What should I know about training and feeding my Miniature Schnauzer?

Irati should eat about 1/3-1/2 cup of Science Diet puppy food per day mixed with some water, divided into smaller meals. Since she is still quite young and small, I generally recommend feeding 4-5 times per day. I'm working under the assumption that she is no longer with her mother, and as such is not nursing. If she is still nursing from her mom, she will not need quite as much food. As a future reference, following the chart on the bag of puppy food as Irati grows will be helpful, as you will frequently need to adjust the volume of kibble that she is eating. She should continue eating puppy food until she is 1 year old, after which time she can be transitioned to an adult dog food. Any time you make a chance in her diet, be sure to do so gradually over 5-7 days. I hope this helps!

Great question! A puppy's diet should have 8% fat and at least 22% protein. Adult dogs need 5% fat and 18% protein at a minimum. A high quality puppy formulated food and adult dog food will provide this for them. I hope this helps!

There are so many high quality foods available for dogs that it can be confusing, and marketing becomes the biggest tool that food companies have to try to give their food the "edge." Be aware that this has led to A LOT of general misinformation. I give you this information openly and honestly as a professional who has devoted the last 10+ years to the health and care of pets. Dogs (and wolves for that matter) are omnivores, meaning they have evolved to seek to eat and digest meat AND plant material. In comparison, cats (and big cats such as lions, etc) are obligate carnivores, meaning they absolutely require meat as their primary food source. While some dogs may have sensitivities to diets with grain, many dogs do not. Just like people. And for those who do NOT have a problem with grains, they are a healthy contribution to the diet. That is just a fact. The trend to favoring "grain -free" diets has been pushed by marketing and the trend of fad diets for people that favor a "paleo" or "keto" diet. Many dog food brands and companies, and many specialty boutique brands have worked to push this idea that grains are bad for all dogs, when the science is just not there. And there has been information linking grain free diets to an increase in heart disease. See this article: http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/06/a-broken-heart-risk-of-heart-disease-in-boutique-or-grain-free-diets-and-exotic-ingredients/ Here is another great article summarizing how assuming "grain free" is better may be a mistake: http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/06/grain-free-diets-big-on-marketing-small-on-truth/ Here are some good resources to help you make decisions for Mini''s food. http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/miscellaneous/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf http://www.acvn.org/frequently-asked-questions/ Thanks for asking PetCoach !

It good to be concerned about Mimi's diet. I like to feed based or her condition (thin or fat) and how hungry she is, not based on calories. A small poodle needs to eat four to six small meals a day to prevent hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, which is common in very small active puppies. It can result in seizures. I feed a good quality puppy food either dry or canned and feed enough at each meal that Mimi is hungry and just finishes it. If she is ravenous you are not feeding enough. As she gets older and bigger she will not be as hungry and you can reduce her to two meals a day. A treat when she pees and poops outside is good and give one when you put her into her crate. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Mimi.

I don't recommend giving puppies human food, many of them are toxic to dogs and aren't healthy to give to them. It's extremely hard to get a balanced diet correct at home, and it's vital that Oreo has a balanced diet because he's a growing puppy. That is why I strongly recommend feeding him a puppy formulated food. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. You can start with potty training now, but keep in mind it can take months and requires patience. You can also start other training, but keep the sessions short, like 10-15 minutes at a time, because he doesn't have a long attention span at this age. I hope this helps!

Congrats on your new addition! Ideally, she should be physically examined by your veterinarian within 3 days of arriving home to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any preexisting conditions. At the very least, she will likely need to be dewormed. Vaccines can start around 6 weeks of age and will continue every 4 weeks until about 16 weeks of age. Discuss monthly parasite prevention with your vet to protect against worms, fleas, ticks and heartworm. Feed a good quality puppy food. Look for brands such as Canidae, Acana or Merrick. You can feed according tot the directions on the bag, just know that each puppy is different and you may need to adjust the amount if Coqueta is gaining too much weight or not enough weight. Avoid store or discount brands as these may contain low quality ingredients and more fillers. Puppies typically need to go about about 20-30 minutes after eating, sleeping or playing. Expect accidents, they are going to happen. Since dogs thrive on routine, start a consistent schedule for potty breaks; first thing in the morning, midday, evening and before bedtime to begin with. Choose one spot in the yard and use it for bathroom training. She can have a short walk or playtime after she does her business. Praise and reward her each time. Avoid areas with other dogs and dogs of unknown vaccine status until she has at least 2 rounds of vaccines. Visit the PetCoach Educational Center for additional information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-first-week-with-a-new-puppy-what-to-expect https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-101-everything-you-need-to-consider/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/everything-you-should-know-about-pet-vaccines/ https://www.petcoach.co/educational-center/

Congratulations on your new puppy! It is always best to feed your new puppy, puppy dog food. Ideally, Science diet, Iams, Eukanuba, Nutro, etc. These food companies do a lot of research and testing to make sure the foods have the correct nutrients in it for them. Here are two websites for training: http://pawbark.com/potty-training-puppies-use-crate/ http://pawbark.com/9-tips-training-dog/ If you would like to know any other information just submit the question in the forum and we can always help answer your question as quickly as possible. Thank you for using PetCoach.