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Originally Posted by dktyrrell  A couple other questions:
How much food do you offer the pup...
She doesnt eat very much at all. |
As you've noticed, these little ones have teeny tiny tummies, so you need to maximize the nutritional value of every bite. Make sure you are using a really high quality dog food and follow the guidelines on the packaging. There are lots of recommendations in the diet section. I use Blue Buffalo Small Breed Puppy. Scarlett is 11 weeks and 2.5 lbs, so the bag recommends 1/4 - 1/2 cup daily based on her age and weight. Scarlett eats a little over 1/3 cup per day.
A lot of the people here free feed, meaning they put down their daily portion and let the pup come and go through out the day as they desire. I can't do that because Rhett will come up behind Scarlett and eat every bit of her left overs (even though he has exactly the same thing in his bowl
). Instead, I divide the daily amount in to 4 feedings. I played with it until I found which meals she was the most hungry and give her a little more at those times.
Use play time and treats to get her nutrition in, too. Skip the dog treats for now and use kibble when you are praising her for something (like going potty on the pad or sitting on command or coming when you call her). Later on, you can start "upping" the treats to things like small bits of chicken or safe fruits and veggies.
Again, this is what works in our home. I'm sure you'll get lots of other good suggestions. Play with them until you find something that works for you.