"Healthy dog food will help your puppy to develop strong teeth and bones, and a beautifully glossy coat"
Dog nutrition is very important; your puppy will thrive if he's fed healthy dog food that's been specially blended for him.
Your breeder will probably give you a small supply of puppy food and a diet sheet with feeding instructions.
Your puppy's food will be a careful balance of nutrients necessary for a growing dog, so it's best to continue with this healthy dog food; you don't want to interrupt your puppy's development.
Occasionally, some puppies may develop an allergy to their food.
Dog food allergies are more are more common than you may realise so, if you do suspect your puppy has developed an allergy, it's advisable to speak to your vet as soon as possible.
If you decide to change your brand of dog food, for whatever reason, it's always a good idea to check the ingredients of the new brand to ensure your puppy is still being fed healthy dog food containing the correct nutrients.
Don't change brands suddenly; give your puppy a mixture of new and old, gradually replacing the old with the new healthy dog food.
It's best to feed your puppy at regular times rather than continuously throughout the day.
Feeding your puppy healthy dog food, regularly throughout the day, will help when housetraining your puppy; if you know what time your puppy last ate, you can predict when he'll need to defecate - which may help to stop little 'accidents' in the home.
Regular feeding also helps to keep your puppy's weight in check by controlling what you feed him. If you feed him all day long, without regular feeding times, how will you know how much your puppy eats?
Feeding to a timetable can also help with training. If your puppy is hungry before a training session, he'll be more eager to please during his training session in order to receive treats. Whereas, if you feed him with healthy dog food just before a training session, he may not be too motivated to train.
Puppies of eight weeks are usually fed three to four times a day, but don't worry if your puppy skips the occasional meal.
As your puppy grows, it may be advisable to reduce your puppy's feeding times to twice a day - he may have already begun rejecting one or more of his meals.
Simply divide his daily food allowance between the two meals.
Some dogs enjoy eating twice a day, others seem only to want one meal each day, and may have a preference for eating in the morning rather than any other time of the day.
You will be able to determine your dog's preference by watching to see how hungry he is during different times of the day.
If you have any concerns over your puppy's eating habits, or puppy food, it's always sensible to speak to your vet. He can give advice on dog nutrition, and sources of healthy dog food, and help to provide a balanced diet for your puppy.
You'll find everything from easy-to-read dog food comparison charts, to eye-opening articles on dog food labels and ingredients, to tips on how to spot the healthiest dog food at a glance.
Responsible breeders will have given their puppies a good start by feeding them with a healthy dog food; most breeders use dry kibble, which is specially formulated for different stages in a dog's development.
Kibble is a small, bite-sized dry biscuit-like dog food which contains all the vitamins and minerals your puppy needs to help him develop into a strong boned, healthy dog. Food such as this can be expensive but it's well worth it. Apart from being clean and mess-free to prepare, it also helps to keep your dog's teeth clean.
Kibble is available in chicken, lamb, and beef varieties, and can contain rice, corn, and vegetables. It's usually hypo-allergenic, and can be bought gluten and lactose free for those puppies with sensitive stomachs.
The label on the side of healthy dog food packaging will give details of all ingredients so you can compare one brand against another. Recommended brands are; James Wellbeloved, Royal Canin, Arden Grange, Hills Science Plan, Purina ProPlan, to name but a few.
When it comes to choosing a quality brand of dog food, there are no shortages to choose from. In fact, with so many choices in healthy dog foods, it can sometimes be difficult to decide which is best for your pet. It's always worth taking the time to compare top dog foods before making your decision - you only want what's best for your dog.
Depending upon the manufacturer, puppies could stay on the smaller puppy-sized kibble for up to 12 months, and then change to a larger kibble specially formulated for older dogs.
Your puppy can move onto a kibble specially formulated for adult dogs when he's fully grown, to maintain his health.
Treats can be given during the day, but I'd recommend that these are limited to when your puppy's been especially well-behaved, and as a reward during training sessons, or you risk having an overfed and overweight puppy.
Small, healthy treats, such as small pieces of poached chicken or liver, may be given to your puppy as a training reward. Follow this link for tips and advice on how to train your puppy.
If you do give your puppy treats during the day, it's advisable to reduce the your puppy's allocation of dog food by a similar amount.
We hope this page on healthy dog food has been helpful to you, and has given you an 'appetite' to learn more - if you'll pardon the pun!
