You've probably noticed by now that there's a dizzying selection of commercially prepared dog food for you to choose from.
That's great news for little Fido, but can be very confusing for new puppy parents.
Are you having trouble deciding which brand or formula to go with? Can't decide which provides the best nutritional balance? Not sure whether to buy dry kibble or canned?
Well, don't worry any more... you'll find the answers you need right here.
On this page you'll learn how to fill you in on your puppy's basic nutritional requirements; the pro's and con's of dry puppy kibble v. canned food; what to look for when choosing a brand or formula and much more....
So make yourself comfortable and take a few minutes to read this page. By the time you're finished you'll be armed with all the information you need to make the right choice of food for your precious new furbaby.
The big picture
Giving your new puppy a healthy, balanced diet is one of the most important things you can do to ensure his future good health and well-being.
Good nutrition will help him grow properly, fight off diseases, minimize allergies, prevent obesity and live a longer, healthier life. With all that at stake, doesn't it make sense to be careful when choosing the dog food that little Fido will grow up on?
Now, most puppies will eat anything you put in front of them (and a whole lot of stuff you don't). They seem to operate on the assumption that 'everything is edible until proven otherwise'. The problem is, Fido has no idea what the words 'nutritionally balanced diet' mean. He'd be perfectly happy with half a roll of toilet paper, the lining from your best slippers and the broken pencil he rescued from the waste-paper basket!
As his new parent you know better, and it's up to you to make sure that the food he eats contains everything he needs to grow up healthy and strong.
It's important to remember that a growing puppy has different nutritional needs than an adult dog. He, or she, needs a diet that's higher in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. 'Puppy' formulas meet these needs so it's important to feed only puppy food, not adult dog food, to Fido while he's small.
All commercially prepared dog/puppy food contains a blend of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. What varies from brand to brand and formula to formula are the percentages and sources of these nutrients.
Commercial dog food manufacturers who want to produce food that provides 'a complete and balanced diet' have to make sure their foods meet one of two basic standards - the adult dog food standard or the puppy food standard. These standards are set by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). If a dog food says it is suitable 'for all life stages' it is required to meet the puppy food standard.
It's also important to pay attention to some of the things you don't want to see in your puppy's food. Things such as artificial colorings, additives and sweeteners.
Dog food allergies are more common than many owners realize, and they can make your puppy or dog very uncomfortable indeed.
If your pup suffers from skin problems such as hot spots, itching, redness or hair loss, he may already be suffering from a dog food allergy. Check out our Canine Skin Allergies page to learn about the symptoms and treatment of these problems.
Then take a look at this article on Hypoallergenic Dog Food, it gives you a run down of the ingredients most likely to cause problems, and a comprehensive list of the best allergy-free dog foods on the market.
A closer look
When choosing the brand or type of food to give little Fido, take a trip to your local pet store and look closely at all those bags, cans and pouches.
All the hype and advertising slogans etc. can make it seem a little (or even a lot) confusing. We've tried to simplify the whole process a little bit, so here's what to look for -
The wording 'a complete and balanced diet' Only manufacturers who adhere to the AAFCO standards are allowed to use this wording. These standards mean that the food has been evaluated through feeding trials and has been proven to provide a complete diet, requiring no additional supplementation.
* the word 'formulated' does not mean the same thing and is no guarantee that the food in question has been tested for nutritional value.
* you definitely want to feed your puppy a premium food, but remember that simply adding terms such as 'premium' or 'super premium' to a food bag have no real significance and no relevance to the quality of the food inside. They're purely advertising hype. Look closely at the ingredient list before believing them!
Balanced nutritional ingredients PROTEIN : a well-balanced food should contain a good source of high-quality protein, which provides essential amino acids, as one of the first ingredients. Chicken and lamb products are 2 of the most popular sources of protein. Look for chicken, lamb, chicken meal or lamb meal. The higher on the list an ingredient appears the greater the percentage of it in the food.
CARBOHYDRATES : these supply Fido with the energy he needs to get through his day. They also contain fiber and convert to glucose. Carbohydrates are found in most grains, fruit and vegetables.
FATS : a valuable source of energy as well as what is needed to keep your puppy's coat and skin healthy. In a commercial dog food these are often found in muscle meats and vegetable oil or animal fat.
VITAMINS & MINERALS : although these are vital to your puppy's health it's important that they're supplied in the right quantities and in the correct ratio. An AAFCO approved food will contain exactly what your puppy or dog needs. Unless Fido has special requirements or health issues you should not need to add any supplements.
You can learn how to analyze and compare the ingredients in any brand of food using an innovative dog food comparison system . Find out how on my Dog Food Comparisons & Analysis page.
For information on the most popular premium food brands, check out my 10 Best Dog Food Choices page.
Dry kibble v. canned food
Both these types of food can provide Fido with sound nutrition.
Dry puppy kibble tends to be more carbohydrate based while canned food is often more meat-based. Obviously canned food contains a lot more water (some brands can contain up to 70% water) than the dry variety. Dry food is believed to be better for your puppy's teeth as it's hard, crunchy texture helps to keep the build up of tartar at bay. Canned dog foods are more expensive to feed than dry puppy food and due to it's higher water content you may need to feed more food per pound of your dog's weight to get the same nutritional value. This may explain why the owners of small dogs are more likely to feed canned food than the owners of large or giant breeds. Canned food can be more appealing to Fido as it smells and tastes more interesting than dry.
Overall, the canned v. dry debate is mostly a question of personal preference and budget than nutritional adequacy. If you simply can't decide why not mix a little canned food with a good-quality dry food and get the best of both worlds?
Customized Diets
Not so long ago the dog food choices were far fewer and most dogs and puppies ate basically the same food. Today, the industry is much more specialized as scientists and nutritionists have come to better understand dogs differing nutritional needs.
You'll find puppy and adult food for large breeds, small breeds; giant breeds; senior dogs; active dogs; overweight dogs; dogs with certain medical conditions; breed-specific dog foods and much more.
Each group has unique requirements which need to be met if they are to stay healthy. The following is a brief overview of just a few of those different needs -
Puppies - puppies are growing rapidly and to support that growth their bodies need a diet higher in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Protein values should be around 25% plus and fat around 15%.
Small breed dogs - small dog breeds have a high metabolic rate and small tummies. They do best on an energy-dense diet and small, frequent meals. My Types of Small Dogs page has lots of tips and advice on choosing and caring for small, tiny and toy breeds.
Large breed dogs - these dogs grow extremely quickly which can put stress on their developing bone structure. Large breed puppy foods are generally a bit lower in calories and calcium to help prevent the uncontrolled growth which can lead to degenerative bone and joint problems. Check out my Extra Large Breed Dogs for more on how to take care of the 'giants' of the canine world!
Super-active dogs - is your dog a working breed or destined to be a canine athlete? If so, when he graduates from puppy food to adult food he will need one that provides extra calories for energy. These foods will contain highly digestible proteins and fats.
See our comprehensive Dog Food Ratings page to find the 'Report Card' for dozens of popular and premium dog foods on the market today.
Buying Dog Foods Online?
You can find a huge selection of premium dog/puppy food online, it's much simpler and quicker to find exactly the right food for your pup and there's WAY MORE SELECTION than you'll find in most 'bricks and mortar' stores.
You'll find many of the top brands to choose from, and you can rest assured they're made from all-natural, human-grade ingredients.
How much should I feed?
To begin with, it's best to follow the guidelines on the bag or can of whichever food you've chosen.
The amount recommended is usually based on your puppy's age and weight.
Bear in mind that Fido will need less of a good quality, complete food than he will of a low quality one which is mostly 'filler'.
Cheaper foods of inferior quality do not necessarily work out less expensive in the long run. In addition to needing to feed more food per pound of your dog's weight, you may also find yourself paying higher veterinary bills to treat conditions caused by poor nutrition.
Every puppy is different and little Fido may need more or less than the average recommended amount. Use the manufacturers guidelines as a 'jumping off' point and then adjust to suit his individual needs.
If you want your puppy to grow up with good eating habits do not free feed (that is, leave his food bowl down and filled at all times). This can lead to all sorts of problems such as obesity, picky eaters, food guarding, housebreaking problems and more.
Instead, divide his daily food requirements by the number of meals he's eating per day and put his food bowl down at set times of the day. Leave it down for 10 to 15 minutes and then pick it up even if he hasn't eaten it all.
If Fido has gobbled the whole lot down in 2 minutes flat each time, you probably need to go ahead and increase the amount a little. Alternatively, if he's consistently leaving some food uneaten you need to decrease the amount just a bit.
You'll soon find out what he needs, but be warned - like children puppies go through growth spurts and these needs will change often.
If you follow the above advice you can rest assured that you're doing your best to give Fido the nutrition he needs to grow up healthy and strong.
When you look at him you'll know you've got it right if his eyes are bright, his coat is thick and shiny and he's full of energy and bursting with puppy happiness.
Isn't that a great feeling?
If you know another puppy owner or dog lover who would find this dog food information useful, please feel free to share it!
If Fido has gobbled the whole lot down in 2 minutes flat each time, you probably need to go ahead and increase the amount a little. Alternatively, if he's consistently leaving some food uneaten you need to decrease the amount just a bit.
