Nutrition for Puppies: Everything You Need to Know

Feeding Your Puppy: A First-Year Timeline

One of the most common questions new puppy owners have is how long should a puppy be fed puppy food? So with that in mind, let’s look at an overview of feeding requirements for your puppy at each stage in their first year:

Weeks 1-6

Ideally, puppies should be fed by their mother in their first six weeks of life. This is the best source of nutrition, as it provides all the nutrients a puppy needs, along with antibodies that help ward off disease.

Starting at week three or four, puppies can be offered gruel, which is made by mixing a moist food formulated for puppies with an equal amount of warm water. As their interest in solid food increases, the water content can be decreased, and by five to six weeks old, puppies should be eating solid food regularly.

Weeks 6-12

During this time, puppies can continue eating the gruel mixture as they prepare to wean off their mother’s milk. Puppies should be completely weaned as of eight weeks, and exclusively eating solid food. In the six to 12-week timeframe, veterinarians typically recommend four feedings per day to keep up with a puppy’s nutritional demands.

Months 3-6

Sometime during this period, feedings can be decreased from four to three meals per day. A puppy should be noticeably losing their potbelly and puppy pudge by about 12 weeks old. If they are still “roly-poly” at this point, you can continue feeding puppy-sized portions until their body type matures. 

Months 6-12

During this timeframe, most puppy parents can decrease feeding from three to two meals per day. Spaying and neutering lowers your puppy’s energy requirements slightly, so once your puppy has had this procedure, it’s ok to switch to an adult formulation to better align their caloric intake to their needs.

Typically, small-breed puppies can switch to adult food sometime between seven to nine months old, while larger-breed puppies should be switched over between 12 to 14 months of age. The American Kennel Club recommends erring on the side of caution in this process, with it being better to stay on puppy food for a little too long rather than not long enough.

After Age 1

At this stage, most pups will be transitioned over to adult dog food and owners will typically choose to split their daily food intake evenly between two meals.

Nutritional Requirements for Growing Puppies

So what exactly should a puppy eat? First and foremost, puppies should always be fed a food that is specifically formulated to meet their nutritional needs of this life stage to best support proper development and long-term wellbeing.

Growing puppies have specific nutritional requirements; they need more calories, fat, protein and essential nutrients per pound than adult dogs. It’s important to prioritize the quality of nutrition and how, when and how much you’re feeding, to ensure optimal development of their bones, brain and other vital organs.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a private, nonprofit organization that defines the ingredients used in animal feed and pet food, and sets guidelines for pet food. They established two nutrient profiles for dogs: Adult maintenance and growth and reproduction. The latter is the category that includes puppies. These nutrient profiles dictate which nutrients, and how much of them, should be included in dog food recipes. In order for a dog food to be considered “complete and balanced,” it must meet the standards as defined by AAFCO.

AAFCO states that there are six essential nutrients that are required in order to support life and function in dogs: Water, carbohydrates (including fiber), protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. 

Here are some of the requirements that are specific to healthy growth and development in puppies:

• Protein: Protein requirements for puppies are highest after weaning, and the amount of protein they need will steadily decrease after that point. Protein provides energy as well as essential amino acids to build and maintain lean muscle tissue. 
• Fat: Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids together, and in the right ratio, are vital for a plethora of bodily functions like immunity, eye and brain development and joint health.
• Calcium & Phosphorus: These minerals work together to support a host of critical body functions, including building healthy bones. Your puppy’s diet should provide these minerals in a ratio of 1:1 up to 2:1, but the lower end of the range is best. 
• Other Vitamins: Vitamin D, vitamin A, magnesium and zinc all play an important role in healthy bone development and should be included in your puppy’s diet early on.

Choosing the Right Food

When it comes to meeting the specific nutritional needs of puppies, not all dog foods are up to the task. That’s why it’s vital to choose a brand and formulation that is complete and balanced for growing puppies. As we’ve discussed, puppies thrive when they get the ideal mix of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. An imbalance of these nutrients can stunt development and even lead to issues later on.

Here are our top tips to help you choose the right food for your puppy:

• “Complete & Balanced” Label: At a minimum, make sure that the food has met AAFCO standards for providing a complete and balanced formulation for the growth and reproduction stage.
• High Protein Content: Puppies need more protein per pound than adult dogs for growth and development. AAFCO states that puppy foods should contain at least 22.5 percent protein to meet these needs. 
• Balanced Calcium & Phosphorus: These minerals are crucial for bone development, so ensure they’re in the right ratio, preferably 1:1.
• Reputable Brand: Choose a brand with a good reputation for quality and safety.
• Quality Ingredients: Read the ingredient list and look for quality, whole ingredients like lean meats, vegetables and grains.
• Consider Breed Size: Large and giant breed puppies may need a formula designed for slower growth to protect joints. 
• Avoid Artificial Additives & Fillers: Prioritize ingredient lists that are free from artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.
• Check for a Seal of Approval: Look for a seal of approval like AAFCO, which indicates that the food has been tested and meets minimum nutritional standards.

Kibble vs. Fresh Food for Puppies

A host of fresh food brands on the market have contributed to consumers questioning kibble in recent years. And since we’re here to ask the tough questions and get the honest answers, you can bet we’re tackling this one: Which is best for puppies, kibble or fresh food?

Many kibble brands are formulated to meet AAFCO standards and have solid ingredient lists that avoid fillers and additives. And there’s no doubt that kibble wins when it comes to convenience and cost, with a much more budget-friendly price point and no special storage requirements.

However, fresh food generally offers a more beneficial diet than kibble, due to its higher moisture content, better digestibility and nutrient absorption, and fewer potential allergens. A fresh diet may support digestive health and be better tolerated by dogs with sensitive stomachs.

The Farmer’s Dog has been leading the pack when it comes to fresh dog food, thanks to their fresh, gently-cooked recipes made with human-grade ingredients. All of The Farmer’s Dog recipes are formulated by board-certified nutritionists to be complete and balanced for puppies, including the right mix of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats (like human-grade salmon oil).

Here’s why The Farmer’s Dog is an ideal choice for growing puppies: 

• Complete & Balanced: All recipes are formulated to meet all of the AAFCO guidelines for both life stage categories, including growth and reproduction, where puppies fall in the spectrum. Each of their recipes contain all the nutrients that puppies are required to have; nothing is left out.
• Human-Grade & Gently-Cooked: While many kibble products are complete and balanced, most of them are made with feed-grade ingredients (like “mystery meals”) and heavily processed at high heat. The Farmer’s Dog uses human-grade ingredients that are gently cooked to retain more nutritional value, resulting in a highly digestible formulation that has been clinically shown in internal feeding trials. 
• Suitable for Early Starts: If you follow the proper guidelines, you can begin feeding puppies The Farmer’s Dog food as a gruel mixed with warm water as soon as they start weaning, ensuring they get a healthy start as early as possible.
• Personalized Nutrition: Because The Farmer’s Dog comes pre-portioned for your dog’s individual needs, there’s no guesswork when it comes to keeping up with your puppy’s caloric intake. Your puppy gets a personalized plan based on their specific stats, including specific requirements for breed size and more, and all you need to do is feed them according to their customized feeding schedule. Making adjustments is easy too, as The Farmer’s Dog is on-hand 24/7 to help answer questions and make changes to your pup’s plan as needed.
• Maintain Gut Health: Dogs have sensitive stomachs, and changes in diet can cause GI distress and digestive flora disruption. Another benefit to The Farmer’s Dog recipes is that they’re all formulated to meet the nutritional needs of puppies as well as adult dogs; you won’t have to transition them from “puppy” to “adult” food, and they can keep getting all of the nutritional benefits from The Farmer’s Dog at all life stages.
• Ideal for Weight Maintenance: With portions tailored to your puppy’s specific needs as they grow up into adulthood, The Farmer’s Dog will support your pup in maintaining a healthy weight (and all of the critical health conditions that come with it) by delivering exactly the nutrients they need, no more and no less.

Optimal Growth vs. Maximal Growth

Puppies grow quickly, maturing to adulthood in 10 to 12 months for small and medium breeds, and 18 to 24 months for large and giant breeds.

An optimal growth rate is ideal for puppies. This is a slow and steady rate of growth that allows a puppy to achieve an ideal body composition while avoiding overweight and obesity. Why does ideal composition matter? Maintaining a healthy weight can help contribute to a longer, healthier life for dogs. And as every pet parent knows, the more time we get to have with our furry best friends, the better. 

A maximal growth rate, on the other hand, means that the puppy grows as fast as possible, usually due to being fed high-energy foods, overfeeding or free-choice feeding (aka: having food available at all times). While some may see this as a good thing, maximal growth rate can increase a puppy’s risk of skeletal deformities, obesity and a shortened life expectancy.

Regular weigh-ins at the vet and body condition assessments can help ensure your puppy is growing at an optimal rate.

Monitoring Body Condition

Did you know a puppy’s body weight can double within eight to 10 days after birth? Their bodies are hard at work growing and changing during this time, and it’s important for pet owners to keep an eye on their growth and weight to make sure things are progressing in a healthy way.

Your vet will keep track of your puppy’s weight and body condition score at each visit, but there are a few things pet parents can monitor at home to make sure they’re on the right track. 

Up to three months old, a puppy will retain its rounder belly, which is just one sign of a healthy, fast-growing pup. But once they reach four months old, you can start keeping track of their body condition using the same standards that are used for adult dogs. Using a body condition score chart, examine your puppy from the side and feel their midsection. Ribs should not be visible, but are able to be felt underneath a bit of padding. They should have a visible, tapered waistline as well. Check with your veterinarian to determine any necessary adjustments to feeding schedule and caloric intake. 

With a little diligence—and a lot of love—we can ensure that we enrich our puppy’s life as much as they enrich ours. Use this guide when you’re ready to jump into puppy parenthood, and you’ll have the nutrition side of things covered. Potty training, however, is a whole different animal.