The Ultimate Puppy Feeding Schedule: How Much and How Often?
Establish a healthy feeding routine for your puppy. Learn exactly how much and how often you should feed your puppy from 8 weeks to adulthood.
Establishing a consistent feeding routine is one of the most important parts of raising a healthy puppy. Unlike adult dogs, puppies need frequent, smaller meals to sustain their rapid growth and high energy levels without overloading their tiny stomachs. Free-feeding (leaving a bowl of food out all day) is highly discouraged, as it makes potty training difficult and can lead to obesity.
For puppies aged 8 to 12 weeks, you should divide their daily food allowance into three to four meals evenly spaced throughout the day. From 3 to 6 months of age, this can be reduced to three meals a day. Once your dog reaches 6 months, you can usually transition them to a standard twice-a-day feeding schedule. Always refer to the feeding chart on your specific dog food bag to determine the total daily cup allowance, and divide that number by the amount of meals you are serving.