Hey guys

Newbie here.

Were getting out pup in 4 weeks and the food that the breeder will be using is just awful. Its a cheap supermarket food and obviously we want to do the best for our pup so have found a really good 80/20 formulated dry mix.

I know that I have to transition gradually away from breeders food but is it ok to do 3/4 breeder to 1/4 new for a week, then 1/2 and 1/2 before doing 1/4 breeder and 3/4 new . Is this an appropriate way to transition or should it be slower? ie 1/8

Also puppy will be 8 weeks when we get her and I read your supposed to feed 3 times a day. how much should they actually get per meal? I know different dogs are different but just a rough guidance would help me out.

Thanks in advance x

That's exactly how I've transitioned Lucian's food. Actually doing it right now to put him on adult food. I can't remember how much I was feeding him when he was that age. Had to be somewhere around 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup, 3 times a day. Then around six months of age he got knocked down to 2 feedings a day. Somewhere in there he got bumped up to 1 cup feedings as well. That's what he's on now at a year old. If you notice the puppy getting a bit plump just cut down a little on the food, or if he/she looks skinny add more.

Hi and welcome! Can't wait to see pix of your baby girl when she comes home. I would recommend keeping her on the same thing the breeder is feeding her for about a week after you bring her home, and then starting the transition. She might get some stomach upset from the stress of moving to a new home and I would let that settle for a few days first. Once her poops are solid then start the transition. Otherwise you might end up with a diarrhea saga lol... It's better to have her on that crappy (no pun intended  ) food for one more week than to deal with diarrhea. If you can't tell, I'm speaking from experience on this one. As far as how much to feed her, that's kind of a trial and error. My guy gets 2 cups a day and does very well on that. When I try to increase he gets a soft stool, hopefully some of the folks with females will chime in and let you know how much they are feeding their puppies.

Thanks guys!

Also thanks for the tip re breeder food!

0400772 wrote:

I know that I have to transition gradually away from breeders food but is it ok to do 3/4 breeder to 1/4 new  for a week, then 1/2 and 1/2 before doing 1/4 breeder and 3/4 new . Is this an appropriate way to transition or should it be slower? ie 1/8

That's a good schedule to transition your puppy to a different food, however, I would wait one or two weeks before you start the transition to give your pup a little time to settle in to a new home and environment.

0400772 wrote:

Also puppy will be 8 weeks when we get her and I read your supposed to feed 3 times a day. how much should they actually get per meal? I know different dogs are different but just a rough guidance would help me out.

Correct, each pup is different - maybe start off with 2 cups/day and adjust accordingly to your pup's growth.