Hoboken Dog Walker Recommends: Tips for Feeding a Puppy

Tips for Feeding a Puppy

A new puppy’s dietary needs are very different from an adult dog’s. An adult dog’s nutritional needs are based on maintenance. On the other hand, a puppy’s diet and nutritional needs are based on growth. With the proper nutrients, a puppy will grow strong bones and muscles and his organs will develop properly.

Frequency and Schedule:

A growing puppy should eat three times a day. Each meal should be equal in quantity. It’s recommended that your puppy eat his meals at the same time every day. You should feed your puppy every five hours. 7 am, 12 noon, and 5 pm is a typical schedule but you can adjust it to meet your schedule but you should stick to feeding every 5 hours, three times a day until your puppy reaches six months of age. Then, you can feed him twice a day. Puppies, especially small breeds can have issues with low blood sugar so it’s important to stay on a schedule. Keeping this schedule will keep your puppy healthy but it will also help you with house breaking because his potty schedule will become regular too.

Quantity:

The amount of food you give your dog will vary depending on the type of food you are feeding him and his weight. You can expect to feed your puppy any amount from ¼ of a cup all the way up to 4 cups. Again, this is dependent on his weight and type of food. Follow the directions on the label of the food you have chosen to feed him. A higher quality dog food will require you to feed your puppy less food because there are less fillers in higher quality foods. So he will retain more as opposed to eliminating the fillers during his potty breaks.

Consult with your vet as he knows exactly what a growing puppy needs.
Don’t over feed your puppy! Many dogs would eat all day if you let them. If you think you may be underfeeding your puppy, talk to your vet and see if he recommends adjusting the quantity.
Provide plenty of fresh, clean water.
Your puppy is a carnivore so the main ingredient in his food should be protein. If feeding dry food, you may need to wet the food especially if you have a smaller breed. Some pet foods don’t come in small bites so wetting the food will allow the puppy to chew it more easily.

Keeping your puppy on a feeding schedule doesn’t have to be difficult. When your pet sitter comes in to walk your puppy every few hours, she can also follow your feeding schedule. This is especially important while your puppy is on the three meals a day routine.