Feeding dog

[Jlarrick]

Wanted any input on how I should feed my pup. I have had people tell me 2 to 4 cups a day and others say just leave the bowl full and let the pup eat whenever and however much she wants. I will be picking her up at 10 weeks old in about 2 weeks. Any input is appreciated thanks.

[BtheBrit]

I feel it's important to get the dog in a routine from the start so I feed my Britt once in the morning and once in the evening, about a cup and a half each time. I feed her Purina Pro Plan.

What Kind of dog are you getting?

Jason

[ezzy333]

In practically all cases self feeding will work but hand feeding is much better as it allows you to keep tract of when and how much they are eating and it puts you in control instead of the pup. Feeding time is a great time to start teaching the pup things it needs to know if it is to become part of your family. The pup is the only one that can tell you how much to feed and it is your job to watch and listen. You can easily tell if the pup is getting the right amount by how hungry it is when you feed, how long does it take it to clean the feed up, and is the pup growing and staying in good condition without getting fat or too thin. It really isn't as hard as it sounds. My only warning is to make a decision on what to feed and then stick to it even though you will get all kinds of advice from many different people and each will have a different opinion. Just a very reasonable procedure is to feed what the breeder feeds or if you want or need to change find a food that will probably have a meat product listed as the first ingredient and is somewhere in the neighborhood of a 30/20 protein/fat ratio, a feed that is readily available and is one you can afford and you should be on your way to success.

[Jlarrick]

I'm getting a German Shorthaired Pointer was also just gonna use the same food that our dog we have had for 5 years eats Acana lamb (pink bag).

[setterpoint]

yea twice a day is a good habit for pup i dont like leting them eat whenever they want i think its better to have a good feeding habit

[Spy Car]

In practically all cases self feeding will work but hand feeding is much better as it allows you to keep tract of when and how much they are eating and it puts you in control instead of the pup. Feeding time is a great time to start teaching the pup things it needs to know if it is to become part of your family. The pup is the only one that can tell you how much to feed and it is your job to watch and listen. You can easily tell if the pup is getting the right amount by how hungry it is when you feed, how long does it take it to clean the feed up, and is the pup growing and staying in good condition without getting fat or too thin. It really isn't as hard as it sounds. My only warning is to make a decision on what to feed and then stick to it even though you will get all kinds of advice from many different people and each will have a different opinion. Just a very reasonable procedure is to feed what the breeder feeds or if you want or need to change find a food that will probably have a meat product listed as the first ingredient and is somewhere in the neighborhood of a 30/20 protein/fat ratio, a feed that is readily available and is one you can afford and you should be on your way to success.

Rarely (never?) have Ezzy and I agreed on a dog food topic, but I think there is a lot of wisdom in this idea of hand-feeding. Deepening bonds between a puppy and master are key to developing a pup's natural cooperative instincts. Hand-feeding makes them see good things come from YOU.

Feeding is also a great time to introduce Whoa! and Wait.

I'd transition to at least a 30/20 kibble (if one is going to feed kibble) no matter what a breeder may have used. Not reason to stick with a sub-standard food IMO.

I'd feed more than twice a day at 10 weeks. At that age more frequent small meals are easier on a pup's system.

Bill

[Jlarrick]

I think I could do it 3 times a day once in the morning before I leave for work and then again when I get home from work and then later that night. How long should I keep that routine up and how much should give at each feeding? She will be 10 weeks old when I get her.

[kninebirddog]

We feed my pups once a day I find when we feed then more then that they begin to have poop issues since the hard kibble doesn't digest as fast as your plain feeds like Mothers Milk Rice or "Unprocessed" foods will
we feed 1/2 to 1 cup depending on the age and size of the pup ...Plus it is very important you do not fatten the pup up this is not good for the joints of the growing pup

We feed a adult performance 30/20 ..namely Pro plan performance There are some other foods on the market but some are way over priced we have even started adding unrefined coconut oil to our dogs feed it sure helps with many things which you can research but it does wonders for them and you also.

if you want to feed more then once a day Make one feeding yogurt Unsalted peas and or green beans and maybe a couple orange slices the the other feeding the kibbles this way you are not keeping their stomachs full of slowly digesting kibbles

[ezzy333]

We feed my pups once a day I find when we feed then more then that they begin to have poop issues since the hard kibble doesn't digest as fast as your plain feeds like Mothers Milk Rice or "Unprocessed" foods will
we feed 1/2 to 1 cup depending on the age and size of the pup ...Plus it is very important you do not fatten the pup up this is not good for the joints of the growing pup

We feed a adult performance 30/20 ..namely Pro plan performance There are some other foods on the market but some are way over priced we have even started adding unrefined coconut oil to our dogs feed it sure helps with many things which you can research but it does wonders for them and you also.

if you want to feed more then once a day Make one feeding yogurt Unsalted peas and or green beans and maybe a couple orange slices the the other feeding the kibbles this way you are not keeping their stomachs full of slowly digesting kibbles

We have always fed twice per day from the time they are three weeks but we keep a dry adult feed in front of them to chew on till they actually start consuming it and at that time they are switched to the dry kibble. It is important to keep them lean and healthy and over feeding is always a problem. Dogs are built to eat less often than people and we need to respect that either by only feeding not oftener than twice a day or for those that like to self feed to only feed something they have to work at and not make it something too palatable or too rich for the puppy. The thing to remember is over feeding is much worse than underfeeding while young and growing. Pups like people need to eat when they are hungry and not just because it is feeding time.

Ezzy

[kninebirddog]

We feed my pups once a day I find when we feed then more then that they begin to have poop issues since the hard kibble doesn't digest as fast as your plain feeds like Mothers Milk Rice or "Unprocessed" foods will
we feed 1/2 to 1 cup depending on the age and size of the pup ...Plus it is very important you do not fatten the pup up this is not good for the joints of the growing pup

We feed a adult performance 30/20 ..namely Pro plan performance There are some other foods on the market but some are way over priced we have even started adding unrefined coconut oil to our dogs feed it sure helps with many things which you can research but it does wonders for them and you also.

if you want to feed more then once a day Make one feeding yogurt Unsalted peas and or green beans and maybe a couple orange slices the the other feeding the kibbles this way you are not keeping their stomachs full of slowly digesting kibbles

We have always fed twice per day from the time they are three weeks but we keep a dry adult feed in front of them to chew on till they actually start consuming it and at that time they are switched to the dry kibble. It is important to keep them lean and healthy and over feeding is always a problem. Dogs are built to eat less often than people and we need to respect that either by only feeding not oftener than twice a day or for those that like to self feed to only feed something they have to work at and not make it something too palatable or too rich for the puppy. The thing to remember is over feeding is much worse than underfeeding while young and growing. Pups like people need to eat when they are hungry and not just because it is feeding time.

Ezzy

My vet is very pleased with the condition of my pups and dogs
You feed your puppies your way and I will continue with my program.. Thank you

[ezzy333]

We feed my pups once a day I find when we feed then more then that they begin to have poop issues since the hard kibble doesn't digest as fast as your plain feeds like Mothers Milk Rice or "Unprocessed" foods will
we feed 1/2 to 1 cup depending on the age and size of the pup ...Plus it is very important you do not fatten the pup up this is not good for the joints of the growing pup

We feed a adult performance 30/20 ..namely Pro plan performance There are some other foods on the market but some are way over priced we have even started adding unrefined coconut oil to our dogs feed it sure helps with many things which you can research but it does wonders for them and you also.

if you want to feed more then once a day Make one feeding yogurt Unsalted peas and or green beans and maybe a couple orange slices the the other feeding the kibbles this way you are not keeping their stomachs full of slowly digesting kibbles

We have always fed twice per day from the time they are three weeks but we keep a dry adult feed in front of them to chew on till they actually start consuming it and at that time they are switched to the dry kibble. It is important to keep them lean and healthy and over feeding is always a problem. Dogs are built to eat less often than people and we need to respect that either by only feeding not oftener than twice a day or for those that like to self feed to only feed something they have to work at and not make it something too palatable or too rich for the puppy. The thing to remember is over feeding is much worse than underfeeding while young and growing. Pups like people need to eat when they are hungry and not just because it is feeding time.

Ezzy

My vet is very pleased with the condition of my pups and dogs
You feed your puppies your way and I will continue with my program.. Thank you

Sounds good to me. I think we both said the same thing except for the once a day feeding compared to the twice a day and even then I said not oftener than twice which I think covers once a day as well as twice a day. Funny when two of us relate how we feed and both make a point of keeping the pups lean and healthy it is good for one of us and bad for the other. Seems maybe someone just wants to argue but it is hard when we have nothing to argue about. If whatever you are doing works then don't change. I know I don't plan on changing and I sure didn't indicate in any way that you should.

Ezzy