How much should you feed your puppy?

Getting a puppy requires a lot of planning and preparation. How much to feed a puppy comes first on the list? The food portions vary based on the breed, weight, and age of the puppy. You should plan and establish a regular, nutritionally-balanced, and energy-satisfying puppy feeding schedule.

Why feeding puppies 'Puppy food' is so crucial?

Puppies need a lot of calories, extra protein, and more fat to help sustain growth in the initial few months. The puppy food offers this balanced nutrition to support his phase. It also has some nutrients found in the mother's milk, like Omega Fatty Acid DHA. So, before you purchase food, make sure the food is specifically labeled for puppies or says 'for all life stages' somewhere on the package.

Puppy feeding chart

The frequency and quantity of food to be given will depend on the age and breed of your pup. The simplest way to do this is to create a puppy feeding chart that suits your puppy's breed and weight at maturity.

The puppies up to 3 months of age need to eat a high-quality food diet (starter puppy food) 3 to 4 meals per day. The frequency goes down to 3 meals per day at around 3 to 6 months. At 6 to 12 months of age, it's 2 meals per day.

After about a year, most puppies can transition to a nutritionally balanced adult dog food diet twice a day.

How much to feed a puppy?

Check the back of puppy food packaging to get accurate portion sizes for your puppy's weight.

It should look something like this -

While some large breeds do not mature until they are about 18 to 24 months old, toy and smaller breeds may be able to move to adult food a bit earlier (some as early as 7 to 9 months). Consult your Veterinarian on this. If you are unsure when your puppy will be considered a fully grown dog, keep him on puppy food for a little longer. Giving pups a few additional nutrients is better than giving them insufficient amounts.

What to feed puppies in the first year?

As a new pet parent, you will find no shortage of dog food choices for feeding puppies. Puppies have rapid growth, and you should expect a few food transitions.

8 weeks old puppy: Starting the solids.

1. Typically, solids are introduced at 8 weeks of age.
2. Transition the pup slowly to solids, usually over 5 – 7 weeks.
3. At first, wet the kibble with water.
4. Allow the kibble to soak for a few minutes to make it soft.
5. Continue to wet the kibble with water over several weeks.
6. Each week use 1 tsp less water to soften the food.
7. By weeks 3 – 4, the meals should be crunchy kibble.
8. At week 7, transition him onto the dry dog food.
   
   

Regular Feeding: 6 – 12 months old

1. At 6 to 12 months establish periodic eating times.
2. Start serving 2 feedings per day.
3. Create your puppy feeding timetable.
4. The first step is to leave the bowl of food on the floor for a set amount of time.
5. For beginners, start with 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how fast your dog eats.
6. Be consistent with the schedule and always use the same place to feed your dog, same time, and same duration.
7. Your dog will learn how this schedule works for the next 2 weeks.
8. Once your puppy is familiar with regular meal timings, you will find that it's followed by periodic potty times.
   
   

Switching to Adult Dog Food: 1+ years

1. Introduce Adult dog food from the age of 1 year. (varies according to breed size.)
2. Transition your puppy slowly by mixing the new food into his puppy portions.
3. Meals should consist of 75% puppy food to 25% adult food.
4. Continue to serve mixed food for about 2 – 3 days.
5. Gradually increase the adult food and decrease the puppy food by 10%.
6. By day 7 or 8, your puppy should be eating 100% adult food.
7. Patience is the key. A slow transition will help puppy's stomach to adjust.

Some important tips -

• Always remember that treats shouldn't account for more than 10% of your puppy's daily meal allowance.
• Fresh water should be available with any food. Clean both food and water bowls regularly.
• Don't start a medical diet or supplements without a prescription or recommendation.
• Always seek advice from a veterinarian when in doubt.