Puppy Feeding Guide from 8 weeks to 1 year
Are you excitedly planning and marking down the days until you get to take your new puppy home? If you are, you’ve probably spent some time planning and preparing for your little bundle of fur. An important thing to plan for and learn about before you bring the puppy home is feeding.
I’ve put together a little guide for our puppy buyers (and anyone else who needs it) to help understand some basics about feeding your puppy.
I wanted to start off by saying these are only recommendations and you don’t have to stress out about following everything perfectly. Keep an eye on your puppy’s weight, energy level, and appearance. That will let you know if you are on the best path for proper nutrition.
If you notice something about your puppy such as chubbiness, lack of energy, or a boney appearance, you may need to consult your vet and adjust their diet. That’s ok!
Puppy Needs
Puppies have different nutritional needs from adult dogs. Because they are growing so rapidly, they need a lot more calories, fat, and minerals from their food. That is why we shouldn’t give a puppy adult food for their regular diet.
Quality of Food
The quality of the food you feed matters as well. Poor quality foods tend to have a lot of “fillers” and not a lot of nutrition which your puppy desperately needs. Consequentially, your puppy will probably end up eating more of the poor quality food to make up for the lack and you won’t be saving any money in the long run.
We use Purina Pro Plan Puppy Food and have had great results! There are a lot of different kinds of PPP Puppy food. We use the Chicken and Rice blend, but be sure to check our recommended products page to make sure.
You might buy the highest quality puppy food on the market, but there are some important nutrients that are almost never included in dry dog food. To fill that void, you can add supplements to your puppy’s daily meal routine to help strengthen their immune system, promote a healthy skin and coat, reduce itching and scratching, support ear and eye health, and improve digestion.
We use NuVet supplements because they are made in an FDA approved lab, have never had a recall, and do everything a supplement should! They are palatable and our dogs love them!
Free Feeding vs. Feeding on a Schedule
Free feeding might sound convenient, but we recommend starting your puppy on a scheduled feeding routine for a few reasons:
First, it’s a good idea to monitor your puppy’s food intake and weight especially as they are transitioning into life in your home. You can also prevent obesity by feeding on a schedule because a lot of puppies will gobble down any food that’s available whether they are hungry or not.
Second, feeding on a schedule helps potty training! Puppies almost always need to relieve themselves shortly after eating and drinking. It’s like clockwork! That predictability gives you a wonderful opportunity to take your puppy outside for some successful potty trips!
Need help with your puppy’s feeding schedule? I’ve made a free printable to help you!
How often should I feed my puppy?
Until your puppy is about 6 months old you should feed them 3-4 times a day. Try to include their supplements during a meal you’re most likely to remember. Mornings are best for me!
Puppies use a lot of energy growing and their digestive systems do much better with smaller, more frequent feedings, rather than one or two big meals.
Small, frequent meals also help balance their energy levels so they aren’t skyrocketing and crashing too dramatically.
After your puppy is 6 months old you can move toward 2 meals a day which is what you’ll probably stick with for the rest of his life.
How much food should I give my puppy?
To answer this question, I made a free printable puppy feeding chart that you can hang up near your puppy’s food for quick reference. You may also refer to the feeding guidelines provided on your dog food bag. Just fill in your information below and I’ll send the PDF to your email!
Once again, I want to remind you that these are just guidelines. If your puppy acts like he is starving after every meal and isn’t packing the pounds (but growing normally), then it’s okay to increase the amount.
Changing Foods
Most people know this, but I feel we should cover it anyway. If you want to change the type of food you are giving your puppy (either to a different brand or a different blend within the same brand family), always do so gradually.
Gradually changing your puppy’s food will help prevent digestive issues like diarrhea (which is awful when you are potty training!
We recommend changing the food gradually over 7 days. Start by giving a little of the new food and a lot of the old food. The next day give a little more of the new food and a little less of the old food. Continue until you’ve reached day 7 where your puppy is going to get most new food and only a little old food.
When do we switch to adult food?
The short answer is between 12 and 18 months old or when they reach 90% of their expected adult weight.
Smaller dogs tend to reach their mature size closer to 12 months old, whereas larger breed dogs take longer.
As outlined above, make sure to switch gradually.
How many treats can I give my puppy?
Treats are fun to give and useful for training, but we have to tread carefully and not give too many. Treats typically don’t provide the balanced nutrition that a puppy needs for healthy growth, unlike their puppy food. So, as a rule, puppies shouldn’t get more than 10% of their daily calories from treats.
One of the best daily treats that our puppies look forward to is their NuVet supplements, so I often use them during training or as a special reward.
Another trick is to use your puppy’s kibble as a treat for training! We learned that trick from the online training course Baxter & Bella and it works wonderfully!
What treats to give
For the treats you do give your puppy for training, aim for something small and soft so they can chew it quickly. Safe “human food” treats are:
Watermelon
Carrot slices
Green beans
Salmon
Broccoli florets
Berries
Apple slices
Popcorn
Banana slices
Rice cakes
Scrambled eggs
Cooked chicken (no bones)
Cheese
Yogurt
If you are going to buy puppy training treats from the store, look for treats with simple, minimal ingredients, soft and chewy, and the stinkier the better!
Other than treats
You don’t always have to use treats as rewards for training. Sometimes some enthusiastic praise, a good belly rub, or a game of fetch are satisfying enough for your puppy to count as a reward for good behavior.
Foods that are dangerous for puppies
We all know chocolate isn’t good for dogs, but did you know that grapes, macadamia nuts, and raisins aren’t good for them? Here are some more things to keep away from your puppy:
Onions
Garlic
Chives
Milk and large amounts of dairy products such as cheese
Alcohol
Coffee and caffeine
Salty food, such as potato chips
Food sweetened with xylitol, such as gum, baked goods, and candy.
The rewards of good nutrition for your puppy
Your puppy is going to be awesome. You’ll probably become great friends and will experience some amazing things in your life together. You are already investing a lot of time and money into your puppy and you haven’t even brought him home! So it’s totally worth it to do the right thing when it comes to your puppy’s diet.
A great diet with proper nutrition and supplements will keep your puppy healthy and happy, which is absolutely invaluable, don’t you think?
Don’t forget to grab your free puppy feeding printable to help your puppy grow big and strong! Fill in your information below: