12 Week Old Puppy - How often should I feed her?
 

I just adopted a 12 week old yorkie. She weighs 3lbs 11ounces. I was wondering how often I should feed her. The recommendations I have seen are varied anywhere between 2 and 4 times a day. Just wondering if anyone could tell me what they did..thanks. :animal-pa

At 12 weeks old I fed mine 4 small meals per day, around 4 months I switched to three times, and then at 6 months I switched to two times a day and that is what I stay with for my adult dogs.

Joey's breeder recommend having food out at all times even in the crate at night. Each dog food brand recommends a different amount per pound of dog, but go by what your brand recommends, and you can divide it into 4 feedings or keep food out all the time. Please do not try to keep your dog small by limiting the food, and don't worry about your puppy being fat, puppies should have a little extra padding. Around the age of 8 months you can start to worry about the amount the dog eats, but don't worry till then, unless it's not enough. Some go in growth spurts and one day they will eat a lot and the next day hardly anything.

:thumbup::thumbup:

Good advice. I free feed mine but I know that crate train try to have scheduled feedings. that's a nice size puppy so I think it will do fine on scheduled feedings 4 times a day, it's the tiny ones that you have to worry about.

Your breeder should have sent your pup home with feeding instructions. But, 4 small meals a day with kibbles available at all times. At 16 weeks you can cut back to 3 meals. 18 weeks; 2 meals....but, always keep kibbles down until they are about 6 months of age.....Keep NutriCal on hand.

I keep dry food out for mine all of the time no matter what their ages are and i have never in my years of raising puppies ever had one to have a sugar drop
and that is something that you need to watch out for if they don't eat good
and that is one of my reasons for free feeding. good luck with your baby

This is a question I've asked myself a dozen times! ...and I'm still not sure. I got Theo at 8 weeks (1.6kg) and tried free feeding - leaving the food (and water of course) out 24/7, but he was just not eating the food the pet store gave me. Then my vet suggested another brand and now at 12 weeks, at our last visit to the vet, Theo now weighs 2.6kg. I don't free feed anymore because Theo just hoovers down the food! The vet says he's healthier than when I first got him, so that's good. But, after each feeding and he looks up at me asking for more, what to do?! I follow the vet's and brand label recommendations for his age and weight, but I'm still clueless. Good luck!

Please do not think by any means am I trying to keep her a certain size...my other yorkie was 12lbs...size doesn't matter to me...health does.

My breeder does not free feed her puppies and she mentioned that her puppies were wolfing down their food and had soft stool yesterday..so that i should watch that she doesn't just gulp her food.

We came home today at around 2:30 - she add about 1/4 cup at around 3:00...but still looked in her bowl for food, so I added alittle more. Then around 6:00 she was looking in her bowl again, so again I put 1/4 cup in and she left half of it. At 10:30 she was looking for food again...so I fed her a little more...less than a 1/4 cup I think...will start to measure tomorrow.

I just don't want to overload her and have her get a tummy ache and the poops....she just came home. I will read her doggie food label and see what it says. However, it is the wrong food for her age...it is royal canin baby dog which is for weaning to 8 weeks....she really needs to be on mini puppy for 2 mos to 10 mos, but I don't want to change her until she adapts to being in a new home.

Please let me know what you all think. I just want to do it right. :animal-pa

When I brought Theo home first, I fed him Pro Pac Performance Puppy, but he just wouldn't eat it. I did research online and to be frank, couldn't find anything positive about Pro Pac. The vet suggested Royal Canin mini puppy 2-10 mths and now Theo eats like there's no tomorrow! And, best of all he's healthy and energetic. In this part of the world, Royal Canin is three times the cost it is normally, but like you, the health of my pup is way more important. As for size, though I was told Theo was a mini yorkie, I don't think my boy is a toy. And that matters not. :aimeeyork

I didn't think you were, you wouldn't have asked the question, I have a habit of writing my answers for others who read the thread, and some people do closely guard how much their dogs eat and even count each piece of kibble. They think by starving them, they can stunt their growth, and this is very dangerous and inhumane. I write that just in case!

Like I said before, they go through growth spurts and I don't think you can over-feed them as long as you are giving them kibble, a healthy dog will lose interest in kibble if he's not hungry. A few dogs have something wrong with their built-in food regulator, and will eat and eat and vomit eat that and continue to eat. Some dogs do vomit because they eat too fast. There are bowls you can buy with prongs in them to slow down the eating. Some people suggest putting a large rock in the bowl, and this will slow them down because they have to eat around the rock. Here's a picture of a slow bowl. http://www.petco.com/Assets/product_...463002656B.jpg