How much food and when do I feed my puppy

Question
QUESTION: He is 9 weeks old. How much and when do I feed him?

ANSWER: This should be a question for your puppy's breeder; in fact, that information should have come with your puppy.

Some feed their puppies three times a day at this age; I feed mine twice (sometimes they are still being nursed before bedtime, depending on the bitch). I feed first thing in the morning and in the afternoon, with that last feeding around 3-4:30 PM, and no later than 6:00 PM. Water is removed by 8 PM to facilitate housebreaking.

The amount to feed depends on the size of the puppy. Mine weigh about 5-1/2 to 6 lbs. at nine weeks, and I feed them 1/2 cup (each) of kibble at each feeding. (If any is left over at this age, the dam is allowed to finish it, but by nine weeks, the litter is usually cleaning it up.) This amount is gradually increased over time.

Karen

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QUESTION: MY bad, my dog is actually 4 months old! I just took him to the vet and that is what she said on his age. So, now how much should I feed him? Also, can you give me some help on housebreaking this dog. He has only once pooped in the house, but continues to pee in the house a lot. I take him out almost on the hour since I am home all day. John

ANSWER: Still bad, John<G> LOL! Since I have no idea if your puppy is the size of a chihuahua or a St. Bernard<GGGGG>, my best advice is to feed him a good-quality kibble and follow the directions on the bag in regard to amount to feed; twice a day is sufficient at this age.

As to housebreaking, it is the same no matter what the size of the dog. He needs to be confined in a crate when you cannot watch him, and he should not have total run of the house until he is a bit older and has proven that he has earned that privilege. Put him out first thing in the morning, after he eats, plays, and wakes up from naps (which should be in his crate). Let him out a bit more often since he is still urinating in the house. Some people keep the puppy on a leash that is attached to them so that they can better read the puppy's signals when it has to potty.

Have a really excited, happy voice as you are heading for the door, and ask him, "Do you want to go OUT?" (or whatever you want your key potty words to be). Your goal should be to teach him to go to the door and let you know when he has to go out. Be sure you go with him, and give him LOTS of excited praise when he does potty in the correct spot.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1548&articleid=157

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QUESTION: Sorry, he is 25 lbs..........so how much should I feed him.

Answer
John, that really does depend on what type of food you are feeding. A high-premium food requires that less be fed than, say, a grocery-store food. Read the feeding label on the kibble you are feeding, but I would guess he might require something like one cup of food twice a day at this age. If he still seems hungry, give him a bit more, and if he leaves some in the bowl, give him less.

As he grows, he will gradually require more and at some point will most likely be eating twice as much as he will as an adult. Around 7-8 months is the time to start cutting down on the amount; many puppies will do this automatically. A dog that is neutered requires less food than one that is intact.

You always want to feel his ribs easily, but never see them.