What to feed new pup

[Manglinmike]

I am going to pick up a choc lab pup next week and it has being years since I have had a dog let alone a pup .So I was wondering what and how much to feed him?I know from visits to the fram to see the pups there not to picky,but I don't want to fill him up on floor sweepings and I don't want to spend more on his groceries than on mine.:???:

[coach]

Labs will eat and eat and eat and eat... Make sure you pick a suitable brand of dog food. Measure out the amount you feed them and don't leave any food laying around. Our lab is now 9 months old and we feed her one cup of food, three times per day. She's lean and healthy. We ran into one of her sisters, by coincidence, this winter. By contrast, that one is borderline obese. Clearly the owner is either free pouring her food or has been giving her table scraps. We have a 12 year old lab who is fed one cup twice per day. When she was a puppy, the vet gave my girlfriend some important advice, "a Labrador's desire to please is second only to their desire to eat". As a result, all of our cupboards are on full lock down when when we leave the house. If we forget to close one, it's a guarantee we will come home to food all over the house and a very ashamed looking dog.

[Foxton Gundogs]

We always have fed Iams Smart Puppy twice a day for weaned pups ready to go to new homes. But just recently have swithced to Super Store's PC puppy food. Seems to be working well(it's currently made by Iams) acording to the website link posted here in another thread on "grub" Kirkland seems to be one of the best.

[Angus]

When you first get the pup, keep using the brand that the breeder is using. If you try to change brands at this time, as the Trailer Park Boys say, you'll be in for a sh!tstorm. A tablespoon of canned pumpkin will help when your pup gets the "squirts" though.

Any good breeder would also provide info on how much they are getting fed, and provide recommendations for feeding (volume and schedule). Talk it over with the breeder, and / or your vet.

If you do decide, as the pup gets older, to switch to another brand of food, blend it in slowly with the current food over a one to two week period. It gives the pup's digestive system time to adjust.

As others have said, if you leave food out, or leave easy access to it, the pup will eat it. These are labs and will eat just about anything. As a vet once said to me, "We can tell when a Lab is dead, 'cause it's stopped eating."

Good luck with your new pup!

[Aimer]

you should let him have food in his bowl all the time at the start and when you start thinking he is eating to much then you should cut down his food. Later you can feed him 3 times a day at the most.

[Foxton Gundogs]

When you first get the pup, keep using the brand that the breeder is using. If you try to change brands at this time, as the Trailer Park Boys say, you'll be in for a sh!tstorm. A tablespoon of canned pumpkin will help when your pup gets the "squirts" though.

Any good breeder would also provide info on how much they are getting fed, and provide recommendations for feeding (volume and schedule). Talk it over with the breeder, and / or your vet.

If you do decide, as the pup gets older, to switch to another brand of food, blend it in slowly with the current food over a one to two week period. It gives the pup's digestive system time to adjust.

As others have said, if you leave food out, or leave easy access to it, the pup will eat it. These are labs and will eat just about anything. As a vet once said to me, "We can tell when a Lab is dead, 'cause it's stopped eating."

Good luck with your new pup!


DEFINATELY!!!! Very important piece of advice, Sorry should have mentioned that in my earlier post. ......'OLD GUY BRAIN FART(or is that old fart brain guy)'

[Foxton Gundogs]

you should let him have food in his bowl all the time at the start and when you start thinking he is eating to much then you should cut down his food. Later you can feed him 3 times a day at the most.

Gotta strongly disagree after an uncountable number of pups I have found that by feeding twice a day(breakfast and dinner) it breaks the day up into2 relatively even"rest" periods for digestion and its "by product". this along with crateing makes house training WAY easier on both pup and owner(or would that be owner's wife LOL)

[Kasomor]

Feed what your breeder is and the amount that your breeder is for now. If you want to switch foods do so gradually over a week of time.

If your breeder is free-feeding..stop. Feed a measured amount so you can control the amount your pup is eating.

I feed a high quality dry dog food as the bulk of my dog’s diet. I do not feed puppy food to my pups.

I feed an “all life stages” food that you feed more or less of depending on what your dog needs are at that time of their lives.

Most puppy foods are too high in protein and calories thus causing pups to grow to fast which puts stress on bones and joints. High protein foods may also cause stomach upset in some pups... or not. :-D If you choose to feed puppy food, feed LARGE breed puppy food to your lab pup.

My dogs food costs $60 per 30lbs. Yup, lots of cheaper ones out there...and there are more expensive ones too. :mrgreen:

Keep in mind that while $60 may seem like a lot of money, dogs eat less of a high quality food as it is richer in nutrients and usable calories then lower quality food. Less food eaten with more nutrients used by the body directly translates into a healthier dog, less clean up in the yard and less money spent on food!

I feed pups 3 meals per day til 4 months old then 2 meals a day for the rest of their lives.

If pups stool is soft ...and they will be because of all the stuff they eat when outside! Cut back on their food and that will usually firm it up. A tablespoon or two of canned 100% pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling) can also be added to firm up stool.

Pup should be cleaning the dish at every meal. If pup walks away from food and there is still food in the dish…cut back on the amount of food. If pup is looking for more increase the amount of food slightly so pup is satisfied after a meal but hungry at the next.

It is best to keep pup on the lean side as less body weight places less stress on growing bones.

Amount of food as your pup grows will depend on the quality of the food you choose to feed, the activity level and metabolism of your dog.

Again you want to ensure your pup/ dog is on the lean side. You should easily be able to feel your dog’s ribs without digging your fingers in, see a waistline and tuck-up.

Monitoring your dog’s weight should be a daily occurrence.

And a FAT puppy is not a healthy puppy, it is on it's way to being a PIGADOR! :(:(

[wiggy]

Lots of good foods out there; we switch em up and the dogs love it. I mix foods wet with dry even though some vets dont like it. My dogs are all big strong and healthy. They likes the gravy. I will use one soup can to three dry bowls. Not every day either or they wont eat just kibble. Taste of the Wild; Merrick; Orijen; We like grain free; feed em twice a day and let em eat till their full. Gets them in the routine then when their older you can go to one time. Use chondrition sulfate if its not in your feed. Stuff is great for bones. Most people use it for horses but it is awesome for dogs.
We also give dehydrated meats as treats none of that processed bs. Chicken is cheap and the meat is good for em