Feeding Your Puppy

Not only does your puppy need healthy food, it needs plenty of it. Your puppy will need a balanced diet in order to nurture the growth of bones, teeth, organs and muscle and also to maintain a healthy coat.  Their diet will also ensure that they have enough energy to play throughout the day.

At about 2 1/2 weeks of age, your puppy may begin to eat solid food three or more times a day. Start them on dry puppy food mixed with warm water.  When they reaches seven weeks of age or so, start slowly decreasing the amount of water you add. When they are about 3 months old, you can switch the puppy to twice-a-day feedings of puppy food.  Between 6 and 8 months it recommended that you gradually mix the puppy food into an adult formula over several weeks time.

During his first few weeks, your puppy should be slightly chubby. If he continues to look chubby between 10 and 13 weeks old, restrict his diet slightly. Monitor his weight and, once he reaches three and a half to four months, restrict his diet – not to make him lean, just to make sure he doesn't get too fat. If you're not sure what his proper weight is, check with your vet.

At the 5 to 6 month period, depending on his breed, your puppy may have a dramatic growth spurt. He may get long, lean and a little thin. By the time he's about one-and-a-half to two years of age, his body will catch up.

Commercial puppy food is best. This kind of a diet provides all the nutrients he needs, especially his energy and protein requirements. A diet labelled for "all life stages" will also provide sufficient nutrients, but because it is closer to a maintenance level, your puppy will have to eat more "All Stages" than puppy formula.

From three weeks of age up to 20 weeks, your puppy's growth rate is astronomical, and his food intake must keep up. During this period, medium-sized dogs, such as pointers and setters, require approximately 3 1/2 lbs. of dry food to put on one pound of body weight. Large breeds require slightly less, smaller breeds a little more. If you are using canned food, use approximately one-third this amount, as these diets are more nutrient-dense.

Note: For puppies of large or giant breeds, look for special foods of lower nutrient density. With these dogs, rapid growth can exacerbate degenerative hip problems or joint disease. Although hip dysplasia is a genetic problem, overfeeding at a young age can contribute to it.

Remember: There are plenty of puppy foods out there. Once you find one your dog likes, stick to it.