How Often To Feed A Puppy? Establishing A Puppy Feeding Schedule

Wondering how to create a healthy diet and feeding schedule for your puppy? While all breeds are different and there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer, here are some general guidelines to give you more confidence when you welcome your new puppy home. Read on to learn what food is best, how often to feed a puppy during the day, how much to feed them and when puppies should transition to adult food.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Puppies need 4-5 small meals a day after weaning at 8 weeks, gradually reducing to 2 to 3 meals by 5-6 months.
• Always opt for food specially formulated for puppies, not adult dogs, to support their immature digestive systems and rapid development.
• Dry food offers more calories and dental benefits, while wet food provides more protein and hydration; combining both is a great option.
• Whether switching from mother's milk to solid food or from puppy food to adult food, always transition gradually over a week to protect your puppy's digestive system.

What Should You Feed A Puppy?

A puppy should be fed good-quality puppy food that is specially balanced to meet all your puppy's energy, protein and mineral needs. Make sure you choose a food that's designed to suit puppies with immature stomachs, rather than adult or senior dogs, as it will be easier for them to digest. And, of course, it must be tasty enough to enjoy!

Puppy Nutrition

Your puppy requires a balanced diet that delivers extra nutrition for its development. Growth is most rapid during the puppy's first 6 months and nutrition aids the development of teeth, bones, muscles, coat, and vision. For this they need protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, and more.

As puppy immune systems are immature, you can protect them with antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin E, zinc and selenium. All these elements should be contained within good-quality puppy food such as PEDIGREE® Puppy Food.

Dry Or Wet Puppy Food: Which Is Better?

Dry food has a lot of nutrition in a smaller volume while wet food delivers tasty eating satisfaction for hungry puppies. Both are great options in their own way. When working out how often to feed your puppy, you can divide their daily feeds into wet puppy food and dry puppy food meals or combine both wet and dry food in one meal.

Although both are 'complete' foods (meaning they have everything for healthy development), dry puppy food provides more energy and a 'crunch' for cleaner teeth, while wet puppy food has high-quality protein for tissue growth and moisture for hydration. Ask your vet for their advice on how to choose the best combination of wet and dry food for your puppy.

How Much And How Often Do You Feed A Puppy?

How many times a day you should feed a puppy depends on their age and breed. On average though, a puppy should be fed 4-5 meals a day after they have weaned at 8 weeks, and then 2-3 meals a day until they are 5-6 months old. Feeding little and often fuels rapid growth without overloading little tummies.

What Are The Best Times To Feed A Puppy?

The best times to feed a puppy are at regular intervals throughout the day, as a routine helps your puppy to produce digestive juices in readiness for their meal. A schedule for how often you feed a puppy also means they will be hungry at mealtimes while not overloading their tummies. See the section below for a recommended feeding schedule for your pup.

1 To 3 Month Old Puppy Food: Feeding Schedule For New Puppy Owners

Puppies in their first month are usually still nursing from their mother. Weaning onto solid puppy food typically begins around 3-4 weeks of age. By 8 weeks, most puppies are fully weaned and ready to come home, at which point they should be moved onto a good-quality puppy food designed for their immature digestive systems.

Between 1 and 3 months old, puppies need frequent, small meals, usually 4-5 times a day, to support their rapid growth without overloading their tummies. Always follow the feeding guidelines on the puppy food pack for the correct quantity, and consult your vet if you're ever unsure.

Full Puppy Feeding Schedule

Can I Give My Dog Puppy Treats?

Yes, you can. No matter how many times you feed your puppy a day, there's nothing like treating your pup and training them to receive a treat with good grace. It's best to stick to easily digestible and low-fat puppy treats which shouldn't add up to more than 10% of their daily calories, and you should lower the amount of main meal they receive to account for this.

Avoid table scraps, as these add unnecessary calories and some human food is harmful to them.

When To Stop Feeding Puppy Food?

As well as cutting down how often you feed your puppy as they reach around 90% of their full adult weight, you'll need to prepare for transitioning from puppy food to adult food. The time to do this will vary by breed so it can be as early as 9 months for little dogs or up to 2 years for larger ones.

The key is to transition from one food to another over a week or so, mixing the two together to ease the effect on your dog's digestive system.