Feeding guidelines for a puppy

For the first month of his life, your puppy got all the nutrients he needed from his mother's milk. Slowly he learned to eat on his own, becoming fully weaned after a few more weeks. As his new pet parent, now it's your turn to see that he receives the proper nutrition to support his journey to adulthood.

Learning how to chow

Dogs may be completely weaned by the age of two months, but regular foods should be available prior to weaning. Experts recommend offering small amounts of food when pups are three to four weeks old. It's not unusual for puppies to play with (and in!) their food when it's first introduced, but most will figure out what to do with it pretty fast. By the time they reach their two-month birthday, puppies should be old pros at eating regular foods as outlined here.

What's on the menu?

As puppies have higher nutritional requirements than adult dogs (some require up to twice the energy and protein intake of mature dogs!), you'll need to pay close attention to quality. Quality means foods that are as close to nature as possible, high in meats and organs, and processed the least. Natural supplements are excellent insurance as well.

Size matters

How much and what you feed your puppy will depend on the size he'll be as an adult. This is usually determined by breed or breed mix, but if you are not sure, check with your veterinarian about how large your pet will likely get. In any event, pups should be given as much as they want to eat provided it is natural and meat-based. It is better to offer several meals than to leave food out all day. For one, that is the way they would eat in nature, and two, any food that is nutritionally valuable will degrade if left out exposed to heat, air, and light. Use the same common sense you use in feeding your own family.

There are special concerns associated with large- and giant-breed puppies, those whose adult size is larger than 50 pounds. If puppies are allowed to overeat starch-based commercial foods, they can get too many calories and improper mineral balances from their food, which can result in too-rapid growth and bone problems, including hip dysplasia and osteochondrosis.

Feeding more natural foods as outlined here can help prevent these problems. Feeding just one commercial food, regardless of its claims of completeness, or balance for a particular breed, is unwise. Nobody knows all there is to know about nutrition other than nature. So feed a variety of natural foods and let nature work its wisdom.

When to make the switch

As your puppy nears his adult size and stops growing in height and weight, his nutritional demands will change. But this will just mean less food is required. Keep on with the principles of variety and natural. Select commercial foods that are meat-based and naturally designed. Also offer commercial foods that are not heat processed. Don't forget that fresh and natural foods right from your kitchen are great meals your pet will relish. Raw meat scraps, cheese, yogurt, veggies (some need to be cooked to be digested), fruits, nuts, and large raw beef knuckle bones are excellent additions to the menu. (Don't feed cooked bones as these can cause mouth injury and constipation.) He will love the flavors, the chewing exercise and you, for saving him from the one-food-in-a-bowl monotony and for the bounty of health that only nature obeyed can provide.