Puppy Feeding Schedule!

J

julieb

Forums Novice
Hi all!

I adopted my 2nd Sheltie last Saturday :) :) My current 2.5 yr old Sheltie has always ate at his own pace and is a healthy 23lbs.

But my new puppy loves to eat so that leaves me with the problem of not knowing how much food to feed him.

He is 13 weeks old and breeder says he will be a little smaller than my 2.5yr old. I'm transitioning him from his puppy food to Purina ONE SMARTBLEND Small Bites Beef & Rice Formula Dog Food like my older Sheltie eats.

How much should I feed my new puppy and how long should I find him that amount (until he is 6 months?)?

My older Sheltie is actually starting to eat a lot more now that the puppy has joined our family, I'm assuming he is doing this to protect his food from the puppy... So to start regulating how much my 2.5 yr old Sheltie eats- how much should I feed him just in case he gets overweight?


Thanks!
 
First, I would recommend keeping your 13 week old on puppy food until he is closer to a year old. Some people transition shelties as early as 6 months old, but I haven't heard of anyone transitioning their sheltie puppy to adult food earlier than that. I personally like to wait until my shelties are at least 10 months old.

Puppy food has more nutrients and is higher in fat, protein and calories to support the growth of a healthy puppy. There are some dog foods that are labeled "all ages (or stages)", so it is okay for a puppy, but most foods are either labeled either puppy or adult.

How big is your puppy (height & weight) and how much are you currently feeding him? It'll probably take some trial and error to figure out how much he needs to eat. I suggest feeding him whatever amount he is currently eating. If you are unsure, ask the rescue. If you are still confused, start with whatever the bag recommends for his age and weight. If he starts putting on too many pounds and/or has loose stools, cut back. My sheltie always ate less than what the bag suggested. As a puppy she ate about a cup a day. As an adult, she eats 1/2 a cup a day, split into two meals, so 1/4 2x a day.
 
I don't free feed. We have 3 meals rather than 2 because my shepherd is at such risk for bloat. The 3 smaller meals a day work nicely, though I seem to always be feeding -- but I work from home so that is OK.

I have found that bag directions are a lot more than what should be fed. Try about 3/4 of what the bag recommends. If you feel the ribs but not excessivey so, you are right for that dog. If you can't really feel the ribs, try a it less.

I wouldn't worry too much about the puppy, within reason, because they need a lot t grow ad develop and burn a lot with the zoomies. I would stick with puppy food for longer though -- maybe more towards a year, unless it is an all-stages kind of food.
 
With two dogs, I don't recommend free feed

Quantity of food depends on what you are feeding. Just note that the lower the quality of food, most probably the more food you will have to feel, because it generally less efficient and just flow through, making the dogs hungry all the time.

I like grain free diets and work great for 90% of dogs (one of mine cannot tolerate it, though - so there are other great holtistic choices as well) There are lots of brands out there

Check out www.dogfoodadvisor.com as a starting point.
 
When I was feeding multiple dogs, I would place food down in bowls, and immediately pick up when they were done. But there was inhalation going on, no leisurely meals.

If your older dogs wants to eat slower, I'd separate somehow, even feeding one or both in a crate.

I would not switch a puppy to adult food any time soon. I've been told 6 months before, and I don't know yet when I'll switch my newest, but certainly not before 6 months.
 
I always started with what the bag says and adjusted as needed. at 9 months my boys are still on puppy food, and get 1/2 cup twice daily.
 
2 Dogs Feeding Schedule/Amounts

The Purina ONE SMARTBLEND Small Bites Beef & Rice Formula Dog Food I let my 2.5yr old dog eat says it is for all ages. I even checked on the purinaone.com site to make sure:

http://www.purinaone.com/products/puppy-food

Do you all suggest I don't feed my puppy this? The food my breeder supplied me will be out in 2 days which is why I was transitioning and figured it would be fine since it says it is for all ages.

The bag says 1/3 to 1 cup for weight 3lbs-12lbs but that is a huge difference.

My puppy was weighed 1.5 weeks ago at 4lbs but I assume he is around 5lbs now.

Do you all think I should feed the puppy 1/2 a cup? And is that for each feeding for the entire day?

I've been feeding the puppy in his playpen and letting my older dog's food sit out when the puppy is in his crate or playpen. Seems to work fine since again my older dog likes to eat a lot slower and just take his time.
 
Your puppy, your food. You can choose whatever you like for your puppy, but I wouldn't recommend Purina anything. You can read the official review of the food you have chosen here, http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/purina-one-smartblend/

I would search through the foods under the higher ratings and select one there. Puppy food has a lot to do with their health and development, and is an important factor in their overall condition. Just be careful :)

I feed my sheltie who is about to hit the one year mark Merrick Grain Free, but I had him on Simply Nourish Source Puppy until he was 8 months. Merrick is better, but both are high quality foods. Those are just a couple of examples, there are plenty of good foods on the market.
 
julieb said:
The Purina ONE SMARTBLEND Small Bites Beef & Rice Formula Dog Food I let my 2.5yr old dog eat says it is for all ages. I even checked on the purinaone.com site to make sure:

http://www.purinaone.com/products/puppy-food

Do you all suggest I don't feed my puppy this? The food my breeder supplied me will be out in 2 days which is why I was transitioning and figured it would be fine since it says it is for all ages.

The bag says 1/3 to 1 cup for weight 3lbs-12lbs but that is a huge difference.

My puppy was weighed 1.5 weeks ago at 4lbs but I assume he is around 5lbs now.

Do you all think I should feed the puppy 1/2 a cup? And is that for each feeding for the entire day?

I've been feeding the puppy in his playpen and letting my older dog's food sit out when the puppy is in his crate or playpen. Seems to work fine since again my older dog likes to eat a lot slower and just take his time.
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I don't know the food so I won't chime in on that. But I do recommend puppy food until they're at least 6 months, a year is better. You need to transition the puppy slowly regardless if you change food. My friend's dog got really sick when he was transitioned too fast...

Depending on how big your dog is, I would say a 1/2 cup per meal (if you're doing 2 meals) would be the best place to start. It all depends on your dog. If you can feel your dogs ribs but they're not boney and sticking out, you're feeding a good amount. If you can't feel the ribs, cut back.

Your best bet would be to take the little pup to the vets and get a physical (and shots if needed at this time) and ask the vet what they recommend. When I took Ruu for his first appointment they told me to up his food to 3/4ths instead of 2/3rds (twice a day) because he needed to gain more. He now eats a cup twice a day, but he's a big boy with his height being just over 18" and weighing 31 pounds. My female is 15 1/2 inches and eats 1/3rd twice a day. So it truly depends based off the dog.
 
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