The Week-by-Week Guide to Feeding Your Puppy

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This article was originally published in July 2020, and has been updated.

What should puppies eat?

Puppies have distinct nutritional needs from adult dogs—which is why there are dog foods specifically formulated for them.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which sets standards for pet food, has two nutrient profiles for dogs in different stages of life:

  • Adult maintenance
  • Growth and reproduction

Dog-food manufacturers can also develop and market products that meet both nutrient profiles, and are suitable for all life stages.

The Farmer’s Dog offers recipes that meet puppies’ nutritional needs. These recipes contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals that puppies need for healthy growth, which makes them a great choice even if you’re switching from a food labeled as a “puppy formula.”

Complete and balanced foods for puppies include particular ratios of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fats for healthy growth and development. 

There are two essential types of healthy fatty acids for dogs: omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. These are classified based on their chemical structure. Both omega-3s and omega-6s are essential to a puppy’s diet because dogs cannot synthesize them.

Omega-3 fatty acids come from fish like salmon and sardines. Examples of these nutrients include alpha-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). “We know that diets enriched in DHA help with neural development and learning,” said Julie Churchill, DVM, PhD, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition), a professor of small animal clinical nutrition at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. A 2006 study by the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M found that DHA can improve memory and learning in young dogs.

Omega-3 fatty acids are also associated with reducing or controlling inflammation; chronic inflammation is associated with poor health outcomes in the long term.

Omega-6 fatty acids, like linoleic acid and arachidonic acid, are “important for skin integrity,” according to Renee Streeter, DVM, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition), one of our on-staff, board-certified veterinary nutritionists. They also promote a healthy immune response to help puppies’ bodies fight infection and illness. Linoleic acid comes from vegetable oils like corn, sunflower, safflower, and soy.

As for vitamins and minerals, puppies’ food must have a specific proportion of calcium to phosphorus. An imbalance can put them at risk of secondary health conditions because puppies’ growing bones are at particular risk of health issues related to calcium and phosphorus imbalances.

And a puppy’s dietary needs evolve from birth until they’re fully grown. Here’s a guide to feeding them right, every step of the way.

Two golden retriever puppies sit on a grey blanket.

How to feed your puppy: Weeks 1 through 6

For at least the first eight weeks of their life, your pup should ideally be with their mother, getting their nutrients from her milk. This is their best source of nutrition, and also provides antibodies to help ward off disease. Puppies should be completely weaned—meaning transitioned from milk to solid food—between 6 and 8 weeks.

Starting at 3 weeks, puppies can start eating a mixture called gruel, which stimulates food intake. You can make gruel by mixing fresh food with a tablespoon or two of warm water and putting it through a blender or food processor for a smooth, milk-like consistency.

“Basically, it’s a liquefied puppy food,” said Dr. Churchill. She said that gruel helps puppies transition to solid food, because so far they’ve only ingested nutrients in liquid form.

Starting in the second week of feeding gruel, you can add a bit more soft food, offering more solids little by little. Puppies should be encouraged to lap the gruel—or owners can dip their fingertips in the gruel and then into the puppy’s mouth. As the puppy’s interest in solid food increases, the water content of the gruel can be reduced progressively. 

At between 5 and 6 weeks, puppies should be eating full servings of solid food.

For any questions about how to best follow this plan with your own puppy, talk to your veterinarian.

How to feed your puppy: 6 weeks until adulthood

First, make sure you’re feeding a diet that’s formulated for puppies or for all life stages. The Farmer’s Dog fresh food offers formulas that are suitable for dogs in all stages of life, including puppyhood. And our food comes pre-portioned, so it’s easy to support healthy growth and avoid overfeeding.

This is key, because—while it’s important to provide sufficient nutrients to a growing puppy—excessive or imbalanced nutrients can harm them.

Too-rapid weight gain and growth, especially in giant breeds, can contribute to developmental problems later in life, such as hip and elbow dysplasia.

Puppies also must be fed more often until they’re 16 weeks old. “Generally I recommend at least three meals a day [for those young puppies],” Dr. Churchill said. Pups need this schedule because they can’t regulate their blood sugar as well as adult dogs, require higher amounts of protein for healthy growth, and have small stomachs—hence, more frequent meals.

Sticking to a regular schedule of more frequent meals is also preferable to free-feeding, because the latter will teach your puppy that food is always available and they don’t need to eat when their meals are out. It’s also safer—if you leave your dog’s food out too long, harmful bacteria could grow on it. Ever-present food can also make it harder for you to notice if a puppy loses their appetite, which could indicate illness.

Starting at 4 months, you can switch your puppy to two meals per day.

Toy breeds are a special case, Dr. Churchill added, because they’re at increased risk of low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia—so they may need extra meals, even once they reach 4 months.

Keep your veterinarian tuned into your puppy’s feeding schedule, especially as they continue gaining weight and developing their adult body condition. And always speak up if you have any questions or concerns.

A brown-and-white puppy wearing a collar sits on a rug while looking up at the photographer.

Frequently asked questions about feeding puppies

Can I cook at home for my puppy?

Practically speaking, it’s very difficult to give a puppy the nutrition they need by cooking for them at home.

“People who want to cook want the best for their pets,” Dr. Churchill said, “and if you want the best, then you want [food] to be complete and balanced.”

Cooking complete and balanced food for your dog “requires precision,” she continued. Dogs don’t only have specific nutrient needs, but also require exact ratios of vitamins and minerals. If those ratios are imbalanced, that impacts how they absorb and process their food. 

Puppies in particular can’t afford an imbalanced diet during this critical growth period. “That’s when they’re more vulnerable to deficiencies or excesses, especially large-breed puppies,” Dr. Churchill said.

Large-breed puppies “need controlled, even growth to help keep their bones and joints healthy,” Dr. Streeter said. This controlled growth can help head off conditions like hip dysplasia later on. 

If you do choose to cook for your dog at home, be sure to work closely with a veterinary nutritionist or use The Farmer’s Dog Do-It-Yourself Nutrient Mix in combination with a recipe specifically formulated for puppies. Follow this recipe exactly—precision is key for your pup’s safety here. 

Is my puppy overweight?

When we think of puppies, many of us picture roly-poly bundles of joy. And puppies’ baby softness is a part of their charm. 

But managing your dog’s weight and body condition is critical, and the responsibility starts in puppyhood. The reason puppies have that adorably rotund belly without a defined waist is because “they have not developed abdominal tone,” Dr. Churchill said. 

A puppy’s body weight often doubles by 8 to 10 days after birth. You’ll be taking your puppy to the vet every three to four weeks until they’re fully vaccinated, which usually happens at around 4 months of age, so you can keep track of their weight at these visits. You may also want to track their weight at home using a baby scale.

Obesity is a huge health threat to dogs of every age, and is linked with a long list of diseases. Starting your puppy off right by establishing exactly how much they should be eating every day, and maintaining a lean body condition, are among the most important things you’ll do for the health of your dog.

Follow a feeding plan that’s right for your puppy based on their breed, adult size, body condition, and optimal weight and growth rate. Pre-portioned recipes from The Farmer’s Dog eliminate guesswork and make it easy to feed your puppy exactly the right amount. As your puppy quickly grows, you can easily update their portions through your account online or with our Customer Care team, available 24/7.

Do I need to track my puppy’s body condition?

The same kind of look-and-touch tests used to track adult dogs’ body condition can be used on puppies starting at 4 months.

Before 4 months, your puppy may not have a defined waist, and may have a rounder belly. This is healthy. A puppy’s body weight often doubles by eight to 10 days after birth.

Keep an eye on your dog’s weight. Check in with your veterinarian to assess their body condition and determine any necessary adjustments to feeding amount and schedule. Consult a body condition score chart to determine if you’re on the right track.

How should I feed my large-breed puppy?

While the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) defines a large breed as any dog that weighs over 70 pounds when fully grown, generally, a puppy can be considered a large breed if they’ll be between 55 and 100 pounds when fully grown—think Labs, German shepherds, rottweilers, and Bernese mountain dogs. Dogs like Great Danes, who will weigh over 100 pounds when grown, are giant breeds.

A healthy growth rate is crucial for large breeds so their bones and muscles develop together; as such, feeding them appropriately is a must. Excess calories can interfere with healthy growth, and vets recommend keeping them on the leaner side—about a 4 on the 9-point body condition score—to minimize risk of unnecessary strain on joints.

Larger breeds typically take longer to grow than smaller ones. Medium-to-large dogs can take about a year to a year-and-a-half to reach adulthood, while giant breeds may grow until they’re two years old. 

How should I feed my small-breed puppy?

Small breed dogs are those who will be 30 pounds and under when full grown; tiny breeds are those who will remain 10 pounds and under when full grown. These dogs reach maturity faster, between about 9 and 12 months. 

Small dogs have a faster metabolism than large dogs, which means they may do better with smaller, more frequent meals.

Again, from about 6 weeks to 6 months, it’s recommended that puppies be fed three to four times per day, and toy breeds even more often. From then on, you can switch them to a twice-daily feeding schedule. If they’re active, or are always clamoring for food between meals, you can consider switching back to feeding their allotted food in three or four smaller daily meals.

How many treats should I feed my puppy?

Be careful with treats—in puppyhood and beyond. Treats and other extras should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake. This means that a small dog weighing seven pounds and requiring 250 calories a day should only get 25 of those calories from treats.

Excess treats can also mess with a dog’s complete and balanced diet. “When puppies are growing and they have the opportunity to have complete and balanced nutrition, [clients] are always adding toppers or treats,” Dr. Churchill said. Treat calories can add up quickly, so setting aside some of your dog’s pre-portioned, complete and balanced food for training purposes can also be a useful way to help keep them in ideal body condition.

The post The Week-by-Week Guide to Feeding Your Puppy appeared first on The Farmer’s Dog - Digest.


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