FEEDING PUPPY - Page 1

WHEN AND WHAT SHOULD YOU FEED A 8 WEEK OLD PUUPY I KEEP HEARING SOME PEOPLE SAY FEED IT ADULT FOOD SOME SAY FEED IT PUPPY ANY IDEAS??????????

The concept of starting large dogs on adult food arises from the fact that a lot of people (myself included) believe that puppy foods contain too much protein and fat. The higher percentage of protein and fat in the puppy's diet can cause that dog to grow too fast which can put undue pressure on the dog's ligaments, back, hips, etc.

Hi 69rs, i would suggest you keep the pup on puppyfood. Best would be on the same food the breeder gave them. A change in food too quick can result in diarhea very quick. Thats why i require my puppy buyers to buy a bag of food they had from me. If you want to change the food best do it slow, meaning mix the new food under the old food. Increased the new food step by step. Now what some peopel suggest to switch the puppy to adaultfood is simply that they mean to slow down the growing of the pup by giving less rich food. My experience is, at the age of 8 weeks, they can still look a little chuppy. It¿s like with everything : Too much is never good ! Remember that if you give your pup treats or something like that. I hope this helped. Ulli

I do switch my pups to an adult food. but I also train with hotdogs, so my pups are still getting lots of fat in the diet. It does cause the pups to grow slower which is better. the best is the BARF diet, but my freezer is broke so had to go back to dog food until I get a new one. Het

The puppy can eat a premium puppy food for as long as twelve (12) to fourteen (14) months provided that the owner practices extreme care in the amount fed to the puppy. The puppy must grow at a normal, slow rate. That said, all puppies grow at different rates, even the same sex from the same litter. I have observed that one must be very cautious about following the recommended amounts for the age/weight ratio that is typically printed on any bag of dog food. It is very difficult to develop a an appropriate weight/age chart for a potential puppy owner because of the differences in growth rate. I have a few numbers that I remember for an approximate comparison at a certain ages, but they are just for reference. The caveat we face is that most dog food suppliers will recommend an amount of food that is often too much for a growing puppy (or an adult unless he/she is extremely active). One must remember that they are in the business to sell dog food, not raise healthy puppies. For this reason, many breeders (myself included) recommend a switch to adult food at four (4) months of age because the care of the puppy is no longer under my control. Compared to an adult, a puppy needs a higher level of protein to develop muscle and organ tissue, but I will repeat myself and say that the puppy's growth must be controlled. For an owner this may mean switching to an adult food, mixing the puppy/dog food in a 50:50 ratio, etc. If the owner has successfully raised GSD puppies, then they usually have an idea of the proper weight and type of body build as the puppy grows. A male will require from thirty (30) to thirty-six (36) months to mature, and a female will require from twenty (20) to twenty-four (24) months to mature. The slower, the better. Bob-O

thanks for all the info,just dont want to make any mistakes.i had 5 sheperds and just had to put a beautifull male down at the age of three due knee ligament problem so i want do make sure i do my best with a new pup

I am sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. Good luck with the new puppy. Bob-0

thanks