Food

Feed your puppy 3- 4 times a day up until they are 4 months old, the amount will be on the back of the food bag (split the total amount into the 3-4 feedings). Once they are 4 months old transition to feeding three times a day, then at 6 months old transition to feeding twice a day.

Use a puppy food until one year old, then switch to the adult blend. Research your food, make sure real protein is the first ingredient! Quality food is worth it! Your dog will eat less, poop less, and be healthier!

When your puppy first comes they may not want to eat because of stress from leaving their home/mom/siblings, you can mix plain cooked chicken, or chicken broth or a spoon of wet canned puppy food to entice them to eat.

If you are going to switch food brands do it slowly or your puppy will get an upset stomach. Mix in just a little bit of the new food each day, gradually increase the amount. I suggest finding a few good brands, then rotate between those every 6 moths or so, and between different flavors. Dogs get tired and bored of eating the same food all of the time. There is not ONE perfect food, they all have different ingredients and pros/cons. That is why I switch foods every 6 months. If they eat the exact same food forever they can develop nutritional deficiencies.

If your puppy has an upset stomach feed just plain cooked chicken with white rice and chicken broth.

Do not use Grain Free food! It has been shown to lead to DCM, which is heart disease. If you have to use grain free because of allergies make sure the food has Taurine added to it to help with heart disease. If you have questions about a specific brand of food feel free to ask me about it!

Coconut oil and Salmon oil are great for your puppy! Coconut oil is an overall health booster. And most dogs LOVE it! It is a natural antibiotic that helps with skin and coat health. Drizzle a teaspoon over their food daily to boost overall health. You can also put a squirt of salmon oil in their food. Probiotics are also super important. Especially as puppies when they are more susceptible to stomach issues due to stress and other changes. Paw Tree has a great one and so does Purina. You can also put a tsp of plain yogurt in their food. A tsp of pumpkin puree in their food will help firm up their stools.

Train them to not have food/treat aggression! This is very important to do when they are young. When you feed them make sure and put your hand in and out of their food bowl while they are eating. Take out a few pieces of food, put in a few pieces of food. They need to get used to hands by their food while they are eating. If you have children have them do this as well so your puppy gets used to kids/people in their space while eating. When they have a treat or chew stick let them chew on it a few minutes while you are holding onto it. Also take it away after a few minutes, pet your puppy and give lots of praise. Then give it back. Do this often. They need to know that you are in control of their food/treats and make sure it is always a positive experience. And if they show good behavior they get their treat back.

There are a lot of healthy human foods your dog can eat such as apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, chicken, eggs, etc. There are also a lot of dangerous foods such as raisins, grapes, chocolate, xylitol, etc. Do your research so you know what you can add to their diet and what to keep away from your puppy!

Food

Designer Puppies From Our Home To Yours

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