Feeding A Puppy: Top Tips And Tricks

Have you got a new puppy or are considering getting one?

You want to make sure you pay close attention to feeding your puppy during the early stages.

Poor nutrition at the start can be harmful to your puppy and can also affect your relationship with them.

So how do you go about feeding a puppy? How do you make sure they eat at regular times?

Feeding A Puppy

Here’s what you need to know about feeding a puppy:

What You Should Feed Your Puppy

The first step is to figure out what’s the best type of food to give your puppy. You want to consider their size as well as their breed.

One of the best puppy breeds that you should consider is a Presa Canario. You can find here more information on why these are the easiest puppies to look after.

You’ve then got to take your puppy to the vet to determine what nutrients they need the most. The vet will provide you with a few recommendations on what type of food is best for them.

You’ll soon figure out what type of food your puppy enjoys the most. Observe them every time you feed them. You’ll see what foods they eat happily and which ones they reject altogether. Make sure you keep notes about their food preferences.

Feeding A Puppy

Schedule for Feeding a Puppy

During your puppy’s first year, you can expect there to be regular changes to how often they’ll want to get fed.

As a general rule, they’ll want regular meals after they’ve matured past six weeks. These will be smaller meals that are given on a more frequent basis. You might want to consider giving them three to four meals per day.

Once they reach around six months, you might want to keep this down to three meals per day. You might need to increase their portions during this time.

During this time, you’ll also soon realize what times are best to feed your puppy.

You might also consider feeding them first thing in the morning and just before you go to bed. If you feel that they are gaining weight too fast, you might want to cut down on portions.

It’s best to keep your vet informed at all times about your puppy’s feeding schedule. They’ll advise you on what changes to make to the schedule if any.

You want to also keep track of the timings that you’re feeding them. Make sure you also keep track of their portions and their specific meals.

Changing the Diet

So when do you get to change the diet for your puppy? You want to first try feeding them twice per day.

You can feed them in the morning and before sleeping at night. If this seems to be sufficient then you can consider changing their diet. Your puppy may now be ready for an adult diet!

This adult diet can include canned dog feed that’s aimed toward adult dogs. You can also consider feeding them human food. As always, it’s best to speak to your vet about what adult food is best for your dog.

When you feed your puppy adult food, make sure you observe how they respond to it. You might wish to give them extra rashers of bacon during your own breakfast time.

But how does your dog feel after they eat their bacon? Some dogs might feel lethargic or even ill. Some foods might be too heavy for your dog.

You have to remember that most dogs are always hungry. As your puppy grows, you can expect them to try to steal a portion of your breakfast, lunch, or dinner! It’s rare to see a dog turn away any food that you offer them.

But you need to make sure that you don’t overfeed your dog. You also want to learn what types of food can make them ill.

If your puppy doesn’t react well to the bacon, it doesn’t mean that they’ll later reject another offering of bacon.

It’s your responsibility to keep track of what foods they should avoid. You should also keep track of their favorite foods.

Keep track of how they react after they’ve eaten particular meals. This is especially crucial if you need others to look after your puppy at any time.

Feeding A Puppy

Best Practices

Finally, let’s look at a few best practices for feeding a puppy.

As you’ve learned, during the early stages you should always keep an eye on your puppy as you feed them. This will help you assess how well your puppy reacts to the food you give them.

It’s also best to never let food lie around at any time. For example, don’t leave their breakfast in their dish overnight. Only once you and your puppy have woken up should you feed them.

Similarly, don’t leave their dinner lying around hours before you plan on feeding them. It’s also best to keep food away from a place that your dog can easily access.

If their food and treats are within reach, they might end up stuffing themselves! It’s also best to make sure you feed them water during the same time you feed them.

Especially during their early stages, you need to make sure your home is as clean as possible. You can expect puppies to lick dirt or debris off the floor. They might even try to chase bugs and other insects that may enter your home.

Make sure you do your research on how to prepare a home for welcoming a puppy. Your vet and other dog owners can help you with this!

Feeding A Puppy

Now You Can Feed Your Puppy

Now you know the guidelines for feeding a puppy and can make the best decisions to help them grow!

Make sure you always consult your vet on what’s best for your puppy’s specific needs. During the early stages, you want to make sure you feed them as often as possible.

It’s also imperative to keep records of what you’re feeding them and how they respond. You’ll soon realize what’s best to feed them as you go forward.

You can find more tips on looking after your dog on our website!