Hi there!
  I bought my mally last week, he was 8 weeks old yesterday, and is absolutely BEAUTIFUL :) but i am a bit concerned about whether i am feeding him the correct amount and type of food.when i got him, the breeder said to give him 2 cups of Iams dry puppy food morning and evening, and i know that all puppies (mallys especially!) can tend to be very greedy, but even after he has just eaten he is looking for more food.he is a large puppy.i havent been able to find any info on the internet to help, and was wondering if anyone on here would be able to help me please?i was supposed to be taking him for his first round of injections today so was planning on askng the vet, but i had to cancel as both me and my lttle boy have come down with flu :( so have had to rearrange his vaccinations for monday.
im worried that i may not be feeding him enough, or he may need something else to supplement his main food, or that he is getting enough and is just "puppy greedy" so dont want to increase his food too much without some advice incase i do more harm than good!Lol!

Congratulations on your new pup :-) Are you sure your breeder said to just feed him twice a day? My 14 week old pup is still on 4 meals a day. I'll put her down to 3 meals at 4 months then 2 at 6 months, she'll stay on 2 meals a day for life. Puppies need lots of good quality food, but they only have small stomachs so feeding more often is better than too much at one go.

As for quantity the condition of your dog is your best guide :-) I like my dogs to wolf their food down and be looking for more, the amount they get depends on their condition. With pups I like them to have a light covering over their ribs but not to be fat. My pup is eating about 3 times as much (in volume) as the adult collies are despite being less than half their weight.

I agree i have a 10 week old large breed puppy and he's on 4 meals a day, plus raw meaty bones he's half kibble half raw, he gained 2 kilo's from first jab to second but doesn't look fat, i would be feeding more than 2 meals a day myself.

Good luck hope yours is easier than mine lol

I agree with the others - ALL pups, whatever breed, should be on 4 meals a day when they leave home.

I am also surprised that the breeder suggested 2 meals a day for a young pup. I also agree that pups should have if you can it down them 3-4 meals a day.
I have a 17 week old large breed pup, he is on 3 meals a day which is what the breeder had him on, he also get's what i call the 4th meal of goats milk.

I know some won't agree with this but i feed to appetite when young like this, they can eat what they like at each meal until they start to leave some, then bowl gets picked up until the next sitting. So if they clean out the bowl, they get more food put in until they leave some and then its end of that meal sitting.

I would have a chat with the breeder about this to be sure and also speak to the vet, i personally wouldn't be looking to move a Mal onto 2 meals a day until they are at least 6 months old at the earliest.
There are quite a few Mal owners and breeders on here and also HG may come along soon to assist with her ultimate wisdom on feeding too.

thanks guys!
just confirmed what i was thinking really, 2 meals of dry food just didnt seem enough. I did ring her to ask 2 days ago and she was quite rude and abrupt on the telephone, saying that it was all he needed and that he was just being greedy like all puppies.the breeder herself seemed professional enough at first, she talked the talk if you know what i mean, but when i went to get him it was obvious that all she wanted was the money unfortunately :( . he has all his KC papers and health checks, and hes a right little bouncer!his parents were there and they were of great breed standard, and had lovely temprements etc, but when asked how the parents were with her chIldren she just replied "well,i dont know really, they live in their pens outside until i take them for a walk." so it seems like it was all just money making for her afterall. there was no way i could have left without him at that point, regardless of the fact i fell in love at first sight ( :) ), because i dread to think what type of home he could have ended up in as she didnt vet me at all, or ask for any updates on the pup, or my address etc. it really makes me mad when puppies are sold like this!
But thanks everyone for the advice, i have always fed my puppies until they are satisfied but didnt want to go against her advice incase she did actually know what was best for him, but it doesnt seem like she does :S il increase his food now and then double check with the vet on monday!

and in response to justme, he is a right little tinker!lol!he already has a huge character, and the typical mally independant streak, just how i like my dogs!lol!i have started short sessions of basic training with him at home,he has the attention span of a gnat!lol!and he is picking things up really quickly, and really seems to be enjoying it, so cant wait until his jabs are complete so i can take him to obedience classes to back up his training and start getting him well socialised with other dogs. :)

> I know some won't agree with this but i feed to appetite when young like this, they can eat what they like at each meal until they start to leave some, then bowl gets picked up until the next sitting. So if they clean out the bowl, they get more food put in until they leave some and then its end of that meal sitting.
>

Agree totally.

He sounds just perfect, glad he has a smashing home with you, you seem to care more than the breeder which is sad. How much weight has he put on from when you first got him?

We have mals and when they were pups they were fed 4 times a day and were given about 80gms at each meal and sometimes i used to add a tablespoon of natural yoghurt to it as well on one of the meals.They also had raw knuckle bones to chew on as well to help with teething. At about 5 months old they went onto 3 meals a day and had about 150gm each meal. Hope this helps and sounds like your breeder has no knowledge at all about the breed let alone the health of the pups :-(

I know some won't agree with this but i feed to appetite when young like this, they can eat what they like at each meal until they start to leave some, then bowl gets picked up until the next sitting. So if they clean out the bowl, they get more food put in until they leave some and then its end of that meal sitting.

If I did that Shabby would look like a beer barrel by now...she is sooo greedy!!!!
Aileen

What a shame you had such a poor response from your 'breeder'.I use that term loosely.A good breeder should be worth there weight in gold for all ongoing advise - no matter how important or trivial.
Your breeder should have given you a diet sheet with information on amount of food,types of food,how many times your pup needs feeding and any predisposing/health  issues that may stem from feeding.Eg a Mal being a deep chested breed may have an incresed tendency to bloat.
All our pups had diet sheets from their breeders.They were fed 4 meals a day and included at 8 weeks goats milk,probotic yogurt and a teaspoon of local honey once a day.Our first 4 pups had a good quality dry kibble,chicken wings - raw,and knuckle bones.Our last pup we were brave enough to feed Barf from the start,which all our dogs have been on for the last 18 months,but this has been our choice after much research and certainly would not have felt confident with our first Mal puppies.(Also a good breeder would not let a litter go before 8 weeks).
Good luck with your puppy and enjoy!!!

With our Mals we fed them 4 times per day up until 12 weeks, then 3 times a day until 6 months when they dropped to 2 meals per day. It is a shame your breeder hasn't given you proper advice :( With regards to amount, I personally do not allow them to eat their fill, I look at their weight and adjust the amount accordingly.

Good luck with your pup :)

Merlot, why oh why do i get the pups who won't eat???
He's going through a i won't touch anything time right now. Having to hand feed him everything, though he is completing commands for it.. Guess the hot weather and teething won't be helping either.

He is definatley not a barrel, far from it.. One of his sisters is just the same as well..

> why oh why do i get the pups who won't eat???

>Having to hand feed him everything

I think you've answered your own question :)

Buster went through a phase of being fussy, it only lasted 2 days as he soon learnt that a fussy dog is a hungry dog! If he turned his nose up at his meal, it would be left down for 10 mins, if still ignored it would be removed & binned, he wouldn't get fed again untill his next meal time (no hand-feeding to try to temp him either).

I know i know..
I'm usually the one offering the same advice as well.
Just hate pups not eating and i'm a worry pot that by not eating they don't grow.. And this boy i want to be perfect..

Right be hard now sue.. I will get there and going to head your advice and always my own advice from the next meal...

>Right be hard now sue.. I will get there and going to head your advice and always my own advice from the next meal

LOL :-D
Be strong & don't give in to those lovely, helpless, puppy eyes :)

Done it... For the last 2 meals he's picked at bits, after 10 mins it was all picked up.

hi guys, thanks for all the advice!i changed him to 4meals a day last week, and the knuckle bones etc and he is now gaining the weight he should be (he s growing so quckly!:) ).the vet said yesterday he is a great weight, so thanks again all!