For the first seven to ten days of life, the newborn puppy's eyes remain closed. Yet during that time, puppies double their birth weight and become increasingly more active. As a rule of thumb, each puppy in a litter should gain approximately its birth weight each week during the lactation or nursing period (the first week may be slightly less than that and the final weeks may be more than that). Always allow the puppies to get the colostrum (the antibody-rich first milk from the mother) and never wean the puppies before 3-4 weeks.

The typical introduction of a puppy to solid food (around 3 to 4 weeks of age) usually amounts to the puppy romping around and through the female's food bowl, and licking moistened dry food from its paws. Puppy traffic will tend to compact the food, so you should consider stirring the compacted diet or offering fresh amounts periodically. By six weeks of age, most puppies are ready to be weaned. If they have started to eat solid foods from the female's dish, it is not unusual for puppies to begin to wean themselves at about 4 to 5 weeks of age.

The nutrient requirements to support normal growth and development of puppies are greater than those for adult dogs. For this reason, you should choose nutritionally complete and balanced diets designed for growth or all life stages. Puppies consuming such a diet do not need supplemental vitamins, minerals, or meat. In fact, over supplementation has been shown to be detrimental to proper development of young, growing puppies.

A puppy's stomach capacity is not large enough to hold sufficient food in one feeding to provide its daily requirement of needed nutrients. You should feed your puppy at least three times a day until his food requirements - per kilogram of body weight - begin to level off as he matures. You can reduce feeding schedules to twice a day when your puppy is four to five months old. Fresh water in a clean bowl should be available at all times.

The amount of food offered to a puppy will vary depending upon its size, activity, metabolism, and environment. Keep a close eye on your puppy so he doesn't become overweight. An overweight puppy not only presents a poor appearance, the excess weight can cause bone abnormalities. If your puppy appears to be gaining too much weight, you should reduce food intake. If he appears to be too thin and there are no health problems, then you should increase its food intake. Anytime you have questions or concerns about your pet's ideal weight, don't hesitate to consult a veterinarian.

Establish a routine by feeding your new companion in the same place and at the same time each day to help housebreak him. Don't be tempted to offer human food from the table, as it encourages begging and may create a finicky eater. Always feed your puppy just after all the family members. This way, he'll understand who's in charge.

The best determinant is the dog himself. Food intake in all animals is governed principally by energy requirements. Requirements can vary, depending upon the breed, activity, metabolism and owner's preference. Fresh drinking water should always be available. When dogs are successfully fed freely, it is the need for energy that determines the amount of food that is consumed. When dogs are fed on a portion-controlled basis, owners should select a quantity of food based primarily on the pet's weight and body condition. If your dog gains too much weight (energy surplus), you should decrease the amount. Conversely, if he loses weight, you should give him more food.

Commercial pet foods that are sold for particular life stages or lifestyles are formulated to contain the proper amount of essential nutrients that also meets the dog's energy requirements. Balancing energy density with nutrient content ensures that when a dog has eaten the right amount of calories, it will also have received all other essential nutrients requirement.

Just as with humans, a dog's appetite may vary from day to day. This should not pose a problem unless the loss of appetite persists or the dog shows signs of illness or weight loss. In these situations, you should have your dog examined by a veterinarian.

Most dry adult dog foods contain 18% or more protein, 5% or more fat, less than 12% moisture. These diets deliver between 3 100 and 4 400 kilocalories (kcal) per kilogram of product.

These diets offer the highest palatability and the highest cost per serving when compared to the dry and soft-moist products. In addition, canned products are less convenient to serve than other product types. Once a can is opened, unused food should be stored in the refrigerator. Total food consumption is high because of the low caloric content. The nutrient balance is dictated a great deal by the ingredients used in the diet.