Does anyone know if there is a month-by-month feeding guide that is geared to the adult weight of the dog? The guides on packets of feed are too general. The bag of Hills Science Diet dry food I just bought has a guide based on the weight of the pup as it grows, which is useless in my opinion.

What I would like to know is, on average, if my pup should be about 8 kilos when she is mature, how much should she be eating when she is 4 months old, etc.

Stacey

Firstly did you get a diet guide from your breeder, that is the first person to ask. I am always very upset when new owners don't come back to me for guidance as breeders know their breed BETTER than anyone else.

If you have bought puppy food there is always a guide on the packet for age and size, that is your first guide, the next is what does the pup look like, too lean, too fat. Does the pup race around more than perhaps another one or do you have another dog, if so that puppy burns off more because they play together, therefore it needs more food than one that is an only pup.

What type of pup is it?
Pups grow in fits and stops that can suddenly go leggy and lean and then the rest catches up.

Yappy,

Yes, I did get a feeding guide from the breeder, but it was only relevant to my pup's age at the time.

I have just switched food to Hill's Science Diet and the bag does have a feeding guide, but it is a guide based on the age and weight of the dog at that time. My pup is a Cairn.

What I am looking for is a guide that is based on the adult weight of a dog as it grows to adulthood and then matures to old age. Surely the various dog food companies have them, but they do not publish them it seems.

Stacey

Hi Stacey,

Like you I've been trying to understand why the quide on the packet gives the 'Adult weight' of each breed and then you have to find your puppies age down the columnand the amount of food to give it..I didn't think that was much use either as I suppose like humans, each breed of dogs will have it's larger or smaller types.. I suppose that's why it's a guide only..I did phone my breeder to ask her advice,and she just said 'whatever you think'..which was a great help,on the advice of my vet I stopped adding mince to the 'Pedigree Puppy Advance' that i'm feeding my pup, he said as it was a complete food I would be doing more harm than good, too much protein would make him grow too fast and what we were aiming for was slow steady growth..My breeder was giving my pup added mince when i picked him up so i was just following on from her, thinking she knew best..I have a bernese puppy and he's such a huge ball of fluff It's hard to guage how fat or thin he is lol, he's so greedy I think if i put down food 10 times a day he would eat it..

Regards Sandy xx :) :)

Sandy,

Bernese! There is a lovely young dog down the road where I walk my Abby (cairn). I feel sorry for him, since he is outside almost all the time. I always stopped to give him a pat through the gate. He is a love and I have the urge to knock on the door of his owner's house and ask if they would like to give him up!

About breeder supplementing packaged, complete dog food. None of the breeders of small breeds have ever recommended this to me. The breeders of large breeds seem to recommend it more often. On most things I would side with the vets, but in terms of breed-specific feeding I would always lean toward breeders. They know a breed more than any vet could -- and they know their own lines.

Stacey

Hi Stacey,

I bet the young dog would prefer to go with you than stay where he is..poor thing. We have a huge dog next door (Great Dane) that is outside all the time, Its absolutely HUGE..but it has a sort of building like a double garage size where it has this massive bed , they keep it on this really long long chain as he runs off now and again..He must be so lonely..I don't know much about Great Danes but it must be quite difficult having them as 'house dogs' considering their size..

Sandy xx :)