog a lot.

The cheapest decent kibble I have found is Diamond Naturals (about $1 a pound).

If you are a hunter, then you could raw feed your dog for less.

lots o dogs

blue buffalo
wellness
feed less so it actually works out about the same as the cheap stuff

... really?? if you cant afford good quality food and give your dog a good diet give him to someone who can

what do you consider cheap?

Feed dry dog food. Or meat. Either way it's cheap. Dog food is like 5 dollars for a huge bag that lasts about 2 months.

make it eat ****... they do when ur not looking