Arui Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Hey all. I'm recieving my border collie sometime next week, hopefully on the 7th of May. Anyhow, I'm trying to conjure up a feeding schedule for Aarka, since she'll be 8 weeks old when we go get her. Moving along; I'd like to find out what kind of brands are most trustworthy for puppies this young in age, as well as fairly inexpensive, and if there is any specific amount to feed her and when. Sorry about the confusion. I've looked through the search, but I haven't found anything like what I'm needing, so if you could lend a paw, please do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Many folks don't even bother with puppy food (which is designed to creat fast-growing fat puppies--not what you want). You may want to start with a little of whatever the breeder was feeding the bitch. Then gradually switch over to a high-quality adult food. Three small meals a day should be fine for an 8-week-old pup. As for what consitutes good food, there are threads that pop up every other week or so on that very subject, so I'll let you use the search function to find them. Just remember that everyone has an opinion about what's a "good" food. And the best foods do tend to cost more, so you should research the available foods and choose the best that you can afford. You could also find the Whole Dog Journal web site and check out their review of dog foods as a starting point. As for amounts to feed, you will have to watch how your pup is doing on the food you finally decide on and then adjust the amount up or down as needed. I would start with something like a cup of kibble at each feeding, give her 15 minutes to eat, and take up what's not finished in that time. Pick a good food and stick with it. If she tries turning her nose up at the food you've chosen and you start switching foods, you'll be teaching her to be picky (likewise with leaving food down for more than 15 minutes). If after 15 minutes, she's leaving food behind, then decrease her next feeding by that amount (always keeping in mind her body condition). For example, if you start with 1 cup per feeding and find she eats just half a cup in the allotted 15 minutes and you start feeding her half a cup at each feeding, pay attention to when she is cleaning up that amount and looking for more--that would be your first signal to start slowing increasing the amount you're feeding. In other words, there's no specific formula for how much to feed and when. You'll have to assess your pup and adjust the amounts accordingly over time. If she seems to be getting fat on one cup per feeding, you can lessen the amount, and of course increase amounts if she's too skinny. That said, it's best to keep your pup on the slim side--it will be easier on her growing bones and joints (hence why many folks don't bother with puppy food). Don't let anyone shame you into having a roly-poly puppy! That is not the healthiest way to raise a pup. Good luck! J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arui Posted May 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 Ah, thankyou ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.