What to Feed a Puppy: How Much, How Often, and When to Switch

Feed a puppy food labeled complete and balanced for growth or all life stages. If your puppy will weigh 70 lb or more as an adult, the label should also say it includes growth of large size dogs.

Offer four meals a day until 12 weeks, three until 6 months, then two. Switch to adult food once your puppy is nearly full-grown.

The rest of this guide explains each step, and the one label line worth checking before you buy.

Which puppy food should I buy?

Start with one line on the bag. AAFCO calls the nutritional adequacy statement perhaps the most important part of a pet food label, because it tells you which life stage the food was made for.

AAFCO recognizes four life stages: gestation/lactation, growth, maintenance and all life stages. Different stages need different amounts and ratios of nutrients.

For a puppy, look for "growth" or "all life stages". A food labeled only for adult maintenance was built for a grown dog, and the Merck Veterinary Manual says puppies need food with enough calories, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals for growth.

Watch for one more phrase. A product "intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only" is not complete and balanced. AAFCO requires that wording on foods that don't meet the standard.

Why does puppy size matter?

Here's a detail that's easy to miss. Under AAFCO's model regulations, every dog food labeled for growth or all life stages must end its claim with one of two phrases, word for word.

• "including growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult)"
• "except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult)"

If your puppy is headed past 70 lb, choose the first. Merck states that large- and giant-breed puppies should eat a complete and balanced growth food carrying that statement.

Merck adds that small- and medium-breed puppies can eat a growth or all-life-stages food that doesn't meet the large-size criteria. So the "except" line is fine for a puppy who will stay under 70 lb.

How often should a puppy eat?

Young puppies eat little and often. This is the schedule from the Merck Veterinary Manual:

Very small breeds may need more. Merck notes that small-breed puppies may have to eat more than three times a day.

Regular mealtimes help with more than hunger. Merck lists "after meals" among the times puppies naturally need to go, so a steady meal schedule makes it easier to potty train a puppy.

Keep water out too. The ASPCA advises that pets have fresh, clean water available at all times. If you're wondering about other drinks, our guide answers can dogs drink milk.

How much should I feed my puppy?

Begin with the feeding directions on the bag. AAFCO requires every complete and balanced food to state how much to feed per weight of the animal for its life stage.

Treat that number as a starting point. Merck says any daily feeding recommendation should be adjusted based on the dog's weight and condition.

Here's the surprising part. Growing faster is not better. Merck states that overfeeding speeds up growth, which is incompatible with proper skeletal development and adds to the risk of being overweight later in life.

Merck is clear that a slow growth rate is preferable to a fast one. The ASPCA agrees, and warns against overfeeding to speed a puppy's growth.

It's reassuring, too. Merck describes research in which large-breed puppies ate only 50% to 70% of what their littermates chose to eat. Their adult height, length, bone and muscle were not stunted. Only body fat was affected.

Can I leave food out all day?

For small-breed puppies, the ASPCA says it is okay to leave dry food out for them to eat as they wish.

For bigger puppies, measured meals work better. The ASPCA notes that most medium-breed and all large- or giant-breed puppies benefit from controlled feeding, because eating too much at this stage can cause bone or joint problems.

How do I know my puppy is a healthy weight?

Use two checks: the scale and your hands. Merck recommends weighing a growing large-breed puppy weekly and adjusting meals so it gains a small amount each week.

Then check body condition. The WSAVA's 9-point body condition chart puts the ideal at 4 to 5. At that score, you can feel the ribs without a layer of excess fat.

• From above, you can see a waist behind the ribs.
• From the side, the belly tucks up behind the chest.
• Ribs you can see from across the room, or can't feel at all, both fall outside the ideal range.

The WSAVA's nutrition guidelines flag any score below 4 or above 5 as worth a closer look with your vet. Your vet can score your puppy at each visit and show you how to do it at home.

Call your vet promptly if your puppy:

• stops gaining weight, or loses it
• scores below 4 or above 5 on the body condition chart

When should a puppy switch to adult food?

When your puppy is close to full-grown. Merck's professional manual recommends a less nutrient-dense adult food once a dog reaches about 90% of its expected adult weight.

That arrives at different ages for different sizes. Merck's guide for owners says most dogs reach adulthood at 9 to 12 months, while large and giant breeds can take almost 2 years.

Merck's professional manual gives a slightly different window for skeletal maturity: 8 to 12 months for small and medium breeds, and 10 to 16 months for large and giant breeds.

The sources agree on one point. Merck says to keep feeding a growth food until skeletal maturity, not only until obvious growth has stopped. Your vet can tell you when your puppy has reached it.

Do puppies need extra supplements or snacks?

A puppy on a complete and balanced growth food rarely needs anything added. The ASPCA says a vitamin supplement is unnecessary on a complete and balanced food unless a vet diagnoses a specific deficiency.

Merck goes further for bones. It says adding calcium, phosphorus or vitamin D beyond what a complete growth food already provides is rarely necessary and may be inadvisable.

Merck also notes that too much calcium is more of a problem for growing large and giant breeds, from weaning to 1 year.

Snacks need a budget. Merck and the WSAVA use 10% of daily calories as the upper limit for treats and table food. The ASPCA's guidance is stricter, at five percent or less of daily food.

The calorie content on the label makes this easier. AAFCO requires it per kilogram and per familiar unit, such as per cup or per biscuit.

Chewing is its own story at this age. Our guide to puppy teething toys covers what is safe to give.

Questions new puppy parents ask

What is the best puppy food?

One labeled complete and balanced for growth or all life stages, with the large-size statement if your puppy will be 70 lb or more as an adult. Your vet can help you choose between brands.

Do large breed puppies need special puppy food?

Yes. Merck says large- and giant-breed puppies should eat a growth food labeled as including growth of large size dogs.

Can small breed puppies eat all life stages food?

Yes. Merck notes that small- and medium-breed puppies can eat a growth or all-life-stages food without the large-size statement.

How many times a day should I feed my puppy?

Four meals from 6 to 12 weeks, three from 3 to 6 months, and two from 6 to 12 months, following Merck's schedule.

When do puppies stop eating puppy food?

At about 90% of expected adult weight. For most dogs that is 9 to 12 months, and it can take close to 2 years for large and giant breeds.

Sources

• Merck Veterinary Manual: Puppy Care
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Feeding Practices in Small Animals
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals
• AAFCO: Reading Labels
• AAFCO: Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food
• WSAVA: Body Condition Score, Dog
• Freeman L, et al. WSAVA Nutritional Assessment Guidelines. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2011
• ASPCA: Dog Nutrition Tips

This article is for general information and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your own puppy — they know the animal in front of them.