First Time Puppy Owner

[t-time]

OK. Food.

Make sure whatever you feed her that it is PUPPY food. Puppy food is especially formulated for puppies with a higher fat, higher protein content which is vital for little growing bones. Make sure you get "PUPPY" everything That is not a marketing ploy. I don't even care if you feed her Pal Puppy - just make sure it's PUPPY!

Puppy biscuits are softer and smaller than adult dog biscuits. If she really hasn't got a tooth in her head at the moment, then soak them in warm water or PUPPY milk. If she's happy to drink water then leave it at that. The proper Puppy milk is a fine product but never give cows milk.

She won't drink a lot of water because she is a little puppy and it's also cool weather at the moment.

Back to the bikkies - if she can chew at all, keep up with the unsoaked biscuits - the hardness of them help to clean her new teeth coming through and if she's not chewing bikkies, she will be chewing on something else (just like a human baby :D). You can get her those dentasticks for puppies or a chicken wing - either of which will also clean her teeth and soothe aching gums.

I don't like the idea of the dog roll for a puppy. Once again, they do not manufacture them specifically for puppies. Get some proper puppy food and change her over to it asap.

Most people here on DOL prefer to feed Premium dog foods like Eagle Pack, Hill's Science Diet, Eukanuba etc or they feed a BARF system (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food). Do look into these foods and diets and make an informed decision as to what is best for your new baby and what is best for you. Many of these products offer puppy formulas. BARF is excellent but does require a lot of comittment. Many BARF ingredients can still be used as treats or extras in dinners. Do a search here on DOL - you've got a LOT of reading to do!

In typical fashion the pet shop obviously did not give you a diet sheet. Did they tell you what she was being fed while in her window box? You should keep up whatever diet she's currently on and if you want to change it make sure you do it slowly so her little digestive system doesn't get all screwed up - runny bottoms are not nice ) Gradually add the new food in with the old over the space of a week - 10 days until changeover is complete and do it one product at a time. The temptation with a new puppy is to buy every product in sight in the hope that your puppy will "like" it. In reality, if you just feed a good balanced diet and don't fuss with food, your pup will not fuss with food. Puppies are only meant to eat, sleep and poop!

Do the research just like you would with human babies :rolleyes:

[Flaves]

Hi,

I feed my pup Hills Science Diet small puppy food. The bikkies are really little and my jack is able to eat them no problem. I also give her the science diet puppy wet food. I give her pig snouts and pigs ears that i have cut into 3 pieces as well as small bits of chicken neck, about an inch or so long. She has no problem eating them but i watch her to ensure she chews them properly and does not choke.

I asked my vet when i took her for a check up, although where i got her had been feeding her science diet, what to feed her and he said all the things i have said in this post.

I don't give her milk of any kind, just because she is having a balanced diet as it is but i did give my last dog puppy milk but i was young and feeding my dog supermarket stuff.

Hope this has helped a little, but as t-time said, do heaps of research. I have on feeding, training and behaviour and it has helped so much.

Asking questions of everyone about everything has also been invaluable.

Good luck with Electra

[GLAMACHIC]

i will finish off this meatloaf stuff and slowly get her onto that optimum stuff ... or i know when we go to the vet they have that nutrience brand one....i might even try and get electra onto our home veggies cooking...what do u think? i know it might be a bit hard now..but is it ok to give her veggies.home cooked? and food like that home cooked? ...i could go to the fresh chicken shop and get her some chicken wings and boil them and get to eat those....a friend of mine does that for her pom pup... there is no fear of them chocking on anything is there? there is no pointy bones or anything in them is there?

[BrunoBella]

Hi glammachic

I feed my pup dog biscuits only as the vet recommended this. Puppies need proper nutrition as they grow so fast so that's the easiest way I find. Poor nutrition as a puppy can damage a dogs bones and cause arthritis later in life.

Dogs cannot eat cooked bones. They splinter and can cause nasty injuries. You should let your friend know this is a dangerous practice.

Dogs can choke on bones, a friend lost her poodle through choking on a chicken wing. If you do give bones make sure you supervise the eating.

My pup had chicken wings from 12 weeks - I freeze them first as he will swallow them whole if he gets a chance.

[GLAMACHIC]

swallow a whole chicken wing? ...hehe..is that a party trick ur pup does...hehe..thats so cute...ok well we are taking the pup to the vet so we will get some food advice from him...what about home cooked food? what do u think?

[BrunoBella]

Swallowing an entire chicken wing was what Bruno did with his first one. He then threw it up and chewed it and ate it properly Dogs are gross sometimes

I give my older dog leftovers sometimes but puppies need a perfect mix of food for their growth stage so I think using a good quality dry food is the best. I feed my pup Purina Proplan Puppy which is very expensive but is recommended by the breeder and keeps him in great condition. Once he stops growing (about 12 months) I will switch him to adult food.

[ReXy]

never cook ANY bones.. raw chicken necks and wings are fine.. u dont need to cook any food at all, you can feed all raw foods. better for them..

[H3113n]

Might be a little too late but you can actually trained the puppy to pee at command. Everytime you bring her to her potty spot, say the command word and when did their business praised them A LOT. Mine get it after a few days then you can tell them to pee or poo before going for a trip. Save accident along the way.

Cheers!

Hellen

[H3113n]

never cook ANY bones.. raw chicken necks and wings are fine.. u dont need to cook any food at all, you can feed all raw foods. better for them..

How about pork/beef bone? Sometimes i give to the dogs when we are making soups or broth. Do you reckon it's ok?

I chose Eukanuba. The puppy small breed formula has really tiny pieces which should perfectly fit for toy group pup. It also has highest fat, which is what i'm looking for as i'm in the process of fattening one of my boy . But i've been hearing about eagle pack. Their kibbles are bigger but their holistic range seems to be good.

[t-time]

Hi H3113n

No matter how much they like the smell of the soup, no matter how much they beg, no matter how much they batt the eyelashes on those gorgeous brown eyes - DO NOT FEED COOKED BONES!!!

Cooking bones changes the molecular structure making them splinter easily as the dog gnaws. Those little splinters are swallowed and the gut acids cannot digest them readily because they are cooked. They CAN pierce the stomach or bowel which results in one emergency visit to the vet and VERY expensive operation to fix the problem.

You could however, take the bones out of the pot a little earlier and give the gristle, cartilage and little bits of meat on the bone - just NOT the bones :p

Always give your dogs RAW meaty bones - never COOKED bones. ;)

(And I don't care if your childhood dog was always given leftovers including the last bit of the roast bone. If you feed cooked bones you ARE increasing the risk of injury to your dog :D )

[H3113n]

I c. I thought only chicken bone will splinter! Thanks for that t time! I'll now have to strenghten my will to say no..haha

[KismetKat]

While I think all are agreed about cooked bones - I reckon ask 10 different dog owners about ideal diet and you will get 10 different answers.

To the OP - I see no harm in introducing your puppy to foods you would like her to eat later as long as she is also getting a proper 'puppy food' diet from scientists who know better than us. MY opinion is that you don't want to end up with a fussy dog who will ONLY eat (perhaps expensive) pet food "a' and nothing else.

Isn't one of a dog's "job's" to eat (appropriate) leftovers???

[Leema]

Swallowing an entire chicken wing was what Bruno did with his first one. He then threw it up and chewed it and ate it properly Dogs are gross sometimes