I have a 19 week old working cocker and since we have had him we have been giving him 4 meals a day of Beta puppy food as advised by the breeder we got him from. He wolfs it down in less than a minute. Apart from the odd wee healthy biscuit/treat and what he hoovers up from the ground at the park when we are out walking that is all he has.

He does look longingly at us when we are eating so we usually have to put him in his crate to stop him jumping up and trying to pinch our food.
What age would people recommend i change to the junior or adult food as i think he probably needs to move up to a more filling food fairly soon.

Also at what sort of age should i reduce his meals to 3 a day?

Thanks

I would be happy to change my own breed onto junior at 5 or 6 months but different breeds can require different treatment. May be a change of food would prove more satisfying for him, have never used Beta but don't think it is among one of the best of the complete foods.

Don't be fooled by the puppy eyes demanding you give him your food that is often the way with a cocker, they just like food.

> i think he probably needs to move up to a more filling food fairly soon.
>

It's the puppy food that is most filling and calorie rich.

He will probably always be a good eater, most Spaniels are, which is why so many are so fat when their owners feed to appetite Rather than to how they look and feel.

I would have reduced him to 3 meals a day by 12 weeks.  This could be why he wolfs it down as he is ready for larger meals.  He should be on about the same amount just split in fewer meals.

I've known quite a few Cockers and they have all been 'stomachs on legs', I've also met several breeders and they tell me the same ;)  If you try to feed him until he is no longer hungry or to appease those Cocker eyes, then he will end up as wide as he is tall :(  if you follow Brainless' advise he will be fit and healthy ;)

It's normal for a dog to eat fast - it's what group predators do; get as much inside you as fast as you can.

My pups go from four meals a day to three at 12 weeks, and from three down to two at 6 months, so you can drop the number of meals any time now.

The only cockers I've known who have been 'free-fed' (ie food available all thetime) have been hugely fat, and double the correct weight.

Thanks folks,

As of tomorrow we will reduce him down to 3 meals a day.

We have also started giving some bits like raw carrot etc which he seems to enjoy as well.

My workers went onto 3 meals at 12 weeks and then onto adult food at 5 and a half to 6 months. I agree with being fairly strict with the diet, for me personally the only thing worse than a fat dog is a fat Working Cocker! Mine probably look on the skinny side to a lot of people but they're not, they're just very fit, lean and muscular as working dogs should be.