CUTE PUPPY
The Best Diet for A Puppy
It was once said that “happiness is a warm cute puppy” and who could possibly argue with that notion? Puppies are lovable, full of energy and cute joyful creatures. Their energy seems to be without end. From the moment they open their eyes they seem to go non-stop until they finally fall in a heap and with a contented sigh close their eyes to sleep. Another favorite pastime that a puppy indulges in is eating. This is something a healthy puppy excel at. They can certainly eat massive amounts of food, and it is important to ensure that the food they eat will help them grow strong and healthy. For this reason there are many dietary factors to consider before buying puppy food.
Some thought must be given to the breed of your dog. How large will your cute puppy be once they are fully grown. A large dog, that is one which will weigh more than fifty pounds or so, will have different dietary needs, even as a small puppy, than your average Yorkshire terrier which might be lucky to weigh ten or eleven pounds.
Was your cute puppy a member of a litter of dogs that was not as healthy as it may have been? Perhaps your puppy came from a large litter and was pushed aside by larger and stronger siblings at feeding time and now needs extra care to bring it up to par. Whatever the circumstances of it’s birth may be, does he or she need some extra vitamins to make up for some early deficiencies?
Are you aware of any food allergies your puppy may have? It will soon become obvious that keeping you puppy in a good state of health is not as easy as it sounds. And then there is the problem of choice. The sheer volume of commercially available dog foods to be found in your grocery store and pet shop will make your head go round. As you can see, keeping your puppy happy and healthy with a full stomach of enjoyable food is not always simple and in fact requires some serious research. It is just as well that there are easily available tips that will help you in keeping your dog happy while feeding him or her the very best diet.
It is important to have your puppy checked out by the veterinarian to make sure that she or he does not have a condition that will have to be addressed in their diet. Remember, with food as with anything else, you only get what you pay for. Avoid buying cheap dog food. Purchase your dog food in small batches rather than the industrial sized bag, unless you can store it in air tight containers. If you do not, the food will go stale, and the oils in it may even begin to go rancid.
Consider your puppy’s size such as she or he is now manufacturers will make their food in regular kibble size and sometimes also mini chunk kibble size. If you have a small puppy, then the smaller kibble is probably a better idea than the regular sized one that may be easy to eat for a Great Dane puppy but a bit too large for a Chihuahua puppy.
When purchasing commercial dog food, read the back of the package. The first few ingredients on the label are the key ingredients and you should be able to read and understand what it says. If the ingredients sound like an extract from your high school chemistry book, you might want to move on to the next brand. Similarly, if everything in your puppy’s food seems to be a by-product of one kind or another, it might also be a good idea to move on to the next brand.
If you have a large breed of dog, such as one that will weigh in at over 50 pounds when he or she is grown, it is a good idea to contact your veterinarian or breeder for a recommendation. Commercial dog foods will fatten her or him up nicely, but the danger lies in over-supplying your large breed puppy with calories, and so the weight gain will be too rapid for the developing skeleton and internal organs.
Once you have chosen a dog food, be certain to follow the recommended feeding guide. Yes, it is easy to be taken in by those big pleading cute puppy eyes into feeding an extra portion, but be sure to resist that urge for the sake of your growing dog’s health. You don’t want her or him to become overweight early on in life and then spend years undoing the damage done in puppy hood.
Do not feed table scraps! Whatever you do, do not give in to the temptation of feeding your cute puppy table scraps. Innocent food items, such as Macadamia nuts, onions, chocolate and even grapes and raisins are toxic to your little canine companion!
Feeding the best possible diet to the furry little guy in your household is a joyful occasion, and there is nothing as cute as watching a little puppy eagerly consume every morsel of food put before her or him. Enjoy your warm cute little puppy!
To learn more about proper nutrition and the benefits of hands-off dog training in general a visit to Secrets to Dog Training will be well worthwhile. Remember a well trained dog is a happy dog. And a happy dog has a happy owner. SECRETS to DOG TRAINING
