info needed

Question
I have a 10 1/2 month old boxer puppy and it seems as if he isn't growing as fast he should he is about 13 inches  now. i didn't see the parents i brought from a breeder out of the paper.and he had hotspots so i took him off dog food an started cooking rice an ground beef for him .so the hot spots dissappeared but i scared to put him back on dog food what should i do

Answer
All puppies grow at different rates, though 13 inches does seem rather small for a pup that age.  Then again, if you haven't seen the parents there's no telling if he's going to be standard-sized, or if he's from smaller (or even mixed) parents.  It's better to go by his condition; if he's lean but not too skinny, then he's at the right size.

As far as his food goes, a high quality diet should promote healthy skin and coat.  If you want to continue home cooking, there are numerous recipes available; a good book set is Monica Segal's "K9 Kitchen" and "Optimal Nutrition", available at www.dogwise.com or via the author's site at www.monicasegal.com - as well, there is a website with good information on home-prepared diets here:
http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#Balance

If you prefer to get him back on kibble, the site www.dogfoodanalysis.com gives information and ratings of a huge variety of kibbles, so that you can choose a high-quality food that works for him and you.

Good luck!!