Puppy feeding program

Feeding your puppy a nutritionally complete diet tailored to their specific needs is vital for supporting healthy development and laying the foundation for a healthy future. Puppies go through intense growth and development.

Their diet plays a key role in supporting this and is crucial in influencing how strong and healthy your puppy is as an adult dog. To make sure that your puppy is appropriately supported throughout growth, they should remain on a puppy-specific diet until they reach adulthood. They need nutrients to build their natural defences and promote good bacteria in their delicate digestive system.

As puppies approach adulthood, they still need extra nutritional support for their joints, especially larger breeds as their muscles are filling out and putting pressure on their skeleton.

There are a range of vital nutrients that your puppy needs during the first months of life to aid healthy growth and development. A puppy's diet must be able to provide enough energy and quality protein to support growth and be easily digestible.

To help your puppy grow to be strong and healthy, their food needs a very precise formula. We develop our foods in close collaboration with breeders, vets and nutritionists. As well as focusing on the exceptional nutritional quality of our formulas, we also ensure the following key factors.

To make our formulas as appealing as possible, we:. Puppies have sensitive digestive systems. So we ensure our formulas are highly digestible to help avoid stomach upsets and make it easier for your puppy to absorb the nutrients.

We apply the same hygiene rules as for human food and prepare puppy food to the highest standards of quality and safety. Puppies have different nutritional needs according to their breed and eventual adult size. Ask your vet for help checking the expected adult weight of your puppy according to their breeding. You can then choose the right food for them and make sure you give it to them in the right quantities. Dogs are categorised in five different sizes: X-small — up to 4kg when adult Small — up to 10kg when adult Medium — 11kg to 25kg when adult Large — 26kg to 44kg when adult Giant — over 45kg when adult.

Breeds of different sizes have different needs as puppies. Medium breeds tend to be more active outdoors so need plenty of energy and helping building their natural defences. Large and giant breeds grow slower and need less energy per kilo of bodyweight than small breeds. What if I give food designed for different sized breeds? Underfeeding can lead to issues including malnutrition and stunted growth.

While overfeeding can make your puppy overweight, which can cause painful bone and joint problems, difficulty breathing and more. This is particularly crucial for large breed dogs, as overfeeding can cause them to grow too quickly and develop skeletal problems. Always refer to the portion recommendations on the pack and weigh each meal carefully. Up to 6 months 3 meals a day months 2 meals a day Adult 1 or 2 meals a day.

Initially, during weaning, your puppy will need four meals a day spread evenly from morning to evening. Smaller breed dogs reach adulthood sooner than others, so they can move to fewer meals a day at an earlier stage.

To help them feel secure, and avoid upsetting their digestion, give them the same food, preferably at the same times, in the same place, using the same bowl. Mixed feeding is when you give your puppy a combination of wet and dry food — either at the same time or at separate meals.

You can try adding the wet as a topper to the kibble or feed in a separate bowl. An extra walk does no harm and, in fact, will benefit you both. In our hectic society, however, this can be tough, so consider enlisting the help of a dog walker.

Also keep in mind activities other than walking such as the dog park. Together time is a bonding experience for you and your dog. This is the easiest thing to schedule as it can be on the couch while watching T. The key is to focus on your dog and pet and massage him.

Dogs love a light massage and many are happy with your foot stroking their back. Even just sitting touching your dog is a bonding activity. Housetraining: With puppies , there is housetraining to consider in your dog feeding schedule.

When beginning housetraining, you or someone you trust, such as a dog sitter , really needs to be on hand frequently, so you can catch your pup before or in the act and rush him outside. Older puppies can go between three to four hours between elimination. Food: A puppy will ideally eat three times a day so schedule in a feeding around noon.

Get a dog sitter to help if needed. Sleep: A puppy sleeps more than an adult dog, averaging about 16 hours a day. But some will sleep for up to 20 hours! Activity: A puppy will have bursts of energy and then flop down where he is and sleep. Try to get your puppy out as much as you can, starting with short walks and building up to 20 minutes.

Food: A good dog feeding schedule for senior dogs is feeding twice a day. Feed senior dogs smaller amounts since their activity is limited. Sleep: A senior dog will sleep more than an active adult dog, on average 16 to 18 hours a day. Just like humans, the older a dog gets, the more his needs resemble that of a puppy. Ideally, you, or a sitter, could take your dog out three or four times a day for shorter walks. Avoid excessive activity and any rough play such as at dog parks.

There are a few modifications on a dog feeding schedule for active dog breeds such as the Border Collie , the Vizsla and any Terrier. Sleep for these dogs is often less than an average breed and you will find they are usually running around even when dozing. It can help to feed these breeds three times a day because their metabolisms are higher. Breeds that are very large such as the Mastiff and the Great Dane tend to sleep more than an average sized dog.

Some of the large breeds, such as the Greyhound and many of the hounds , do as well. A sample dog feeding schedule is also often different with these types of dogs being fed only once a day since they are not burning off as many calories.

The things to keep in mind are that a dog will need something scheduled every two — four hours, whether feeding, activity or playing. And consistency is key to keep you on schedule and your dog happy.

Tell us: What dog feeding schedule do you follow? How does your dog feeding schedule correlate to his activity, sleep and play schedules? Concerned about your own meal schedules and what to eat? This makes them happy, healthy and focused.

When they are puppies, we free feed the whole day until they reach 3 months 2. This is especially critical with large breed dogs. Wow, thank you for pointing out that the activity level of your dog can greatly affect how often you feed them. Wow, thank you for pointing out that the activity level of your dog can greatly affect how often you feed them, such as Border Collies might need 3 times a day.

Now that I have moved out I am picking up a puppy tomorrow! Liquid joint support supplement - Level Joint Support 5. Safe Dietary Options for Variety: To make a gravy you can use a Precise canned meats, or homemade vegetable soups. Pulverized fresh veggies are best for digestion. NO raw onions, grapes or raisins, macadamia nuts. Linda's Very Veggie Soup - 2 large cans of chicken or beef broth - low sodium for heart or elderly dogs- or homemade.

Add LOTS of veggies - carrots, green beans, wax beans, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and couple cloves of garlic. The idea is to use this as the filler so you want it to be hearty and filling.

Withholding water for fear of bloat is a myth. It is much more complicated that simply saying water is the cause of bloat. See my article on Bloat and Torsion for details. Additional Support Information:. Go here for Spay and Neuter information. Go here for anal gland problems Puppy Guidelines - what toys, bowls and crates to use.

Go here: For other articles that pertain to Puppy Handbook. Puppy Feed Program for Knuckling Over. Ask your veterinarian for help checking the expected adult weight of your puppy according to their breed.

You can then choose the right food for them and make sure you give it to them in the right quantities. Dogs are categorized in five different sizes: Extra-small — weighing up to 4 kg when adult Small — weighing up to 10 kg when adult Medium — weighs 11 kg to 25 kg when adult Large — weighs 26 kg to 44 kg when adult Giant — weighing over 45kg when adult. Breeds of different sizes have different needs as puppies. Medium breeds tend to be more active outdoors so they need plenty of energy and helping building their natural defences.

Large and giant breeds grow more slowly and need less energy per pound of bodyweight than small breeds. Underfeeding can lead to issues including malnutrition and stunted growth, while overfeeding can make your puppy overweight, which can cause painful bone and joint problems, difficulty breathing and more.

Does portion size matter for puppies? This is particularly crucial for large breed dogs, as overfeeding can cause them to grow too quickly and develop skeletal problems.

Twice daily feeding has been shown to decrease obesity, as dogs are not as hungry when fed twice daily. Always refer to the portion recommendations on the pack and weigh each meal carefully.

Any treats you give your puppy should be included in this daily amount too. Up to 6 months 3 meals a day months 2 meals a day Adult 1 or 2 meals a day. Initially, during weaning, your puppy will need four meals a day spread evenly from morning to evening.

Smaller breed dogs reach adulthood sooner than others, so they can move to fewer meals a day at an earlier stage. To help them feel secure, and avoid upsetting their digestion, give them the same food, preferably at the same times, in the same place, using the same bowl. Mixed feeding is when you give your puppy a combination of wet and dry food — either at the same time or at separate meals. They both offer important benefits such as wet food helping with hydration and appealing to picky eaters, while dry food can slow down fast eaters.

Our wet formulas are designed to be highly appealing to the fussiest of puppies. Puppies can start mixed feeding at any time, but introducing them to variety at an early age may avoid fussy behaviour in adulthood.

The amount your puppy needs to drink depends on factors including the environmental temperature and their size, exercise levels, physical condition and diet. The best way to ensure your puppy drinks the right amount is to give them constant access to fresh water. Change the water in their bowls daily to keep it clean and top it up throughout the day. Also wash their bowls daily to prevent parasites breeding in them. Then they always have the opportunity to drink in a quiet place.

And avoid plastic water bowls as they can harbour off-putting smells and bacteria — ceramic or stainless steel bowls are best. Here are some good habits to establish straightaway to help your puppy build positive associations with feeding times and get the nutrients they need. To avoid overfeeding your puppy, check the dietary guidelines on the food packaging and measure each portion carefully. Remember the stated amounts apply for the whole day, not per meal.

Giving your puppy scraps or hand feeding can also cause bad behaviour. Limit how many you give and always offer them at the right time for the right reason. To prevent upset stomach, try to avoid vigorous physical activity for your puppy for an hour or two after eating.