Feeding your puppy the right number of times each day is crucial to their growth, development, and health. Have you given thought to “How many times a day should you feed your puppy’?
Puppies, like human bubs, need to be fed often to support their rapid growth. The exact number of meals can vary depending on the puppy’s age, breed, and size, but a general guideline can help you provide the best care for your furry friend.
Let’s split into age groups:
Feeding Suggestions by Age
8 to 12 Weeks Old: At this age, puppies are just weaned from their mother’s milk and need to eat about four times a day. Their stomachs are small, so they can’t consume a lot of food at once, but they need the nutrients and calories to continue their growth spurts.
3 to 4-6 Months Old: As your puppy grows, you can reduce the feeding to three times a day. This period is still essential for development, and regular meals ensure your puppy gets the energy needed for play, learning, and getting to know the world around them.
4-6 to 12 Months Old: Depending on the breed and size, some puppies may be ready to move to two meals a day at 4 or 6 months. I have medium dogs so I transition to two meals a day at 4 months. However, for large breed puppies, sticking with three meals from 6 months might be beneficial to avoid issues like bloating. Check with your vet.
Over 12 Months Old: Most dogs can move to two meals a day, this is what I do. This schedule can be kept throughout their adult life.
Raw vs. Manufactured Food: What’s Best for Your Puppy?
Choosing between raw and manufactured food is a decision many pet owners face, and both options have pros and cons. I feed raw, as to me, dogs are unable to cook or manufacture food if they live in their natural state out in the wild. It is a personal choice.
A raw food diet typically consists of raw meat, bones, fruits, and vegetables. Raw feeding I believe is more natural and provides benefits such as shinier coats, healthier skin, cleaner teeth, and higher energy levels.
It’s essential to ensure their diet is well-balanced, varied, and provides all the necessary nutrients.
Manufactured dog foods, including kibble and canned food, are convenient, easy to store, and are formulated (according to the marketing material) to meet a puppy’s nutritional needs.
High-quality manufactured foods are often balanced and fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. A good idea would be to visit the manufacturing plant to see exactly what goes into processed food.
The quality can vary, so it’s suggested to choose brands that use high-quality ingredients without unnecessary fillers or artificial additives.
Training your puppy before giving them their meal is an excellent practice that offers multiple benefits.
Not only does this provide mental stimulation for your puppy, it also reinforces your role as the leader in the relationship, helping to establish good behaviour patterns in the initial stages.
Before meals, you can train your puppy using basic commands, for example:
Sit: This is one of the first commands to teach your puppy. It’s easy for them to understand and is useful in many situations. Training your puppy to sit before their meal teaches patience and helps to prevent overexcited behaviour.
Down: Teaching your puppy to lie down on cue is another useful skill that helps calm them down and can be a stepping stone to more advanced training.
Stand: This command is helpful for grooming or veterinary visits and teaches your puppy to hold this position and wait for the next instruction.
Wait for Food: Teaching your puppy to wait before diving into their food bowl helps build impulse control and is a simple and effective way to help your puppy understand you are in charge of their meal times.
Come to Your Food Bowl: Once your puppy has mastered waiting, you can teach them to come to their food bowl on your release word. This adds an element of fun to meal times and reinforces their training.
Using your puppy’s meal as a reward can be a powerful motivator. If your puppy performs well during training, their meal becomes a well-earned jackpot. This makes training more effective and also strengthens the bond between you and your puppy.
Investing time in training before meals and being mindful of your puppy’s dietary needs sets the foundation for a happy and balanced life together. Whether you choose a raw or manufactured diet, consistency, and quality in feeding and training will ensure your puppy grows into a well-mannered and healthy adult dog. It is worth the effort to learn all you can about ‘How many times a day should you feed your puppy’.
Until next time.
