How to feed a growing puppy who's gaining weight and picky?

What a cute puppy! With him being 7 months old and a small breed dog, I think that Lucas is slowing down on his growing. This can cause a reduction in his appetite. I find that the more that we change a dog's food- the more pickier they become. I would stick with one brand, offer 1/3 of slightly less than the daily recommended amount (they sell dog food, so the more he eats the more you buy) three times daily. Give him a set amount of time and then pick up the bowl. This will create some urgency. He will eat if he is hungry. The more we change and add things, the more he will wait to eat to see what good stuff will be added. I would keep track of his body condition score- you should be able to feel his ribs with a little bit of fat cover, but not see them. As long as he is in good body condition, I would not worry. Some dogs are not food motivated and will just eat what they need. If you have any questions about his weight or body condition score, you can ask your veterinarian. I don't think that grain free food are necessary. Dogs are omnivores.

Hi. It appears Bonea is a young large breed dog. I think Royal Canin foods may be available for you. If so I highly recommend thier large breed puppy/growth formulas. Feed only that diet. You can even use pieces of kibble as treats when training. Most healthy puppies will eat when hungry so getting him to eat shouldn't be a problem. No table food or scraps what so ever. If he is very picky or not eating well or growing well then a veterinary visit may be needed. Hope this helps.

It is likey just that - him being picky and stubborn. I would see if he would at least eat canned food. Canned food is at least more of a balance diet than just chicken and rice. If he doesn't eat, be sure to give him some nutrical to help keep his blood sugar up since he is so tiny. It will likely take you becoming stubborn as well to get him to transition to regular diet, but you don't want him to miss too many meals. You could also slowly mix in some soften kibbles with the chicken to help him get use to the taste and over a few weeks, decrease the amount of water you use to soft the kibbles and decrease the chicken as well. If you end up just cooking for him, I would visit balanceit.com to ensure he is getting a balanced diet. I hope this helps !

Bravo sounds like a typical Golden Retriever! They can be very food motivated. I would ask your vet about the proper amounts to feed him based on his weight, and they'll be able to tell you if he's growing aappropriately as well. We don't want large breed dogs growing too fast as it can predispose them to joint problems. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Goodness Paddy is super cute! I would cut out the egg. We want growing puppies to eat the puppy food and get the nutrients they need. Dogs are smart and will pick out the parts they want. If you want to add egg to the diet do it less often (1-2 times per week). I think 3 times a day feeding is as much as you should do and I would only do it until 12-14 weeks of age then do twice s day feeding. From your pictures he looks to be a healthy weight. You can add water or a little bit of canned puppy food to the dry to encourage him to eat it. He also may not need as much as you are offering. The bag is good place to find out how much to feed but if the puppy is to think give more or too fat give less. I wish you all the best!

Congratulations on your new baby! I definitely recommend getting him back on his puppy food, since it nutritionally balanced for his growing body. My favorite brands are Science Diet and Royal Canin. Feed the highest quality food you can afford, since this will help prevent illness in the future and save money on vet bills in the long run. The bad news is it sounds like he's training you they way he wants you, the good news is you can correct his behavior. Dogs can go without eating for a few days without any detrimental effects, unlike cats. So, to convince him he needs to eat his food, offer his puppy food in two to three meals a day. Read the directions on the bag or can for guidelines on how much to feed per day and divide that into however many meals you need to. You can offer dry, canned or a combination. It may help him transition if you offer him some canned food with the dry, and/or moisten the dry with some low-sodium chicken broth to entice him to eat. Try to keep him on a regular a schedule as you can. Put his food down in the morning and give him 20 minutes to eat it. If he doesn't eat it, take it up, and put it away for the next meal. Only give him treats for doing something, such as training or going potty outside, and only a few. You don't want to have him rely on treats as a meal. When it's time for the next meal, put his food down, give him 20 minutes. When he gets hungry enough, usually after a day or so, he'll eat. Don't feed him anything off the table either. If he begs and you feel you have to give him something, keep a bowl of his kibble on the table and give him that. Most dogs think it's fantastic because it came off the table from you.

Hello, and congratulations on your new puppy! The most important thing is to feed Arjun a well-balanced commercial kibble designed for growth. Your Pedigree diet should cover that - just make sure that it is formulated for puppies. Beyond that, everything else is considered a treat (carrot, apples, egg, etc). All these treats should not total more than 10% of his total intake of food in a day, although you may feed more treats during this early stage of potty and obedience training. As for feeding times, I like to feed puppies 3 times a day at this age. Over the next month, you can reduce this frequency to 2 times a day. Each time, leave out a full bowl and let him eat as much as he wants. Then take away the dish after 15 minutes. This ensures that he eats until he is full, but ensures that he doesn't get bored of his food if it is available all the time. You should start giving more exact portions of food after the age of 6 months, as their growth will slow down significantly at this point and they will be more prone to becoming overweight. I hope this helps, and that Arjun is happy and healthy!