Feeding your new arrival
A balanced nutritional diet is important for all dogs regardless of age, but is never more important than when they are puppies. In just 12 months they will transform from tiny little bundles of canine fluff into fully-grown adult dogs (although some larger breeds can take longer).
All that growing requires a careful balance of nutrients, vitamins and energy, especially given that most puppies are curious, playful and naturally energetic as well. In fact a healthy puppy bursting with life can burn through twice as many calories as an adult dog.
The first steps
There is no better food for a newborn puppy than his mother's milk. It will contain all the nutrients he needs to start building healthy bones, muscles and organs as well as help build up his immune system early on.
Once a puppy is about 4 weeks old he may well start to become interested in solid food. He won't need weaning until about 6-8 weeks old, but there's no harm in offering him small amounts of mashed up (wet) or soggy (dry) puppy formula earlier than that to get him used to it. Don't use an adult food, it fulfils very different nutritional needs, and don't switch to a 100% solid diet too early, as it can harm his developing insides.
If you get your puppy from a breeder, he'll already be on solid foods. Keep feeding him the same brand the breeder did at first: he'll be nervous and upset enough by the sudden change of home and leaving his family behind without having to cope with the trauma of completely different food. If you want to switch over to a new food once he's settled in, do it very gradually, mixing the new food with the old over the course of a week or two.
Little and often
Young puppies have eyes much bigger than their stomachs, so your feeding plan early on should be ‘little and often'. Feed him 4 times a day for the first month or two after weaning and 3 times a day once he's about 4 months of age. Once he's past 6 months, you should be feeding him twice a day like an adult dog.
Keep feeding him specially formulated puppy food for at least the first year, and try to avoid getting into the habit of feeding him tidbits and table scraps (especially chocolate, which is highly toxic to dogs). Feel free to use specially made puppy treats in moderation, though, as these can be particularly useful as training aids.
Wet or Dry?
Both kinds of food, wet and dry, are available in puppy formula, and the choice of which to feed him is largely up to you.
Wet food is often more appealing to dogs because of its aroma, and should always be served at room temperature to make the most of that. Take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before feeding time or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds (but be careful not to start cooking it).
Dry food provides a satisfying crunch and helps to keep teeth clean. If you feed your puppy on dry food, make sure to moisten it for the first month or so until his teeth become stronger.
Fresh water should always be available regardless of your choice of food, but water consumption will be higher if you're feeding him wet food.
A quiet meal
Dogs are competitive about their food, so its important your puppy feels safe in his dining location. Don't let any other pets bully him out of his meal and try to leave him in peace while he's eating.
The switch to adult food
Once he's a year old, your puppy will be ready to make the transition to adult food. The majority of his physical development will be behind him, and although he'll fill out a bit more over the next year, he won't have the growth spurts and rapid physical development of a puppy anymore.
Make the switch to adult food a gradual one. Over the course of a week or two, start mixing adult food in with the puppy food he's used to in ever increasing proportions. This gradual change will not only give his tummy time to get used to the change in diet, but also give him time to get used to his new food without complaint. Not that dogs are fussy eaters (as you'll have found out by this time!) but their digestion can be more delicate than their appetite.
