Our Standard Poodle puppies nurse from their mother
four weeks of age, when mom weans them.
Pups weaning from mom to her kibble that she drops
Of course Pups don't learn proper Table manners until they are 6 weeks of age
At three weeks of age they are introduced to softened Kibble, which is soaked and made into a warm gruel.
What a sight, the first few feedings have the little pups "wearing" more food than eating it. They learn quickly though.
Now, what do you do?
When your new Standard Poodle puppy first comes home, s/he may not eat too much for a few days.
This is, in part, due to the change from our home to yours. It is also, and maybe more so,
due to the fact that the puppy now does not have the competition of it's brothers and sisters beside him/her at the feeding bowl.
Do not worry, the puppy will begin eating normally.
Your puppy has been eating dry kibble available to them 24/7
and they have been given softened kibble three times a day
at approximately 5:00 a.m., 11:30pm and 5:30 p.m while in our care .
You may choose to continue with a bit of softened food for the first week, to aid puppy in adjusting to their new home
Just remember what is not eaten will spoil within hours and will need to be thrown out.
Of course our feeding schedule of 3x a day at certain times, is not cast in stone and you will come up with your own schedule.
We do recommend the final feeding to be approximately 2-3 hours before your bedtime
allowing you to get puppy outside immediately after eating (see "Housebreaking") and again well before your bedtime.
The morning feeding should be after you've taken the pup outside, let it have it's pee and poo, and a little play session.
Until your puppy is 100% toilet trained, just remember "what ever goes in has to come out 20-30 minutes later".
Time the middle feeding at a halfway point between the morning and evening feedings or as closely to that as your schedule allows.
We highly advocate scheduled feedings for Standard Poodle Puppies UNTIL your puppy is toilet trained to go outside.
After puppy is toilet trained... PLEASE leave food dish down 24/7 always full.
We have found that "free feeding" a well trained puppy (one that knows who the leader is) prevents
bloating, prevents gorging of food, prevents fussy eaters well the list goes on and on on the benefits.
No matter what your Vet says or believes, our Poodles do not and will not over eat !
Your Poodle will thrive if allowed to have access to food and water 24/7.
Chicken products from China causing intermittent vomiting and Diarrhea and killing dogs.
Glycerin in dehydrated jerky type treats, dehydrated Chicken Breasts, dog treats, greenies.
According to the FDA, they have found that dogs who consume varying amounts of Glycerin can exhibit the following symptoms:
decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea, increased water consumption urination.
With blood tests, the dog may have an increased BUN, Blood glucose which is evidence of glycerin's negative affects on the kidneys.
In hundreds of dogs kidney failure and death has been reported. Fighting for Fido CBC Report
and the
FDA's link about chicken jerky treats and Glycerin.
(if you insist on giving your puppy treats then consider chicken wieners diced)
Feeding treats during the day often leads to a picky eater and also one that does not eat regular meals
and a puppy that will get stomach upset, because they are substituting nutrient enriched foods for the candy like treats.
A puppy does not need treats. Praise and play work wonders to motivate.
Keep in mind that treats are not a substitute for a meal… we use teeny tiny pieces…
We don't give our pups or dogs treats routinely. If I wish to bribe my Poodle then I will resort to chicken wieners or sardines.
Another odd phenomenon we see so many times, is that anxious owners, or owners with stomach
or digestive issues themselves, have this same disorder manifest within their puppies.
Do not make food or treat time an anxious time. Do not get them worked up over food or treats.
NEVER keep switching foods for different flavors or brands, this creates a nightmare of a fussy eater
A dog views food as a part of survival. Dogs do not use food to feed emotions the way us humans do.
In summer when there is extreme heat and especially humidity, it is not uncommon to see dogs
eat grass to settle their tummies and sometimes vomit as a result.
Dogs can easily get overheated, so if you hear "humidity warnings" don't go outside to play with
your puppy
wait until it gets cooler in the day or evening, to venture outside for a game of play.
Please always remember, that cool, fresh water should be available at all times except during crating times.
If you restrict water puppy can develop a Bladder or Urinary Tract Infection.
At first offer your puppy about 2 cups of food.
Your puppy should always have kibble left over in their bowl at the end of your feeding time.
If there is no food left over, then use common sense ADD MORE next meal !!
Do not starve your puppy just because you are following the directions on the bag or your vet said to feed "x" amount…
Let the pup have access to the food for about 20 minutes.
What they have not eaten after this time, you take away until next meal time.
Continue this through the scheduled feeding times.
As poodle puppies grow, so too do their appetites.
If your puppy consistently finishes all of the food offered during the feeding time, increase the amount of food, just removing the contents after 20 minutes. ~ There should always be kibble left in the dish at the end of 20 minutes ~
If there is no kibble left over then you need to give more food. Growing puppies can eat what seems to be a phenomenal amount.
and some might even need a very high calorie food because they are burning through calories growing.
(example of "free feeding" with water and food always available 24/7)
NEVER EVER EVER EVER... restrict your dog's food intake after they are toilet trained.
We have seen so many of our adults basically starving with hips sticking out and just too thin because owners want to control
their dog's food intake ! Dogs do not eat their emotions, they eat what they need to be healthy and grow healthy
so make food available to them 24/7
No matter what Vets believe, Poodles are not labs and will not overeat.
If your dog does not get enough to eat, their body will start to eat at MUSCLE !!
The heart is a big muscle that will be adversely effected including but not limited to rhythm irregularities
Starving your Poodle (sorry I mean "controlling your poodle's diet) will also cause GI upset and sensitivity.
Your poodle should eat enough that it is leaving food behind in the dish. If it is not... add MORE FOOD !
This Poodle male was 50lbs and should have weighed 75 lbs
The owner listened to the Vet and fed what they were told to do, ignoring common sense !!
This is abuse ! This Poodle's body would be eating muscle in order to survive.
The heart is a muscle. This poor Poodle should have been allowed to eat 24/7 free feeding
Or at least an appropriate amount of food or calorie or quality of food in order to develop properly.
DO NOT BLAME THE BREEDER FOR YOUR NEGLIGENCE !! There is no excuse for this.
Free feeding also aids in avoiding bloat and or torsion like we do. LEAVE FOOD AND WATER AVAILABLE TO A HOUSE TRAINED PUPPY OR DOG 24/7
IF your dog is still slim and eating properly and very active, then they might need a higher calorie diet
Be responsible and ensure your dog is receiving the proper nutrition to be healthy.
At some point between 12-20 weeks your puppy will no longer require three feedings a day. A lot of puppies will let you know when that is.
They will begin to pick at one of the meals. If you find your puppy is consistently not interested in a meal (often the mid feeding),
take the same amount of food you have been feeding in a day and divide it into two feedings. Voila!! Puppy is eating the same amount,
just twice a day instead of three times a day. Once puppy is toilet trained then you may decide to "free feed"
meaning leaving kibble and water in dishes available 24/7.
We feel this aids in preventing bloat and making fussy eaters.
Dick Van Pattens Natural Balance Venison and sweet potato
In 2014 we decided to try our dogs and puppies on this food as it is poultry and grain free and limited ingredient
and more dogs of all breeds, have been having sensitivity to poultry and or diets with grain.
New as of 2014 - the public found out that a lot of dog foods were being filled with Whey acid by-product
of the Greek Yogurt and that this is counted as Protein
It could be coincidence however there are more and more puppies of all breeds and mutts
having GI upset and bladder issues, so we tend to not believe in coincidences.
Since starting on this food our pups have not had loose stools and their bladders have been healthier.
We can't deny all the amazing reviews of this quality product.
BASIC GUIDELINES FOR AMOUNT
TO FEED YOUR STANDARD POODLE
Your Puppy's bowl should never be empty.
If puppy eats all their food in the alotted time then you should be feeding more. Unlike humans, or other
less "refined" dog breeds, Poodles will not over eat. So make sure that puppy has enough food. Do not substitute food with
giving treats all day long either.
How much should your puppy
weigh? This little formula and the Food/Weight chart below
should give you a pretty good idea.
My standard for my pups, which
are over 8 wks. of age, is: 1 - 2 lbs. of weight for each week of age.
If a puppy is 8 weeks old it should weigh around 8 lbs.
This formula is fairly accurate
until the dog reaches the age of 3 months.
Basically your puppy should have left over kibble in their bowl every meal time during the alloted time limit.
If the kibble is all gone in the first few minutes, just add more kibble and know for next time the proper amount.
The following amounts are for EACH feeding.
Do not worry if there is food left over.
Approx. Food and Weights for Puppy
7 weeks
2 cups
7-8 lbs
8 weeks
2.5 cups
8-11 lbs
9 weeks
3 cups
9-15 lbs
11 weeks
3.5 cups
12-20 lbs
13 weeks
4 cups
RED 15-25 lbs BROWN 28-30lbs
15 weeks
4.5 cups
25-35 lbs
18 weeks
4 cups
35-45 lbs
5 mo.
4 cups
45-55 lbs
5.5 mo.
4 cups
45-55 lbs
6 mo.
4.5 cups
55+ lbs
When you are toilet training it is PARAMOUNT that you have a routine
(same time for feeding EVERY day even on holidays and weekends)
and that you also restrict the food until feeding time, so that you know when for sure to expect the puppy to need to toilet
to ensure they succeed in getting outside to the proper location.
We reccommend that as soon as puppy is house trained that you leave kibble and water available
to them 24/7 as this will ensure puppy gets enough food, doesn't learn any gorging behaviours and avoids bloat.
This type of feeding is often referred to as "free feeding".
When training puppy for obedience (starting out) we will use Chicken weiners diced
to give tiny nibbles of treats. This is not a meal replacement.
Chicken products from China causing intermittent vomiting and Diarrhea and killing dogs.
Glycerin in dehydrated jerky type treats, dehydrated Chicken Breasts, dog treats, greenies.
According to the FDA, they have found that dogs who consume varying amounts of Glycerin can exhibit the following symptoms:
decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea, increased water consumption urination.
With blood tests, the dog may have an increased BUN, Blood glucose which is evidence of glycerin's negative affects on the kidneys.
In hundreds of dogs kidney failure and death has been reported. Fighting for Fido CBC Report
and the
FDA's link about chicken jerky treats and Glycerin.
Our Poodles waiting for supper
Lori's Einstine and Olive baking her cookies for Mother's Day (your poodle is not guaranteed to have or be able to master this skill)
