Feeding Puppy: Tips and How To
After the exciting process of choosing a puppy, the responsibility of care and training begins. Feeding puppy questions are some of the most frequently asked questions new puppy owners have.
A responsible dog owner wants to ensure that their puppy retains optimum health and the wide variety of dog foods on the market can be overwhelming. When walking through aisle after aisle of dog food in the pet store and the multitude of varieties, it is hard to know the right choice.
Puppy vs Adult Dog Food
Just as with human babies, puppies have different nutrition requirements than adult dogs. Because of their smaller body mass and rapid growth, their metabolism is much different. Puppies can require up to two to three times the amount of food per day than an adult dog does, pound for pound.
Beyond the amount of dog food your puppy needs, the balance of ingredients is important as well. In order to have a balanced diet, your puppy should have food that is highly digestible, has high levels of phosphorus and calcium, and be nutrient rich. It should also follow the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AFFCO) guidelines and have a good percentage of high quality proteins. The proper nutrition will help to ensure that your puppy develops property with strong tissue, bones, and muscle.
Mineral and vitamin supplements should also be balanced in dog food. The proportions of each should be in line with the needs of your dog’s age and breed to ensure optimum health. An unbalanced collection of ingredients in your dog’s food can have adverse effect on his health.
Types of Puppy Food
In addition to the wide variety of brands, there are several main types of dog food available.
Dry Puppy Food
Dry kibbles sold in bags, this is the most common type of dog food used. The advantages to a dry kibble is that it is convenient to serve, has a long shelf life, is less messy, and is one of the most inexpensive forms of dog food. The disadvantage is that subpar ingredients can be included in the food and masked by additives and flavorings. It is important to pay close attention to what is included and research the nutrient percentages of the foods you choose.
Wet or Canned Dog Food
Puppies love canned dog food. Wet dog food has even a longer shelf life than dry food if kept unopened and comes in a wide variety of flavors. It also tends to have a higher percentage of animal protein than dry kibbles. The downside to canned dog food is that it is more expensive ounce for ounce, can be messier for your dog to eat, and can sometimes cause looser stools if that is your dog’s sole diet. For this reason, many dog owners mix wet and dry food for their dog’s meal.
Raw Puppy Food
As dog owners have become increasingly more concerned about the nutritional value of processed food (both for themselves and their dog) and natural and organic food has grown in popularity, more and more owners are turning to a raw dog food diet. Rather than purchasing commercially prepared dog food, raw food proponents feed their dogs raw meat and vegetables. As the trend has become more popular, premium dog food manufacturers are providing prepackaged raw foods similar to how we buy frozen food.
Feeding Tips for Your Puppy
Always make sure that your puppy’s food dish is clean and any leftover food or water is changed out and refreshed.
Do not let your dog free feed. Feed in the morning and evening at set times. This will also establish a potty routine when house breaking your pet.
Do not let children or visitors bother the dog while he is eating. Even a puppy can become aggressive if he thinks you are trying to take his food away.
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