Puppies cannot regulate vitamins and nutrients like an adult dog can, and puppies require a daily balanced diet.
Here is a general timeline for what your puppy needs at each stage of his first year of life.
6–12 weeks – For normal and ideal development of puppy, he should be fed with a diet specially formulated to meet his nutritional needs. Usually, four feedings a day of a moistened food are recommended. Unmoistened dry food should be introduced a little later… as for large breeds by 9-10 weeks and for small breeds by 12-13 weeks.
3–6 months – Generally, a puppy loses his potbelly and pudginess by 12 weeks. So, now his feedings could be decreased from four to three a day. However, if you still feel that your pup’s body type hasn’t matured yet, you may continue with four feedings.
6–12 months – This is the time when generally, puppies are spayed or neutered; so after the procedure, you may switch from puppy food to adult maintenance food as the energy requirements of your puppy lower down a bit with this procedure. For large breeds, you can make a switch at 12-14 months whereas for small breeds at 8-10 months. Now you may begin feeding your puppy twice a day.
How much food should I give my puppy?
Make sure you are feeding the right amount of to you pup.
There’s a saying in canine feeding: Watch the dog, not the dish. Body condition and not the amount eaten or left in the bowl, should determine portion sizes. A simple and general rule of thumb is to feed your puppy 20g per 1kg of body weight per day. So, if you have a puppy weighing 5kg, they will need 100g per day. However, portion sizes depend on individual metabolism and body type, and nutritional requirements vary from dog to dog. So you better consult your veterinarian for any specific nutritional requirements.
Do I need a puppy feeding schedule to feed my puppy?
Puppies (also Dogs) are creatures of habit and helping them establish a routine with their feeding, and all parts of their life generally, will help them to become more consistent in their potty time. That in turn, will help make potty training much easier and faster! Who doesn’t want that?
So here’s an example of an ideal puppy feeding schedule for your puppy. You may customize it accordingly to your personal requirements.
