Feeding Your Puppy
What should you feed
your puppy and why?
Charlie
Boulton...
When should you feed him ?
What's In the food?
The purpose of your puppy's diet is to provide him
with all the nutrients he needs to grow and remain active. All food
contain a mix of protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals and vitamins, each
of which plays a vital role in nutrition and must be supplied in the
correct amounts by the puppy's diet.
Protein is
important for growth and to repair damaged tissue, especially muscle.
This is why it is needed in higher amounts in the diets of growing pups
and very active adult dogs.
Carbohydrates and fats
are the body's main energy source. Fats provide more energy than
carbohydrates and are essential in small amounts for a healthy skin and
coat.
Minerals and vitamins are important in the diet in small amounts.
Puppies and nursing bitches especially require plenty of calcium and
phosphorus in their diet. It is possible, however to get ‘too much
of a good thing’ and it is dangerous to over supplement an already
balanced diet.
As your pup grows into
adulthood, his requirements for each of these nutrients will change, and
it will be your responsibility to ensure that he is receiving the correct
diet for each stage of his life. The way in which you feed your dog
is largely a matter of personal taste. The two most common forms of
commercial dog food are the tinned meat type, usually designed to be fed
with a mixer biscuit, and the dry complete foods which are becoming
increasingly popular.
Dry complete diets
have a number of advantages for dogs and dogs and their owners. They
are hygienic and easy to feed, and it is often possible to buy in bulk for
convenience and economy. The food contains every nutrient the dog
needs in a carefully balanced formula. Most manufacturers produce a
complete range of puppy, junior and adult foods, so there will be one to
suit your dog’ s needs throughout his life. The presentation of
the food in a dry biscuit form helps keep the dog’s teeth clean.
Your dog’s daily ration is easily measured in a scoop, allowing all
family members to participate in feeding without risk of giving the wrong
amount. Any food not eaten within ten minutes can easily be lifted to
offer again later – not so easy with moist foods, which are more likely
to attract flies.
Tinned meats are usually
high in protein and are designed to be fed alongside a dry mixer as the
carbohydrate source. This is still a popular way of feeding dogs
and, as long as the meat and mixer are always mixed in the correct
proportions, will provide a balanced diet. The range of canned foods
available for different life stages is much smaller than with the dry
foods, and it is important to make sure that puppies are being fed one of
the foods designed specifically for them. Some manufacturers are now
making complete canned foods in the same ranges as their dry foods and
these can be an alternative for dogs which are very fussy about an all
biscuit food, but they tend to be more expensive than dry completes.
It is possible to feed a
home prepared diet, but please remember the importance of providing the
correct nutritional balance. If you are thinking of doing this it is
vital that you talk it over with the vets or nurses first so we can advise
you on the suitability of your chosen diet. Too much meat in a
puppy’s diet can lead to irreversible bone diseases, and your puppy is
too important to take risks with.
If you are feeding a
scientifically balanced diet, you must not upset that delicate balance by
feeding too many titbits. The best titbits to use in training are
ones specifically designed to match your dog’s needs, preferable
crumbled up pieces of dry food taken form his measured daily ration.
Remember to keep food treats small, and only in return for good behaviour.
Too many and they will lose their value in the dog’s eyes; too big and
they will become more of a meal than a reward. A puppy who is full
and fat will quickly lose his concentration and become bored.
With modern diets,
diseases associated with nutrient deficiencies are, thankfully, becoming
rare. However, malnutrition is still a serious problem faced by dogs
today in it’s most common form of obesity. If the diet contains
more energy than is needed for growth and activity, the surplus energy
must be stored. Initially, this is done in the liver but as the
storage capacity of the liver tissue is used up, it becomes stored around
the body as fat.
More than a third of pet dogs are obese, and almost
another third are heading that way. Obesity carries with it a number
of serious health problems : overweight dogs are more prone to develop
heart problems, arthritis and liver problems. They also make less
active companions, and are more likely to be distress in hot weather than
fitter animals.
Obesity is an easily prevented condition, and now is
the time to form the habits which will save your dog from suffering in
later life. Some breeds are predisposed to obesity, such as
Labradors and the small terrier breeds, neutered animals can also be a
little more prone to gain weight. As well as taking your pup for
regular exercise, be sure to feed him no more than is required to keep him
in peak condition with his ribs easily felt, but not showing.
Be
prepared to be told lies – just because a dog says he is hungry does not
mean that he needs more food! In the wild, he would gorge himself
whenever food was available, as he may not eat again for several weeks.
This urge to ‘feast before the fast’ still exists, so most dogs will
happily eat more than is good for them.
Ask to have your dog
weighed whenever you are in the surgery, and keep a record of his weight
so that any sign of excess weight gain can be picked up early. If he
does become overweight, consult the nurses or vets, who will help you to
plan a sensible approach to bringing his weight back to normal.
As your pup becomes more
mature, you will want to decrease the number of meals he is fed every day.
A small puppy stomach can not cope with large amounts of food, so in the
first three to four months of life (depending on the breed and size –
small breeds mature faster) he will need to have his daily ration divided
into four small meals.
The best guide as to when to cut out a meal is
your puppy, he will reach a point where he is not begging for every meal,
or one meal is being eaten less enthusiastically. The best meal to
cut out initially is a mid day one. Avoid the temptation to cut out
the latest meal. Many people hope this will lead to fewer night time
messes to clear up, but in fact the opposite may be true.
The night
is a long time on an empty stomach, and if the pup awakes and feels hungry
he will find it hard to settle again and is more likely to need the loo
and to chew. At six months or so, the number of meals can be cut
from three to two. Continue feeding two meals per day until the pup
is at least a year old, if not for life.
Not all dogs are very
greedy; particularly small and toy breeds can be fussy about food.
Be persistent, if you coax your puppy too much with tasty morsels, he may
grow up refusing to eat dog food altogether. This leads to an
unbalanced diet with the associated health problems and make it very
difficult to give the dog medicines or prescription foods that may help to
treat medical problems that develop in later life.
Important points about feeding time
Meal times are, of
necessity, very important to dogs in the wild. Although domestic
dogs can be more certain of where the next meal is coming form than their
ancestors, instincts are still very strong and your pup will interpret
some important messages about his position in your ‘pack’ from the way
you control meal times.
There is truth in the old
adage about ‘the hand that feeds’ – your puppy will bond strongly
with whoever controls his food. Try and have everybody in the house
become involved with feeding, perhaps by taking it in turns to put down
the puppy’s meals. Even very young family members can be involved
in feeding time, under careful parental supervision.
Pack leaders eat first.
If your meal times coincide, eat first yourselves before feeding the puppy, even if it is only a cup of tea and a biscuit. Do not feed the puppy scraps from your plate; if there are any leftovers for him, keep them aside and feed them to him with his next meal, from his own dish.
Take control of meal
times. Prepare your puppy's meal in front of him and ask him to
perform a simple task for you such as a short ‘sit – stay’ before he
is allowed to eat his meal.
Never leave your puppy
alone to eat.
Stay with him and talk to
him, occasionally bend down and stroke him. He should become
accustomed to being approached while he has food. This will put you
in control, and ensure that he will always allow you near him when he has
food. This in an important lesson – one day you may need to take a
chicken bone from his mouth that he has raided form a bin, for example.
If he has learned to be protective about his food, you would have no
chance!
Feeding Exercises
Occasionally, carry out
these exercises with your pup to keep you in control of feeding times.
One of the exercises per week would be sufficient, involve all family
members.
Wait for It!
Once in a while, prepare
the pup`s meal a few minutes early and leave it out of his reach while you
eat your own meal. Don’ t tease him with it by making hm wait too
long or after his usual meal time, but do make sure he performs a few
simple exercises before the meal goes down for him.
Added Extras
Measure out the pup’s
meal but only put around half of it in the bowl. Ask him to sit and
wait as usual while you put the bowl down. As he is eating,
gradually place the rest of his meal in the bowl. Talk to him and stroke
him throughout. Your pup will learn to accept hands reaching down to the
bowl as being a good thing, not to be guarded against.
Occasionally, lift the
bowl right away form the pup and put in a particularly tasty morsel.
The special treat will reward the pup for allowing you to take the bowl
right away from him. (some old fashioned training books suggest that
you take your puppies food away form him frequently as a display of
‘dominance’ over him. This is not recommended as it is unfair
and can actually teach dogs to bolt their food and become defensive of it,
as they are never quite sure they will be allowed to keep it.)
Leave It!
Take time to teach your
puppy to leave when he is told. Your pup must learn that he cannot
have everything he wants. He does not understand our values – to
him a twenty pound note is just a scrap of paper, a cashmere sweater is an
interesting ragger and a chicken bone is a tasty snack. This
exercise will also teach him not to snatch when he is offered something,
and will reinforce your position as pack leader.
Arm yourself with several titbits, some more interesting to your pup than others. Hold one
between thumb and forefinger and offer it to the pup. As he goes to
take it, say ‘LEAVE’ firmly, and push his nose back with the other
three fingers. Repeat until he backs off from you and the titbit.
When he does so, reward him with verbal praise and an extra tasty treat
for your other hand. Do not pull your hand back – the pup must
back away from you to receive the reward. Some will get the idea of
this exercise very quickly, others take a little longer. Be patient.
However long it takes, do not frighten your pup be pushing him away or
shouting at him. This is a quiet controlling exercise which will
help establish your authority and allow the pup to see clearly what is
allowed and what is not.
When the pup has got the
hang of leaving a titbit in your hand, try asking him to leave his meal or
a toy, occasionally. You can also try ‘guarding’ a toy or titbit
placed by your foot. This is ‘your’ piece of food, and not to be
taken by the puppy. If he tries to take it, say ‘LEAVE’ and
reward him with another titbit when he backs away. Do not play this
game too often or for too long, or he will become frustrated, but do be
sure to keep your titbit at the end – it does not go to the puppy.
(You can always put it back in the tub with the others and use it later
when the exercise is long past!)
Once learned, the
‘leave’ command should be practiced occasionally with your dog
throughout his life – you never know when you might need him to remember
it for real.
Top of page
Wright & Morten guide to: