All about my new puppy and feeding?

1092 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Adara, Oct 24, 2011

Brandy&Melanie

Discussion Starter · Oct 22, 2011

Hey there! My new puppy comes to me in about two and a half months, and I want everything to be perfect for her! I have read many books, and some have said that to feed her at first, put the food in stuffed Kong toys, so she has to work her way to get the food. They also said to hand feed her instead of use a bowl by giving her little handfuls of kibble many times a day. Then I read other books that said to use a bowl and feed her twice a day. When and how much a day do you feed your little puppy? (She was born last Friday making her eight days old and we would get her a bit after her ear surgery)

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LindaH

· #2 · Oct 22, 2011

Puppies between 8 wks and 4 months usually need to be fed 3 times a day. Most people use a stainless steel bown for food and water. Wash the bowl after feeding. Puppies often loose their concentration at mealtime and don't finish the meal, so I wouldn't do anything that made it time consuming to eat. I sure wouldn't hand feed a few kibbles at a time.

Around 4 to 5 months of age most pups need to be switched to feeding, the same amount of food, two meals a day.

I don't remember how much I fed per meal, but I think it was less than a cup, maybe 3/4 of a cup. Some more will come on and answer that, I am sure.

Try getting this book for training her:Amazon.com: The Power of Positive Dog Training (9780470241844): Pat Miller: Books and Amazon.com: The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs (9780345446787): Patricia B. McConnell: Books

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MeadowCat

· #3 · Oct 23, 2011

You can do both. Many dogs find it very enjoyable to "work" for their food using food dispensing treats, including things like the Kong, Kong Wobbler, Tug-a-Jug, etc. There are a ton of food dispensing toys out there. You also want your pup to get used to eating out of a bowl, of course. I see no need for only hand feeding. That's likely born out of the "dominance theory" of dog behavior, which is very outdated.

I second Linda's book recommendations (plus a few others I posted on your other thread).

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dobebug

· #4 · Oct 23, 2011

I have a hard time with the recommendations that you make a puppy "work" for their food. Personally I believe in giving a dog, no matter what age, their food and letting them eat it without having to "work" for it. I want my puppies to learn to eat up their meals promptly when fed and I don't think you will accomplish that by feeding them out of stuffed Kongs or heavens forbid by hand a few kibbles at a time. That hand feeding routine is a great way to make a fussy eater.

Unless there is an issue with food aggression that is one route I'd never take.

I also tend to feed puppies in crates so that they don't forget what they are doing and wander off when they are supposed to be eating. If they don't finish meals within 10-15 minutes I pick up the food and offer no more (nor any treats) until the next scheduled meal.

I feed puppies between 8 weeks and about 16 weeks three times a day. All the dogs eat at 5:30 am, a young puppy would also get a meal at around noon and the third meal with the other dogs at about 6:00 pm.

My puppies all start to leave parts of the third meal (usually the noon meal) by the time they are approaching 4 months--when they start doing that they go to 2 meals a day. I've always thought this happens because there isn't enough of a time span for them to get hungry between the early meal and lunch and then again by the time the evening meal time rolls around. When I switch to two meals I also divide what ever the total amount of food they have been getting in three meals into two and feed that amount per meal.

I agree with MeadowCat that some dogs do like to work at getting food out of dispensing toys--for those dogs I have reserved a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of their kibble and load a toy AFTER they have eaten their breakfast or dinner. I don't do it as a substitute for their regular meal in a bowl.

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Brandy&Melanie

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 23, 2011

Awesome! Yes, I was a little suspicious of the "only working to get food". Thanks a lot you guys! And I will add to my book collection!

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MeadowCat

· #6 · Oct 24, 2011

I wanted to clarify that I don't make Shanoa "work" for all her food. She really, really enjoys eating out of the Kong Wobbler, so we do that for a few meals a week. Even using that she's usually done eating in 10 minutes - she's very, very enthusiastic about food

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Adara

· #7 · Oct 24, 2011

MeadowCat said:
I wanted to clarify that I don't make Shanoa "work" for all her food. She really, really enjoys eating out of the Kong Wobbler, so we do that for a few meals a week. Even using that she's usually done eating in 10 minutes - she's very, very enthusiastic about food

Same here. I pick foodies (dogs with high food drive) and my goal is agility/obedience/ something that requires a good "work ethic." we start "working" for food from day 1. I don't demand they work the whole meal. I might take 10 pieces of kibble, they work for that and then get meal. ANY show dog works conformation at meal times.

There aer some meals where the dog also just eats. You have al ot of opportunity with puppies especially if they are eating 3 times a day. And rather than hand feed, I would be tossing the kibble INTO the bowl.

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