How to feed your puppy

Bringing a puppy home for the first time feels exciting but also a bit scary, as you have a whole lot to figure out. Today, let's focus on feeding your puppy to help them grow into a healthy dog. 

Preparing for the separation

A puppy should not be separated from its mother before 6/8 weeks of birth. Mother’s milk is essential to provide the pup with key nutrients and antibodies. Plus, an early separation can lead to behavioural issues in the future. 

Ideally, solid food should be introduced between 2 and 4 weeks (3/4 food and 1/4 water to make it easier to digest). Puppies getting used to solid foods whilst still getting their mother's milk will adjust much better after the separation. 

How to feed your puppy

Many experts recommend feeding by hand. This allows your pup to recognise you as the "carer" and build trust. Hand feeding also gives you the opportunity to bond with your pup and develop a solid relationship.

Finally, it's been suggested that hand feeding would limit the risk for dogs to become aggressive later on. 

When should you feed your puppy

Make sure to feed your puppy following a set schedule and with similar feeding period, for instance 20 minutes. Pups usually tend to relieve themselves 20 to 30 minutes after eating, therefore a fixed schedule helps you know when it's time to take them outside. 

Although you may think that you should put food in a bow and refill it as soon as it's empty, free feeding isn't doing your pup any favour as it could lead to obesity issues. 

3 to 4 meals a day are recommended for pups until around 8-12 weeks, then they'll only need 2 meals. 

Place the food in the bowl at the same times every day and remove it after 20 minutes. This approach helps you make your pup more disciplined and you keep better track of how much they eat. 

How much should your pup eat

It really depends on their age and breed. A vet can help you determine the right quantities for your puppy. However you should monitor their weight and adapt the initial guidelines depending on how your pup is growing.

Which foods?

We can only recommend choosing foods that have been carefully designed to fulfil your puppy's needs. It's with your puppy's health in mind that we have developed our own premium food range that has the perfect balance of nutrients and is made with natural ingredients. 

MyPetSays puppy foods come in a variety of flavours and ranges from grain free, super premium and natural. 

For more advice on how to take care of your puppy, here are our puppy essentials. You can also read all about caring for your pug puppy.