Do puppies need to eat at night, or can they wait until morning?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would change her feeding times. Feed her dinner earlier. Be sure you are limiting snacks at night and you aren't feeding more than twice a day. If that doesn't work or you are already doing that, then I would change her diet. It may take some trial and error to find the right food. I hope this helps and I wish you the best!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Feeding in the morning and evening, or after they have had a chance to cool down is a good idea. Puppies ideally will have access to food at all times, so having a corner with food and water accessible for them throughout the day is best. Best of luck with your puppies!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Luna. Yes, I would change her meal time to the mornings. Dogs typically will need to have a bowel movement after a meal. So this makes it more likey that she will need to have a bowel movement overnight. I would also take her out frequently during the day so that she will have less of need to go out at night. It has probably become a bit of a habit for her to go out at night. So it will take some time for her to adjust to the new schedule. I hope this information helps!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Puppies this young need their sleep, so I would not wake him up when he is sleeping! He will eventually get on more of a normal schedule, but this may take some time. When he is awake, you can absolutely play with him as much as possible during the day to tire him out, but he will still need frequent naps. This is necessary and healthy for growth! I hope this is helpful!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! New born puppies will need to eat every couple hours. You can wake them up, but keep in mind most healthy pups will wake up on their open when they are hungry! Best of luck!

A puppy’s meal schedule must include three measured meals a day, preferably at the same time every day. The best time for your puppy’s first meal is around 7 a.m., noontime for lunch, and 5 p.m. for dinner. The last meal should always be around 5 p.m. so that he will have ample time to digest his food and eliminate one last time before bedtime. Stick to this basic puppy feeding schedule until the puppy reaches 14 to 18 weeks old, at which point the meal schedule should change to two meals a day (unless your veterinarian suggests otherwise). That is an example of a feeding schedule: 6:30 a.m. wake up, quick exercise 7:00 a.m. morning meal, outdoor walking, playtime then back to crate 10:00 a.m. outdoor walking, bonding time with owner then back to crate 12:00 (noon) midday meal 1:00 p.m. outdoor walking, playtime then back to crate 5:00 p.m. evening meal, outdoor walking, playtime 7:00 p.m. short outdoor walk, playtime, then back to crate 9:00 p.m. bedtime (in his crate or in your bedroom)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While it may seem too simple, the best way to resolve this issue is by ignoring her when she tries to play at those times. Eventually she will learn that it is not ok to do that and will stop waking up at that time to do it. Keep in mind though that she is a puppy and is behaving like a puppy would be expected to. This should help. Have a good day!