when to feed a puppy

[sweeps mum]

Our puppy is nearly 9 weeks old. The breeder said that they fed him every eight hours which worked out at 6am 12 noon 6pm 12 midnight. We are finding that he doesn't really have a pattern for feeds. If he goes to his bowl we tend to feed him and sometimes he eats it all sometimes half. Midnight seems very late if we want him to settle to sleep and also not need the loo in the night so we have been fedding 10.30/11pm. Also should he have water in the night - he's on dried food. What do other people think?                    

[tracey]

My puppies are fed at 7-7.30am 12 noon 4-5pm and 9pm. I advise owners to feed the puppy somewhere fairly quiet so they are not distracted. Leave the food down  just long enough for puppy to eat it. If they are hungry they will usually clear the bowl quickly. Remove the food bowl and any uneaten food after 5-10 minutes. Don't offer any other food or treats between meals as you need to establish proper meal times.
What food are you using? A 9 week old puppy will have a very small stomach and may not eat as much as you would expect. By bringing the last meal forward your puppy will have enough time to have a drink before bed. If you are using a crate a water bowl can be a bit messy, they usually end up tipping it over. I usually recommend bringing the last meal forward gradually so by the time your puppy is down to 3 meals the last meal is given at about 6.00pm
Hope this helps, Tracey                    

[Jane S]

I agree with Tracey - our pups are fed about the same times with usually 4-5 hours between meals. 6 hours is quite a long time for a pup to go without food as they have such small tummies If you haven't had your pup very long, it can take a while to get into a normal feeding pattern as he will naturally still be adjusting to his new home & may be missing his litter mates. If you follow Tracy's advice, he should soon get into a more regular routine.

Jane                    

[bluegirl]

Hi,
I fed my cocker pup 4 times a day
8am   honey and milk drink
12noon  cereal and herb mixture with milk (soaked overnight)
4pm 2oz shredded raw meat
8pm 2oz shredded raw meat with wheatgerm and bran followed by raw breast of lamb bones

At 4mths I omitted the 8am fed and by 8mths she had 2 meals a day ie. cereal at midday and a meat meal in the evening

Hope this is of help (although I understand that natural rearing is not for everyone the principle of spacing meal times is the same)
From Karen and Penny