feeding

Question
i have a 9 month old male fawn colored boxer pup that i bought a week ago. By looking at him he seems underweight. he is very playful and i give him plenty of exercise when im home. i was just wondering how much my wife should feed him during the day to keep him healthy but not become overweight. his name is bosco by the way and is a very obedient dog. we hope to have him around for a long time. thanks for any advice you can give, sincerly mike.

Answer
Hi Michael! A 9 week old puppy should be fed 3 times a day. They should be eating about 2-3 cups a day, split up between the feedings. Try him on that, and if it seems like he needs more, then up the amount a little at a time with each feeding. You have to take into account any treats that are given during the day as well. If you feed him well, keep him properly wormed and he still looks thin, then he may be hitting a growth spurt. Some days they'll look filled out, the next they may look like they haven't eaten in a week. Some Boxers are also just naturally thin. If mom or dad was a thin dog, then the puppy may be also. Boxers can also be pretty hyper, and burn off a lot of calories pretty quickly. At his age however, if he's fed a quality puppy food, and enough of it, and still looks thin, I would have him checked for hook or tape worms. These are the worms that usually cause a dog to be thin. What kind of food are you feeding Bosco, and how much of it? Congrats on your new puppy, and if I can be of anymore help, let me know!