How often to feed a puppy? Establishing a puppy feeding schedule

Wondering how to create a healthy diet and feeding schedule for your puppy? While all breeds are different and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, here are some general guidelines to give you more confidence when you welcome your new puppy  home. 

Read on to learn what food is best, how often to feed a puppy during the day,  how much to feed them and when puppies should transition to adult food.

How much and how often do you feed a puppy? 

How many times a day you should feed a puppy very much depends on age and breed. On average though, a puppy should be fed 4-5 meals a day after they have weaned at 8 weeks, and then 2-3 meals a day until they are 5-6 months old. Feeding little and often fuels rapid growth without overloading little tummies.

Breed, age, exercise levels and type of food will all determine the amount you should feed your puppy.  Quantities directed on the tin, pouch or dry food will provide you with guidance on how much to feed your puppy, and your vet will be able to offer additional advice for supporting their healthy development.. 

There’s no substitute for using your eyes to judge if your puppy looks about the right weight, and it’s advised that you weigh them every two weeks at home or at the vets to make sure they’re on the right track. If your puppy is leaving their food for longer than 20 minutes, there is a chance that you may be overfeeding them. For more information, you can also read our tips on problem free mealtimes for puppies. 

What are the best times to feed a puppy?

The best times to feed a puppy are at regular intervals throughout the day, as a routine helps your puppy to produce digestive juices in readiness for their meal. A schedule for how often you feed a puppy also means they will be hungry at mealtimes while not overloading their tummies. See the section below for a recommended feeding schedule for your pup.

Guideline puppy feeding schedule

Our suggested feeding schedule can help you space out how many times a day you feed your puppy more evenly. Suggested activities between meals can include outdoor walking (after they have had their vaccinations) and active play as well as bonding with you and their new family. For older puppies, simple training exercises will also keep them stimulated. When not engaged in activities, puppies should be returned to their crate, the kitchen or a dedicated secure area for some welcome rest and sleep.    

What should you feed a puppy?

A puppy should be fed good-quality puppy food that will be specially balanced to meet all your puppy’s energy, protein and mineral needs, such as our tasty PEDIGREE^® Wet Pouches with rice in jelly.

Make sure you choose a food that's designed to suit puppies with immature stomachs, rather than adult or senior dogs as it will be easier for them to digest. And, of course, it must be tasty enough to enjoy! If your puppy is neutered or faces health problems during their growth, you may need to reassess what food you are feeding them to ensure it suits their needs. As well as food, always make sure your puppy always has clean, fresh water available.

Puppy Nutrition 

Your puppy requires a balanced diet that delivers extra nutrition for its development. Growth is most rapid during the puppy’s first 6 months and nutrition aids the development of teeth, bones, muscles, coat, and vision.   

As puppy immune systems are immature, you can protect them with antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, flavonoids, zinc and selenium. All these elements should be contained within good-quality puppy food and supplements are not needed, unless advised by your vet.

Dry or wet puppy food?

Dry food has a lot of nutrition in a smaller volume while wet food delivers tasty eating satisfaction for hungry puppies. When working out how often to feed your puppy, you can divide their daily feeds into wet puppy food and dry puppy food meals or combine both wet and dry food in one meal. Although both are ‘complete’ foods (meaning they have everything for healthy development), dry puppy food has more calories and a ‘crunch’ for cleaner teeth, while wet puppy food has more protein for tissue growth and moisture for hydration. Ask your vet for their advice on how to choose the best combination of wet and dry food for your puppy.

What about puppy treats?

No matter how many times you feed your puppy a day, there’s nothing like treating your pup and training them to receive a treat with good grace. It’s best to stick to low fat puppy treats which shouldn’t add up to more than 10% of their daily calories, and you should lower the amount of main meal they receive to account for this. Avoid table scraps, as these add unnecessary calories and some human food is harmful to them.     

When to stop feeding puppy food?

As well as cutting down how often you feed your puppy as they reach around 90% of their full adult weight, you’ll need to prepare for changing from puppy food to adult food. The time to do this will vary by breed so it can be as early as 9 months for little dogs or up to 2 years for larger ones. The key is to transition from one food to another over a week or so, mixing the two together to ease the effect on your dog’s digestive systems.