# Feeding my puppy (11 weeks)



## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Hey all, I have some questions about the amount of food my puppy is/should be eating.

I am pretty sure the breeder said he was getting 1 1/3 cups of food a day (fed between four meals) when I picked him up at 8 weeks old. I thought he looked a bit puny so I started him on 1 1/2 cups a day (fed between three meals).

I've now had him just over two weeks (he was 11 weeks yesterday), and I'm thinking he looks a bit puny. I asked the Vet yesterday, and she thought he looked a bit puny, and suggested letting him eat as much as he wants.

That night, I went home and fed him 1 1/2 cups of food and he devoured *all of it!* I figured maybe he was just making up for being puny, but didn't want to feed him more, since that's 3x what he had been getting. This morning and at lunch, same thing. He ate 1 1/2 cups each times. At lunch he pooped twice afterwards... not sure if that is a bad sign?

The food is high quality food, Fromm Surf & Turf. For a 15 lb dog (he was 17 today at lunch), it recommends 1 1/3 cups PER DAY. If he eats 1 1/2 cups again tonight, that'll be 4 1/2 cups for the day... which is what they recommend for a 100 lb dog!

My plan is to keep feeding him the 1 1/2 for a couple days and see if he slows down his eating or gains crazy weight, but I thought I'd ask here to make sure that is okay. My vet says she's never seen a fat puppy, but this guy is eating like a bottomless pit right now! I swear he grows at every meal!


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Kobi

Feed him as much as he will eat. Forget the charts on the bag. Leave the food down for him. You can aklways adjust his intake later.
Pudgy, but not fat, puppies are healthy puppies.


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## Keneomac (Oct 12, 2010)

Gunnr beat me to it, but we had the same issue when Darwin was a pup and our vet and breeder told us to let him eat what he wants and once he was a 3-4 months old switch him to regular feedings. We did that and now have no issues with feeding! 

They burn enough calories playing to burn it all off quickly!

I have also found the guides on the bags are not the best estimates for Darwin (maybe most Vs) since he gets so much exercise and such a high metabolism. We feed him based on how he looks. We aim to not see individual ribs, but make out the whole set and see his waist. I'm not sure how accurate we are, but the vet always seems to be happy with his weight even though we are feeding more than the recommended amount on the bag!


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Jeeeezzz.... you mean to tell me I should keep feeding this guy massive amounts of food? The amount he ate yesterday seemed ridiculous compared to what he was getting  I swear he gained 5 inches in circumference around the ribs. 

Part of the reason I have not been feeding him freely is because I soak the food in warm water (breeder recommended it, also helpful since he doesn't seem to chew), and didn't want to be left with soggy food. Oh well, guess I'll just keep on feeding him. I do think he could stand to gain a bit of weight still (obviously he won't catch up in one day). He is not quite to the pudgy stage yet.

So yesterday: 4 1/2 cups total
Today : 2 cups so far (1 meal left tonight). I fed him a cup at each meal today because 1 1/2 seemed like it could be too much. Guess not!

Here is a picture of him, I believe from Monday of this week. He's put on some weight since then for sure. I would actually say he doesn't look as skinny in this picture as I think he looked in person.


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## DarDog (Aug 15, 2010)

Hehehe, nice pic! Our Darwin doesn't look as skinny in pictures as he looks in person either - I've never really thought about if it is like that for us too, heh :S


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## satellitebeach (Nov 16, 2010)

My puppy only seems to eat when I stand by the food. She won't just eat on her own. If I am on the couch, she is on the couch. If I walk to the bedroom, she walks to the bedroom. If there is competition, like another dog in the room, then she will eat the whole bowl but she is really picky about when she eats. I even tried leaving leaving the food in her crate with her when I leave and then she just turns the bowl over and it goes everywhere.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

Our Pumpkin is is almost 14 wks, and eating seems to be hit & miss. She too likes to have someone in her space when eating. I feed her in the kitchen, because I can gate it off. We have an almost 4 y/o dachshund who would happily gorge until she literally blew-up. She is sneaky & quick, and will snitch kibble from Pumpkin at every opportunity; therefore, I need to feed at fairly regular intervals. On a good day, I can get Pumpkin to eat 1 cup of kibble in the morning mixed with 2 tbs of wet food or a veggie puree. Same routine at night. I have never had any sucess with a 3 meal schedule. At night, if it's a good one, she will eat a 1 1/2 cups; however, we have days where 1 1/2 cups total is all she will eat. She gets carrots, and other healthy treats, but not enough explain her less than voracious appetite. She is the 1st dog I have ever had that will leave a meal unfinished! She has been fighting a UTI, but she is playful, growing (although not pudgy), and energetic. I go back-n-forth with worrying about her weight, but I am convincing myself that she will find a way to let us us know(behavior or physically) if her needs are not being met.


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