{"id":3255,"date":"2019-05-10T11:35:55","date_gmt":"2019-05-10T15:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pawboost.com\/blog\/?p=3255"},"modified":"2023-09-19T16:07:53","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T20:07:53","slug":"puppy-feeding-schedule-whats-the-best-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pawboost.com\/blog\/puppy-feeding-schedule-whats-the-best-schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"Puppy Feeding Schedule: What\u2019s The Best Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article is contributed by guest writer, John Woods (dog trainer and member of the association of professional dog trainers).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppy Feeding Schedule: What\u2019s The Best Schedule<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Not only does a regular feeding schedule keep your pup\u2019s small tummy from\nbeing over-stretched, but a routine when raising a puppy can make life so much\neasier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular feeding times lead to regular toilet breaks and regular toilet\nbreaks help you nail potty training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping a puppy busy whilst you\u2019re busy will also mean he\u2019s more likely to sleep when you need him to as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could raising a puppy be that simple? \nWell, no, but we have some pointers to make it easier than it could be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo Credit: Snapwire via Pexels<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppy Feeding Techniques<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Feeding your pup on a schedule\nas opposed to free-feeding (where you leave a bowl out for pup to help himself)\nhas a number of benefits.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can control what he eats, which is necessary for appropriate growth and development and it\u2019s easy to increase or reduce calories as needed (you simply feed more or less).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can see immediately if he\u2019s off his food, which is often a symptom of a range of health issues and if you have a multi-pet home, you stand more of a chance of the right animal eating the correct food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo Credit: Kaboompics.com via Pexels<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why A Routine Is Important For A Puppy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Planning a feeding schedule automatically draws you to a routine.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When pup is young, after each meal, you\u2019ll take him out to go\npotty.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the back of your mind, you\u2019ve got a pretty good idea of when he\u2019ll\nnext need to go out, so you predict it and reduce the chance that he\u2019ll have an\naccident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve planned your walks around feeding times too, you may notice that there will be a gap mid-afternoon where pup isn\u2019t really doing much.  This could be when you play some games with him or work on some training.  You may even decide to feed his lunch in a slow feeder or as a game.  Many studies have shown that animals prefer to work for their food, so this could be a great way to add some extra stimulation to his day.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what\u2019s the best schedule? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There isn\u2019t a perfect feeding schedule, everyone has different\nlifestyles and routines, but there are some general pointers which can help you\nget started.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as you wake up, let Pup out to go potty.  Ignore him until he has and then praise and\nreward him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo Credit: Kaboompics.com via Pexels<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food Before or After Exercise?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may decide to take him for a walk now or give him his\nbreakfast.  The important thing is to\nwait around an hour before doing the opposite. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you feed him, wait an hour to go for a walk, or if you head straight out for a walk, wait an hour before you feed him.  It has been thought that this wait period reduces the chance of bloat<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your\npup will need 3-4 meals per day.  This is\nso you can easily spread the high number of calories he needs to grow!  A general guide would be as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n