Advice on feeding your puppy or dog.
Puppies:
Birth through weaning
The first 24 -48 hours of a puppies life it receives an important live giving nourishment from the mother known as "colostrum". Its also known as the foremilk. This fluid is rich in antibodies and minerals and help protect the puppy until it is older. It is very important puppies receive this nourishment from the mother. Puppies should not begin weaning until after four weeks of age. It is best they are not totally weaned from the mother until 6 weeks of age. I usually let the pups nurse into the seventh week until after the pups have received their first puppy boosters. Today there are puppy vaccines with high titer which the mother's antibodies (through nursing) cannot interfere with.. I prefer this way so that my pups are as protected as possible from deadly viruses.

When introducing solid food to a puppy it is best to start with a quality premium (meat) based puppy food. I usually buy a can or two of puppy formula to mix with the food. I use evaporated milk after that until I make the change to using water to mix with the food. I warm both until the mix is very soupy. The puppy's first non mommy meal should be almost totally liquid. If cheap commercial foods are used in weaning and feeding young puppies (corn and soy based) the puppy stands a higher risk of developing allergies later on. As the weeks go by I add less liquid to the puppy food until it is just moist puppy food. By ten weeks of age I prefer to have the puppies eating a dry puppy food. Some puppies may be picky and not want to move so quickly to a totally dry food. This is acceptable as long as the puppy is on a quality puppy food diet. Remember one thing if nothing else. Just because a four or five week old puppy can eat or will eat dry adult food or dry puppy food does not mean it SHOULD be eating it. Give the puppy's digestive system the time it needs to make the progression from mother's milk to dry puppy food.

After weaning until adulthood
Puppies 7 weeks to 4 months should be fed three times a day. Puppies five months and preferably for the rest of their lives should be fed twice a day. It is always a better idea to feed your dog twice a day. If you must feed your dog once a day, wait until the dog has reached adulthood. Puppy food is usually higher in fats and protein than adult food. Some premium brand lamb diets have fat and protein levels close to adult food. I advise many people concerned about the fat and protein level their large or giant breed puppy is eating to switch to a premium lamb puppy food. This allows the puppy to continue to eat a food meant for puppies with the vitamins and minerals needed for growth , yet fat and protein levels can be dramatically reduced.
Large breed premium foods do have adjusted fat and protein levels needed by these puppies. Most of them also now include joint supplements to help the pups as they grow. Dogs that grow very fast tend to develop more joint problems. Although those problems as pano and others are usually hereditary, the symptoms can be much worse or aggravated in heavier puppies or puppies that grow too quickly. Keep in mind all puppies can become too heavy regardless of the food if the owner feeds too large of a quantity of food.

 Adult dogs
As older puppies reach their adult size they should be switched over to adult food. When ever dog food is changed it should be done so gradually by mixing the remaining puppy food with the new adult food. Drastic changes in food can cause digestive upset in puppies and dogs.

Adult size dogs do not require the same amount of fats and proteins puppies do. Active or working dogs usually require more fat and protein in their diet than the couch potato house pet. Monitor the amount of food your adult dog eats to avoid too much weight gain. Dogs kept outside need more food than indoor dogs during cold months.

It is best to feed your dog the same food throughout his lifetime. For example, if you fed Pro Plan puppy food for large breed puppies you would switch to Pro Plan adult food for large breed dogs. Some owners panic when their pups reach adult size and seem to lose their normally huge appetite for their food. It is natural for dogs to desire less food as an adult . They no longer need the higher amount of fat and protein to form new bones and muscle. Switching foods often can lead to digestive upset and very picky eaters. There has also been much debate over which food to feed large breed puppies. I have heard advice given that I believe is just ridiculous. Basically watch the amount of food you feed a large breed puppy as you can make a puppy fat by over feeding anything to it. Less protein and fat is the general rule for large breed puppies to avoid fast growth. But I have seen premium foods for puppies i.e. some premium lamb diets that do contain less protein and fat than some premium adult foods. I do not believe a very young puppy should be fed an adult diet dog food. But I do feel if your feeding a very good line of dog food you can switch your large breed puppy over to adult food before it has actually finished growing. This can be anywhere from 8 months to 2 years depending on the breed and its blood line. Some breeders advise adding supplements to their dogs diets. Most premium foods are now adding supplements. Be careful when adding supplements as some may interfere with the food your feeding. Normally the supplements to help dogs joints are safe to add as long as your careful with your dosage. Refer to your breeder when tackling this issue. (if your breeder is a knowledgeable one!)

Small breed and toy dogs do not need a huge amount of food every day. Many people tend to fill a dog's food dish as if they were feeding a human. Remember that tiny Toy Poodle has a very tiny stomach! Do not try to FORCE your dog to eat by adding to the dog food. This can lead to a dog picking out the added food (canned food, gravy, table scraps etc).

If your dog is overweight it is best to feed him or her a diet or less active dog formula. Be very careful when purchasing diet food for your dog. Cheaper foods use corn as the first ingredient and many times these dogs have a very difficult time losing weight. It is best to feed a meat protein dog formula (not corn). I look for a food with meat as the main ingredient but with reduced protein and very reduced fats. I prefer rice used as the carb in these foods. I have also noticed dogs that were fed meat as a protein when dieting tended to keep a nicer coat quality.

 Senior dogs
There is no set rule as to when a dog can be considered a "Senior". For some breeds it can be at five years of age and for others it may be closer to ten years in age. As in less active dog food formulas, the protein and fat content is reduced. Vitamin and mineral supplements are geared more for older dogs. Most premium food brands that offer a senior diet now include joint supplements in these foods. Feeding a senior food to older dogs helps reduce the work that dogs organs and digestive system has to deal with. It can benefit kidneys and the liver greatly. Be very careful not to feed an older dog foods high in fat and protein!!!