Feeding a puppy: the first months

A puppy arrives with boundless energy, needle teeth and the conviction that every sound in the kitchen concerns it directly. Most of the time, it is right. Here is what to put in the bowl during the first months, and how much.

The first week: change nothing

Ask the breeder or shelter what your puppy has been eating, how much and how often, and buy a small amount of the same food. A new home, new people and a first night alone are already a lot. Keeping the food identical for the first week spares the stomach one more change.

After that, if you want to switch, do it over about a week, mixing the new food into the old a little more every couple of days. Our guide to switching food without upsetting the stomach has the full plan.

Why puppy food exists

A puppy can multiply its birth weight many times over in its first year. To build bones, muscles and organs at that speed, it needs more energy and more protein per kilo than an adult dog, and a carefully balanced supply of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus.

That is why puppies should eat a food labelled complete and made for puppies (or "for growth"). Adult food is not designed for a growing body. Foods for adult dogs, our Terrines included, are formulated for adults: fine as an extra on top, but the puppy food stays the base.

Our puppy kibble is made with fresh and dried free-run chicken, and turkey. It contains 38% protein, and 83% of that protein comes from animal sources.

How much? It depends on the adult your puppy will become

Puppy portions are based on the expected adult weight, not the current one, because a future 30 kg dog and a future 5 kg dog grow very differently. Your breeder or vet can give you a good estimate.

As a guide, here is what our puppy kibble suggests, in grams per day:

Adult weight	2 months	6 months	12 months	18 months
5 kg	113 g	126 g	adult food	adult food
10 kg	174 g	208 g	189 g	adult food
20 kg	267 g	335 g	300 g	adult food
30 kg	339 g	441 g	416 g	393 g
40 kg	402 g	534 g	505 g	476 g

The full table, month by month and up to 50 kg, is on the bag. Notice how the portion rises during the fastest growth, then comes down. Weigh your puppy every week or two at first: steady growth is the goal, not the fastest growth possible.

How many meals a day?

A puppy's stomach is small, and its energy needs are high:

• From 2 to 6 months: three meals a day.
• Between 6 and 9 months: move gradually from three meals to two, for example by shrinking the midday meal until it disappears.
• From 9 months: two meals a day.

Fixed meal times also help with house training: what goes in on schedule tends to come out on schedule.

Treats, toppers and the rest

• Treats count. In a growing puppy, too many treats can unbalance a carefully formulated diet. Keep them small, and part of the day's food.
• A fillet on top is fine as a treat or a training reward. Our dog fillets are complementary: they add taste and water, not the full balance a puppy needs, so the puppy food stays the base. Use a little less kibble to make room.
• No food from your plate. Onions, garlic, chocolate, grapes, raisins and the sweetener xylitol are toxic to dogs, and cooked bones can splinter.
• Fresh water, always available.

Large breeds: slow and steady

Large and giant breeds (expected adult weight above about 25 kg) are more sensitive to growing too fast. Too much energy or too much calcium in the first months can affect their joints later. For these puppies:

• follow the feeding guide closely, and do not "add a bit more to help them grow";
• do not add calcium supplements unless your vet prescribes them;
• keep the puppy food longer: our puppy kibble guide covers dogs up to 50 kg as adults, and goes beyond 18 months for the largest.

When to move to adult food

Small dogs finish growing sooner. Our puppy kibble guide moves to adult food:

• around 12 months for dogs of up to about 7 kg as adults;
• around 18 months for dogs of 10 to 20 kg;
• after 18 months for dogs of 30 kg and more.

When the time comes, change over a week, as usual. From then on, adult food can be kibble, a complete wet food such as our Terrines, or both.

In short

1. Keep the breeder's food for the first week, then switch over seven days.
2. Feed a complete food made for puppies, based on the expected adult weight.
3. Three meals a day up to 6 months, then move to two between 6 and 9 months.
4. Keep treats small; a fillet on top is a reward, not a meal.
5. Move to adult food between 12 and 18 months or later, depending on size; large breeds grow slowly and need no extra calcium.

Your puppy will grow faster than you expect, and show more enthusiasm for its bowl than you thought possible. The second part does not change much with age.