How much should I Feed my puppy? What a loaded question, right? Everyone seems to have a different answer, from your friends, to your vet, to your breeder of choice.
When a puppy goes home from Deaz Doodle Ranch, we always share the puppy's current feeding schedule and amount. A good breeder will send you home with a sample of the same food your puppy's been eating at the kennel. If you can, try and keep your puppy on that food and use slow transition techniques to change him over to your preferred brand after he has settled into your home in 2-3 weeks.
After a few weeks, you may begin to transition with the following formula over 7 days.
Day One: 25% New Food, 75% Old Food
Day Two: 25% New Food, 75% Old Food
Day Three: 50% New Food, 50% Old Food
Day Four: 50% New Food, 50% Old Food
Day Five: 75% New Food, 25% Old Food
Day Six: 75% New Food, 25% Old Food
Day Seven: 100% New Food!
This approach helps prevent an upset stomach, loose bowel movements, and reduces stress on the puppy. The initial weeks at home can be quite stressful as the puppy adjusts to your routine. It's best to minimize changes and introduce new things gradually, once you've established a bond and earned the puppy's trust.
Regarding the quantity of food, it's crucial to determine how much to feed your puppy. Always refer to the guidelines on the food bag and heed your breeder's advice. At Deaz, we start with Diamond Puppy and transition to Diamond Naturals as they mature. Diamond provides feeding recommendations based on your puppy's weight:
1.5 cups per day for up to 10 lbs
2.5 cups for 10-20 lbs
3.33 cups for 20-30 lbs
4.25 cups for 30-40 lbs
Notice that this says PER DAY, so you can adjust your puppy's routine to match your schedule.
One option is to offer food freely by filling the dish in the morning and allowing your dog to eat throughout the day. Alternatively, you can stick to scheduled feeding times if you prefer to have a set potty schedule. Free feeding may be more challenging in a household with two or more dogs.
You can opt for feeding twice a day, three times a day, or even smaller portions four times a day. In case your dog is unwell, on medication, or has specific requirements, it's advisable to seek feeding advice from your veterinarian.
As always, don't hesitate to contact us with any questions! info@deazdoodleranch.com
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