# Feed Schedule Questions



## TheHappyPeanut (Oct 13, 2011)

Does anyone have an example food schedule I can follow for my pup? He's eight weeks old right now and I just brought him home today... trying to get everything situated with him but I'm a little confused on the best routine for feeding. Also, should he have water readily available when he's out of his crate or should I only provide water with his meals?


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I'm going to move this to Basic Care forum)

In the meantime, my schedule has always been for an 8 week old puppy,,fed 3 x a day..about 3/4 to 1 cup of food,,I never restrict water, tho some do..


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

actually I moved it to the Feeding our Puppy forum


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i fed my pup in the am, noonish
and the pm. my pup had water availabe
all of the time. i took his water bowl
away around 7:00 pm.


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## Six (Oct 16, 2011)

I feed Six around 7am, Noon and 5pm. For a couple days we gave him water around 7am, 10am, and a couple times through the afternoon until he learned where the bathroom was. During that time he rarely ran out of water before the next batch but we were able to better estimate when he would need out based on when and how much he drank. Now he has access to water anytime and it is taken away at 7pm, bedtime between 8:30 and 10.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I have water available all the time. I never pick up the water in the evening either. IMO, part of having a baby puppy is taking them out when they need to "go". 

Feeding schedule depends on your schedule. Are you home all day or do you work? I feed baby puppies 3 times a day, plus a "Bed time snack" so they don't have to go 12+ hours between dinner and breakfast.


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## AngusMcGee (Oct 29, 2011)

I kind of have a question along the same lines. When we got Angus from the breeder, they said he was getting a cup of food 3 times a day. He hasn't eaten that much since we brought him home. We'll give him about a cup of food in his dish in the morning and he doesn't hardly touch it. He'll nibble on it throughout the day, and then we'll feed him again around 5 or 6 in the evening. 

I know we're not supposed to free feed him all day, but I feel bad taking his food away in the morning if he hasn't eaten anything. Is this going to have to be a tough love type of thing for a few days so he realizes that he can only eat when we put the dish out and then put it away after about an hour or so?


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Remember that the important thing about a schedule is to keep to it as close as possible. Really consider your normal daily schedule and incorporate puppy feeding into it. 

Example: if you feed at 6:00 am during the week, make sure you stay as close to 6:00 am on the weekends. 

Puppies don't wear watches, but they do have internal alarm clocks!


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Yep. Sounds like it is time for some "tough love". I wouldn't give him "an hour our so" to eat is, I would give him 15 minutes to start eating. If he is eating after 15 minutes I would let him finish, but if he walks away, I would pick it up. How old is he? And what are you feeding him?


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## AngusMcGee (Oct 29, 2011)

Angus just turned 10 weeks today. We are feeding him Iams Large Breed Puppy, just like the breeder was. We've notice he'll eat quite a bit at night, but so far today he's only eaten about a cup of food. He's drinking just fine, but he was also kind of tired today, slept almost all day.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

How long have you had him? How much does he eat at night, just his 1 cup or are you giving him more than that?


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## AngusMcGee (Oct 29, 2011)

We've had him two weeks now. My husband has been giving him about a cup, maybe a cup and a half in the evenings and he dang near licks the bowl clean. So then that raises the question, should we give him more? We did a few times, but he just kind of looked at it, didn't really eat it, so I think that answers my own question.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

AngusMcGee said:


> We've had him two weeks now. My husband has been giving him about a cup, maybe a cup and a half in the evenings and he dang near licks the bowl clean. So then that raises the question, should we give him more? We did a few times, but he just kind of looked at it, didn't really eat it, so I think that answers my own question.


Up to 3-4 months the puppy should eat as much as it wants 3-4 times a day until the first signs of being full. Measuring at this age is not a good idea.


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