Dog turning 1: When to change food, what's best & how many apples?

A piece of apple will not be toxic to Joey but it could upset his stomach. I would recommend sticking with a well rounded puppy food diet and a small amount of treats as rewards. I recommend staying away from people food because some like onions and chocolate are toxic but also it teaches Joey young to not beg for human food. Hope that helps

Hi Diana! At 4 months of age, Joey is still very much a puppy. I generally recommend feeding a good quality puppy food, such as Science Diet, Royal Canin, or Purina ProPlan (here are some examples: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=29265 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=31148 ) for the first year of life. When Joey turns 1, you can transition him to an adult dog food. Any time you change his diet - even if it is just to a different protein source of the same brand - be sure to do so gradually over 5-7 days. Sudden diet changes can lead to vomiting and diarrhea for some dogs. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Congratulations on your new addition! As a general rule of thumb, I typically recommend feeding Science Diet, Royal Canin or Purina ProPlan foods. These companies do extensive clinical testing to assure that their foods are nutritionally appropriate and source ingredients appropriately. Odin should eat a puppy food until he is 1 year old. Anytime you change his diet, be sure to do so by gradually mixing old and new foods together over a 5-7 day period. Sudden diet changes have a greater chance of causing vomiting and diarrhea.

I recommend switching to adult right at 1 year of age, but if you wanted to make the transition now I think that would be fine. If she seems to be doing well on her current food it's a good idea to stick with the same brand.

Dogs don't need apples as part of their daily diet, but they are a relatively healthy treat as long as you make sure to remove the seeds. So you can give him a piece of apple every day if you want to - I would not expect this to cause any problems.

You can monitor his growth and weight and when he has reached maturity then you can switch him to an adult dog food. Probably between 12 and 16 months of age. Gradually switch him to the new food as diet change can cause gastric upset. Too much protein should not make him hyperactive.

You can begin the transition to an adult diet around 12 months of age. If she is not to shown or bred, consider having her spayed to prevent accidental or unwanted litters and to decrease the risk of uterine infections and certain cancers later in life.