Feeding your puppy well
To feed your puppy well, three markers are all you need at the start: growth-formula kibble, three meals a day (four if he's very small), and a portion you weigh rather than guess. Keep him on the breeder's food for the first few weeks, give him water freely, and aim for a lean puppy rather than a pudgy one.
Why what's in the bowl carries so much weight
A puppy isn't a small adult dog: he's a body under construction, with slim reserves and little margin. His skeleton is a work in progress, cartilage and joints still soft. Overfeeding him speeds up growth and lays down fat, two recognised drivers of developmental bone-and-joint disorders, especially in large breeds (WSAVA Global Nutrition consensus). Conversely, a lean puppy who grows steadily starts life on the right footing: in a lifelong study of 48 Labradors, those kept lean gained something like two extra years in good health (Kealy et al. 2002).
The meal rhythm, month by month
A puppy's digestive system is immature: you split meals up at first, then space them out as he grows.
Des apports réguliers, calés sur un petit estomac.
- Three meals a day at the very least, four if the puppy is very small or fragile
- A rough guide of about 30 g per kilo of body weight up to 5-6 months, to confirm with your vet
- Never a long stretch without food: in a very small breed, skipping a meal can send blood sugar crashing
Move on when: Le chiot mange ses repas avec appétit et grandit régulièrement.
Recaler la quantité sur un chiot qui change vite.
- You can move to two meals a day once he's grown well
- Keep weighing the portion and adjusting to his shape, not to the bag
- Deduct training treats from the day's portion
Une transition douce, sans à-coup digestif.
- Switch to an adult food suited to his size, with a gradual transition
- Keep two meals a day: a smaller bowl is gentler on the stomach
- Repeat the rib-and-waist check every fortnight
Choosing and changing kibble without upsetting his digestion
The safest route: keep what the puppy was eating at the breeder's, and only change in stages.
Keep the breeder's food at first
Moving home is already a big upheaval. Sticking with the same kibble for a good fortnight avoids piling digestive trouble on top.
If you have to change, do it gradually
Mix a growing share of the new kibble into the old over several days. An abrupt switch can bring three or four days of soft stools: make sure he drinks plenty if so.
Aim for quality, not marketing
'Grain-free' is no guarantee of quality: the problem isn't the grain but too many carbohydrates. Look at the share of animal protein and the carbohydrate level rather than the promises on the bag.
Put the bowl away after the meal
No free-access food: you put it down, let him eat, then take it away. Varying where it goes keeps him a little occupied and stops him begging non-stop.
Alongside his kibble, extras stay a small part of the day, always plain: no salt, no sauce, no bones or fruit stones.
Fine to share (plain, in suitably sized pieces)
In moderation
Never, not even a crumb
If he swallows something dubious, don't wait for symptoms to appear and never make him vomit yourself: call the vet or a poison control centre.
The food bowl, a first training ground
Mealtime is a moment of connection, not a power struggle. Stay beside your puppy while he eats, without disturbing him: he needs a reassuring presence in unfamiliar surroundings, and it's nothing to do with dominance. Every now and then, walk past him and drop a piece of chicken next to the bowl, without touching it: you're teaching him that your approaching hand means a bonus, never a loss. That's exactly what prevents resource guarding.
The bowl is also the best tool for teaching 'stay': nothing motivates him like his dinner. Wait until the end of the first week, mark the right moment with a short word ('yes!'), then put the bowl down.
In a puppy, the alarm threshold is lower than in an adult: his reserves are slim.
Keep an eye on it
- He turns down a meal on his very first day at home: stress kills the appetite
- Slightly soft stools after a change of kibble
Call the vet
- A refusal to eat that drags on: this isn't a 'rest' to let ride
- Diarrhoea or vomiting that lasts: a puppy dehydrates fast
- Weight loss even though he's eating normally
Emergency, right now
- A tiny (toy) puppy who's weak, trembling, staggering or seems 'drunk': possible blood-sugar crash
- Watery, bloody diarrhoea in an unvaccinated puppy
- A swollen, tight belly with unproductive attempts to vomit
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee — Global Nutrition Guidelines and Body Condition Score
- Kealy et al. — Calorie restriction and canine longevity (Labrador cohort, Purina study) (2002)
- Canine Life Stage Guidelines (puppy life stages), AAHA
- Foods toxic to dogs, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
To go further
Frequently asked questions
How much kibble a day for a puppy?
There's no universal figure: it all depends on the calorie density of his kibble, which can vary twofold from one brand to the next. A rough guide is about 30 g per kilo of body weight up to 5-6 months, to confirm with your vet. Best of all: take the chart on the bag as a starting point, weigh the portion, and fine-tune it to the puppy's shape.
How many meals a day for a puppy?
Three meals a day at the very least, and up to four if he's very small or fragile: his stomach can't take large portions. You can move to two meals once he's grown well, around 5-6 months. In very small breeds, above all avoid long stretches without food.
At what age can a dog eat adult kibble?
When growth ends: often around the end of the first year in small breeds, later in large breeds whose growth stretches out (sometimes to 18-24 months). The switch is made with a gradual transition over several days. Ask your vet for the right moment; they'll base it on the adult size expected.
Can you give puppy kibble to an adult dog?
Better avoided day to day: 'growth' kibble is richer and more calorie-dense, designed for a body still building itself. In an adult, it encourages weight gain. A stolen mouthful is no disaster, but as everyday food, stick to one suited to his age.
My puppy won't eat, what should I do?
On the very first day, it's usually the stress of a new home: that's normal. Keep the breeder's food, and you can warm the kibble with a splash of hot water (the smell comes through and tempts him). A refusal that drags on, though, or a weak, trembling puppy, warrants a call to the vet: you never fast a young puppy.
How do I change my puppy's kibble?
Always in stages, over several days: you replace a growing share of the old kibble with the new, until the switch is complete. An abrupt change can bring three or four days of soft stools; make sure he drinks plenty if so. If you're switching for better quality, don't trust 'grain-free' but look at the share of animal protein and the carbohydrate level.
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