Hello. I have found a breeder to get a new puppy, I am on a waiting list. I read many posts (not here) that suggest a puppy should eat 3-4 time a day. The breeder suggested to feed only twice a day. Which one is the best method? Obviously the puppy will have been fed only twice a day.
It is recommended 4 times a day to start with as their tummies are so small and unable to digest that much food in one go. A typical issue with over feeding in one go can cause very loose stools. Once they are older you can decrease their meals.
Guide Dogs feed four meals a day until 14 weeks then three until 24 weeks then two a day from then on. Keir is six months and I’m now slowly fading the mid day meal. He’ll be on two meals by the time he’s seven months. I find suddenly making the other meals bigger leads to soft poos.
All the advice I've read in recent years advocates feeding puppies 3 or 4 times a day, with a preference for 4. Even our 'friend' CM advises 3 or 4 meals a day. This allows small meals which helps digestion and energy levels are more consistent. In all honesty I would be asking the breeder why they only feed twice a day when all advice is contrary to that.
We fed Bailey 4 small meals a day - when we tried to fade one out he was really put out! We kept him on three meals a day until he was nearly a year old as he was such a picky eater with dry kibble, often refusing a feed - we swapped to raw food and since then he has been on two meals a day and scoffs his food "like a Labrador" .
Four meals a day is more normal for a a young puppy, gradually decreasing to three and then two, as suggested already on this post. Do ask the breeder more questions, as two meals a day for an eight(?) week old puppy seems odd.
Hi Madone. Bailey is 10 weeks old, the breeder said to feed her 3 times a day but I’ve found that her poos are loose but not runny. Sorry too much information I know!! As of today I’m going to try and feed her 4 smaller meals instead as I think her digestive system was struggling. So far her poo has returned to normal so I’ll see how it goes. Just ask the breeder how much they feed the puppies at both meals and ask if they’ve had any trouble but be prepared to change it once puppy is with you. All puppies are different but you’ll find what works best once you have the puppy. Good luck
This is so good to know. I did wonder when River, who's going to be 16 weeks on Saturday, should move over to, two feeds a day. Thank you so much for the info
I did think in was odd too. But the breeder has been in business for 2 decades. Very reputable and all the dogs and puppies were very well looked after and well behaved. They must be doing something right. They have a large waiting list, much longer than some of the breeders I visited. I don't know.
Remember, just because someone has been doing something for a long time, it doesn't make it right, nor does it mean they've kept up to date with current thinking. Feeding four times a day certainly has no negatives, and if nothing else, think of it as twice as many times in the day your puppy gets to think that you're amazing!
