How Much Food Should You Feed Your Puppy?

In the past, people seemed to know how much food to feed their puppies instinctively. But today, thanks mainly to the sheer range of pet food products on the market, it’s become considerably more complicated. How many calories do growing dogs actually need? 

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When it comes to puppies, they can be quite different. Today’s breeds are more variegated than they ever were in the past, with both tiny dogs and much larger ones available. With such a range of breeds and sizes of dogs, and therefore differing dietary needs, it makes it more important than ever to do thorough research on sites such as pet food secret and others, to help arm yourself with the knowledge of the type and quantity of food that your particular breed of puppy requires. 

Puppy Feeding Timeline

How much you feed your puppy will depend on its age in months. 

For the first six weeks, puppies should consume their mother’s milk. This will happen at the breeder unless you own a bitch. 

After six weeks, growing pups will transition onto solid food. Usually, they will go onto a formula with nutrients carefully calibrated for their age and developmental needs. 

Remember, puppy biology is different from human biology. As scavengers, we can survive on just about anything. However, puppies require a diet closely resembling their evolutionary and ecological niche. Four feedings per day is a general rule of thumb for this stage in your pup’s life. 

At three to six weeks, you’ll want to move puppies onto three meals per day. At this stage, the rate at which they grow begins to slow down. 

At 6 to 12 months, you’ll want to feed your puppy twice per day. If you spay the dog, their calorie requirements will decline substantially. Usually, you’ll spay larger breeds earlier than smaller ones. 

At around a year of age, you’ll feed your dog about two half portions per day – an amount of food they’ll continue to consume for the rest of their lives. 

What About Raw Food?

Dogs are descended from wolves. This fact means that they are perfectly capable of consuming raw food as part of their diet. In fact, wolves in the wild would have consumed raw meat almost exclusively in the wintertime. Thus, dog anatomy is set up for it. 

To find out how much to feed your dog, use a raw dog food calculator. These show you the weights you’ll need to use as your dog develops as a percentage of their body weight. Relative consumption tends to go down as the dog grows in size. 

Should You Buy Expensive Dog Food?

Buying expensive dog food is a personal choice. As you might expect, when you choose the best food, the quality goes up. Dogs get better cuts of meat and improved flavours. Nutritional quality is also less likely to vary from batch to batch, helping to keep your dog’s coat and organs in good condition. 

Should You Get Dry Or Wet Dog Food? 

Most owners opt for a combination of wet and dry dog food for feeding their puppies. Dogs tend to find canned food most palatable. You’ll notice this if you ever feed it to them. Kibble is a good option because it offers completeness and balance. That’s because manufacturers can carefully calibrate the nutrients that go into it.