Everyone loves puppies. They are cute, adorable and become a part of your life. Parents want to instill responsible qualities in their children by giving them a puppy. While everything about having a puppy seems perfect, taking care of a puppy is very important and essential in the way it will be as a full grown dog. To ensure it is healthy, owners must start at a young age.

For the first few weeks, feeding the puppy is the job of the mother dog. However, if not in the ideal situation it is the job of the owner to ensure that the puppy gets the right food. The first thing that new dog or puppy owner needs to realize is that all dogs are not the same. This basically translates to the fact that all puppies are also different from one another. While they are puppies they may all be the same size, but the truth of the matter is that one puppy may belong to a larger breed of dogs than the other. Keep in mind that it is important to feed the large breed puppy a different food than a puppy from a smaller breed.

It is essential that good dietary and nutritional values are consumed when they are still puppies to ensure that their overall growth is good. With so many different brands of puppy food available, but, this seems close to impossible. They all promise to be the best. In such a situation, an owner of a large breed puppy might not know what to choose and may choose the food that is ideal for a small breed puppy.

Essentially, you should be looking for puppy food that has good quantities of protein and grains. Protein is found in meats and grains. However, for the dog food there should be a combination of real meat protein and grains. Real meat consists of chicken, fish or beef. Ideally, the food should also be organic with all natural ingredients. However, while big breed puppies grow really fast, they may or may not mature as quickly. The right amount of protein should be incorporated, not too much so as to quicken the growing process. This could be a hazard for puppies who keep growing but whose bones cannot handle the weight. To keep your dog as far away from orthopedic problems as possible, you will need to keep them on puppy food longer than an owner of a small breed dog would.

Besides protein, even the amount of fat levels in a puppy’s food should be controlled. Controlling fat from puppy food means that you are reducing the chances of excessive growth, not depriving them of good food. It is important to remember that keeping your puppy on a diet which is lacking quality nutrition or is too calorie dense can cause problems. The same can also be said about feeding it too much food.

Ultimately, it is up to each individual owner to find out about his or her dogs statistics by researching online or speaking to a professional like a veterinarian. Don’t automatically assume that you know what is best for your dog. It is not wise to feed them food meant for adults, even if they are big puppies. It simply won’t serve the needs that your growing puppy has. Also, do not opt for premium dog foods that are meant for "all dog life stages". It won’t do the best for your puppy.

Jonathan Pitts

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