What food should my 9-month-old dog eat: puppy, junior, or adult?

I use the large breed adult food from 9 months on. I like the dogs to grow a little slower to prevent bone problems. Soska will reach her full size but it will just take a little longer with less bone and joint issues. I usually mix the new food with the old food for a week or two so she doesn't get a stomach upset. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Soska.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Junior dog food has a different calcium to phosphorus ratio, as well as having higher energy/fat amounts in the food. This is designed for growing animals. Adult dogs should have adult food as the majority of their diet so that they don't gain weight, and the higher fiber is good for their gut. If you give Sharon junior food once and a while, that is not a problem, but in general feed him adult food. Best of luck with Sharon!

I would continue her on a puppy food until she is 1 year old. At that time you can transition to to an adult maintenance food. When you transition her be sure to mix the old food with her new food for at least 7-10 days to help prevent an upset tummy. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It would be best to try to switch her food to another puppy brand. However, it is important to continue her on puppy food for at least another 2-3 months. This will let her grow appropriately as needed. You may try highly palatable kibble blends like the shredded blend diets from Purina Pro Plan or possibly canned food. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi there. I would recommend feeding both, but make sure it's a diet made for small breed dogs and is high quality. There are a variety of brands available, some good ones are Royal Canin, Natural Balance, Taste of the Wild but you may also want to ask your vet's advice so they can make a recommendation based on your pet's needs. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

No worries. Dry food can be introduced as early as 3-4 weeks, as long as it is softened.Then by 6 weeks of age your pet can be on dry kibble only (no softening needed) if desired. Your pet Soska doesn’t need to be in any softened food at her age. I hope this helps. Take care!

Ideally, growing dogs should be fed puppy food as their nutritional needs are different, especially for minerals such as calcium. Energy demands and protein levels are generally higher for growing dogs so as long as she has not become significantly overweight or has any lameness/joint pain this diet would be unlikely to have any side effects!