The food you use to feed your puppy during the first year is critical to their adult development, health and growth. We recommend feeding a good quality dry puppy food until your puppy reaches 12 months old when you should gradually swap onto an adult dry food.
Dry food is made up of small pieces called kibbles. It's very convenient to serve and keeps well. It's also cost-effective, as you can buy it in large bags. As long as the food you choose is "complete", it will contain everything your puppy needs for optimum growth and development. There is no need to supplement with any other food.
It is impossible to know exactly how much food your puppy needs to eat per day as it depends on many factors including size, breed & activity level.
Begin with three to four meals a day at set times. Follow the manufacturers guidelines as a rough idea of total quantity to be fed. Food should be left for about 15 minutes, then whatever has not been eaten should be removed. Bring your puppy to the clinic regularly to be weighed to ensure he is growing properly & not becoming over weight.
Many people like to feed their dogs on table scraps. This is OK in moderation but ‘human food’ should not make up more than 10% of your dog's daily food intake.
It is important to remember that some foods can be quite harmful. If you choose to occasionally offer your pet a taste of what you're eating, it is important to avoid the following foods:
We do not recommend feeding bones of any sort, either cooked or raw as they can splinter and stick in the throat or intestine and could also damage teeth and may cause constipation. You can read more on this here.
