feeding BRAND new puppy - Page 1

shasta, when I got my girl at 14 weeks, it took about a week for her appetite to return to normal. The first day or two home, she had stress-related diarrhea. They told me to feed her where she could see my other dog eating, as competition encourages the appetite.

Don't worry too much about this until he's had time to adjust.

Don't get him used to chicken though or you'll create a picky eater.  Whatever he doesn't eat in 20 minutes pick up.  He'll get hungry soon.  Or sit on the floor and feed him kibble by hand, a good bonding excercise too.

Have you looked into the BARF diet. There's alot of info on the internet.

All my dogs started eating raw at 7 1/2 & 8 wks old. Just something to investigate see if it's for you.

give him 'science diet large breed puppy' (Hill's) mixed with some 'science diet tin food'(meat in paste form)....it will work...

every puppy will take intrest in taking tin meat made by dry food companies....

shasta  I think you pup is a bit overwhelmed with all the changes that have accured in his young life. I would recommend adding canned food mixed up with warm water  with his kibble . I recently had an import adult male here with the same problem the dog just would not eat  so I broke down and purchased pedigree canned food  country stew :)) mixed it in the boy ate :) I also gave him 3 small meals a day because he was so skinny  . What ever he did not finish I picked up . He was also either crated or in the kennel .

I don't feed canned food but if I need a dog to eat the pedigree country stew usually does the trick , the minced mushy type   don't seem to work as well .warm water  really brings out the aroma :)

Pia

I would feed him the Canidae.  It is so concentrated with a high meat content that even if he only eats 1 cup a day at 8 weeks, he would be doing ok.  When my pup was 10 weeks old, he was only eating 1 cup a day of Canidae and he was fine.  He is now a 45lb 4.5 month old boy.  Moisten it with some warm water and I'd be supprised if he did not eat more that .5 cups a day.   What ever you do though, don't feed him Science Diet.  That's got to be one of the worst foods out there. 

Dom

I disagree with a few folks.

I never worry about fussy eating in puppies.  I focus on health and growth and development and cure them of fussy habits only much later as young adults.  Would you deprive a child of dinner because they fussed over your cooking?  If not, read on.

You need some puppy arithmetic and nutrition knowledge, in my opinion.  You say 8 weeks in one place and 8 months in another.  I will assume you mean 8 weeks.  So he is 12-17 pounds.  For each pound of  body weight he needs 25 calories just to maintain his weight.  Say he is 15 pounds, that's 15 * 25 = 375 calories.  But he also needs to grow at least 3 lbs a week.  That's 9600 calories a week, or 9600/7 = 1390 calories a day for growth.  The latter will stay the same for a long time (until about 5 months old) but the former will change as he grows, and that means adjusting upward constantly.  Right now he needs 375 + 1390 = 1765 calories a day.  That would be over 3 cups of the finest, richest food available, and almost 4 cups of many of the foods being recommended.  That is simply too much for a poor little puppy to take in through dry food only. 

Your job is to promote his well being now when it is critical and worry about his fussiness later, in my opinion.  As few pups will eat 3-4 cupts of dry food, I think it almost essential to supplement with chicken or at least chicken broth, or other bits of meat, and also with a tablespoon of plain yogurt or cottage cheese each day.   If he eats 2-3 cups of excellent dry (at least 400 calories per cup or don't use it) plus some chicken or low fat other meat, but a few biscuits for variety, he will grow maximally and healthy.  He also needs a bit of vitamin C --  best would be something like a Wellness multivitamin, as well.

He will let you know how much more he needs, if the food is tasty and tempting.  Few puppies will actually starve to death, but MANY puppies just cannot cope with piles of dry food only, and will certainly grow physically and mentally less than optimally if left to their own devices.  Or, worse, they will eat dust and paper and crap just for variety.    But every now and then, do your puppy arithmetic.  When he is 4 months and between 40 and 50 pounds (if you are doing things right) he will need as much as 50*25 = 1250 for his weight and another 1400 or so for his growth or 2650 calories a day -- that would be 5-6 cups of the best food, but few pups can actually cope with that much dry, so it would be about 4 cups a day plus chicken, good canned foods, a bit of cottage cheese or yogurt, plus a variety of biscuits.

My dogs are always shockingly big and shiny and healthy and energetic -- but I do spend the money and attention to make it happen.  If you can't afford this, cut back where you have to.  But pups need help in putting away the astonishing amount of food they need to be healthy.  Puppyhood for a gsd is very trying as it is. Throwing down dry food only is a sure way to make sure he does NOT reach his potential, and makes sure his youth is spend struggling to absorb enough protein, calories, nutrients to grow healthfully.  I say give him a break.  Later, if he turns up his nose at dry food, let him skip meals, but let that happen after 14 months old.

Shasta,

When I have a puppy who is a picky eater, I feed smaller amounts, more frequently, and I add some good quality canned food. I'm not really a fan of ANY of it, but I figure Pro Plan or Eukanuba canned is better than Old Roy. Although, if I needed it, I would not hesitate to do what someone else mentioned and use the stinky Pedigree "cuts".

I have been lucky in that all my pups have been pigs.