While each puppy is different, it is important your puppy is on a feeding schedule according to your dog’s age. The guidelines change by age because as your puppy ages you will end up feeding him or her less often!.
Once your puppy has been weaned off of their mother’s milk (around 6 weeks), you can start feeding them soft foods like canned or dehydrated dog foods . You can also start feeding your pup hard foods, but mix in together with the wet food until they are at least 9-10 weeks old. If you decide to use only hard foods, be sure to soften the food with some warm water. The goal is for the puppy to eat so you may have to add some fun foods to entice them, but this is only when they are not eating enough! ( yogurt, bits of chicken, cottage cheese )
At such a young stage in their life, puppies are growing like crazy! In this early stage of their life, you’ll want to feed them 3-4 times per day. These tiny puppies have just as tiny of stomachs, so smaller meals throughout the day will help their little bodies digest the food!
As stated above, 8 week old puppies should definitely eat anywhere from 3-4 times per day. A late night snack will keep your puppy’s belly full till morning. The last thing any owner wants is a hungry puppy, which can lead to serious health issues.
Stick with that same schedule until the puppy is about 3 months old.
Below is an example of a puppy feeding schedule for 8-12 week old pups.
Not only will this schedule help with creating a feeding routine, but it will help you work on potty training!
Wake up in crate and immediately take outside to go potty
Return to crate for breakfast
Take outside to go potty
Supervised playtime, inside or outside
Return to crate with chewing toy (no food)
Take outside to go potty
Return to crate for lunch
Take outside to go potty
Supervised playtime, inside or outside
Return to crate with chewing toy (no food)
Take outside to go potty
Supervised playtime, inside or outside
Return to crate for dinner
Take outside to go potty
Supervised playtime, inside or outside
Return to crate with chewing toy (no food)
Take outside to go potty
Return to crate for bedtime
Nighttime: Be prepared to let your dog out a couple of times during the night (1-4 times depending on the pup’s age)
