[Nicole74]

Bailey is not a big eater. I thought at first she didn't like her food, so we switched puppy food and she still isn't eating the normal amount according to the bag. Bailey will eat 1 1/2 cups and once in a great while 2 cups a day. I've talked with the vet and he is not worried about it as she is gaining weight beautifully. According to the bag she should be eating 3 1/4 cups a day.

 

[Doodle]

Generally speaking, the amounts recommended on the bag are too much. You really have to go by how her ribs feel and how her waist looks from above and from the side. If she looks and feels good, is gaining weight appropriately and your vet thinks she's fine, then I don't think you have anything to worry about. It also depends on the calorie content of the food you're feeding. Brady didn't eat that much as a pup either and he still grew into a 70 lb well proportioned dog.

 

[Doodle]

Cute pictures of her, by the way. From what I can see in those she looks fine.

 

[NewPup]

Riley eats 1 cup for breakfast and 1 cup for supper. Plus a few treats in between. That seems to do him good.

 

[mikeynote]

I feed Hazel 2/3 a cup three times a day plus treats and she's doing well.

 

[iamswiss]

We feed Bailey 3 times a day 3/4 cup and treats in between for training. Although I think she would eat so much more, but she looks fine and gaines consistently.

 

[kblinkgirlie182]

Buddy recently cut his food back. We used to feed him a little over a cup 3x a day. He now eats about 2 1/2 cups a day split into 2 feedings plus a large milkbone if we go out and leave him in his crate. He's a little over 8 months

 

[Nicole74]

I use to give the food to her 3 times a day, but now I leave it in the dish all day. Bailey picks at her food and eats very slowly. I put two cups in for the day.

 

[TobysDad]

Total 3 cups

Toby eats 1 1/2 cups of dogfood twice a day, plus it seems at least half of whatever I eat plus some treats plus grass, weeds, dirt, sticks, and occassionally a bug.

 

[Deuce]

My little guy eats 4 cups a day, 1 cup 4 times per day, but he is pretty tall for 3.5 mos. Ribs are easily felt with very little fat.

Just like people, each dog's metabolism is different so each needs a different amount of calories. As long as she doesn't look too gaunt, and doesn't act lethargic or run down, I wouldn't worry about it. If you do have a concern, consult your vet and let them tell you if she is getting enough to eat.

I would almost never recommend leaving food down for the dog to eat as it sees fit. But there are exceptions. As long as she is not overeating, this shouldn't be a problem. In fact, I would be more worried about a pup getting too many calories as recent studies have shown this to be a possible contributing factor to hip problems later in life. At one time it was thought to be fats, but that theory is no longer as accepted as it once was.

If her low consumption becomes a problem, again consult your Vet and allow them to suggest some higher calorie diets. Remember, it isn't about the mass that she eats, but about her caloric intake.

 

[Kelli]

Emma Rose at 6 1/2 months eats 4 cups a day. Two in the morning and 2 in the evening. Even with that much food she acts like she is starving. LOL She also gets treats during the day too.

I was worried that I was overfeeding her but the vet assured me that her weight was just fine.

 

[jenlaur]

We feed Bailey 3 times a day 3/4 cup and treats in between for training. Although I think she would eat so much more, but she looks fine and gaines consistently.

Reading these posts is concerning to me. I have Riley on 1/2 cup of Wellness puppy 3 times a day. She gets a heaping tablespoon of plain yogurt with breakfast and a heaping tablespoon of Wellness puppy canned with dinner. In between she gets one or two Kongs with about a tablespoon of cream cheese each time. Her feeding amount, according to her breeder, the vet and a reader of this forum who advocates the slow growth plan is on target. Now I am wondering if I am feeding her enough. Could the be wrong? She is 13 weeks today and weighs 19.5 lbs. She was 9.8 lbs at her 8 week check up. Her weight gain is just under 2 lbs per week. I think this is what they recommend for the slow growth plan. Is this enough? Everyone seems to be feeding much more than we do.

 

[JakeysMum]

I feed jake 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup at night and give him some kibble for training during the day so probably 2 and a half cups all up. plus maybe a carrot, and a chewy bone thing. I also give him a chicken wing 3 times a week.
He's at about 19.5 pounds at the moment, he's just over 3 months. Does this sound ok to everyone???
I've never really had a big eating dog before. and i dont know if im feeding him too much/ not enough. hes always looking for more food lol

Vets are so confusing sometimes, one vet told me i should only be feeding him twice a day, a vet nurse said 3 times a day, and another vet said only once a day!!!

 

[Nicole74]

plus maybe a carrot

Bailey pulled out a big carrot out of the garden all by herself the other day when I was getting some tomatoes and cucumbers for our salad! I let her eat it.

 

[Nicole74]

I think this is what they recommend for the slow growth plan. Is this enough? Everyone seems to be feeding much more than we do.

I have no idea. That is why I asked if 1 1/2 cups a day was enough for Bailey for the day. I'm not doing the slow growth and she eats the same amount as your pup.

I do give Bailey the Iams biscuits for treat training, but the cats like those a whole lot better then Bailey.

 

[Maya's Mom]

Reading these posts is concerning to me. I have Riley on 1/2 cup of Wellness puppy 3 times a day. She gets a heaping tablespoon of plain yogurt with breakfast and a heaping tablespoon of Wellness puppy canned with dinner. In between she gets one or two Kongs with about a tablespoon of cream cheese each time. Her feeding amount, according to her breeder, the vet and a reader of this forum who advocates the slow growth plan is on target. Now I am wondering if I am feeding her enough. Could the be wrong? She is 13 weeks today and weighs 19.5 lbs. She was 9.8 lbs at her 8 week check up. Her weight gain is just under 2 lbs per week. I think this is what they recommend for the slow growth plan. Is this enough? Everyone seems to be feeding much more than we do.

If your pup is gaining just under 2 lbs a week, you are feeding her the perfect amount. Many people do not follow the slow growth plan, so they tend to feed more than those who do. From what I have seen, there is huge variety in the amount that people feed their pups. There are plenty of folks on the forum who do follow the slow growth plan and who believe in it. I personally think it is the best way to give a pup the healthiest start possible in life. There is good research backing it up. Many breeders are recommending it now. You are feeding Riley exactly what I fed Maya before she turned 20 weeks old. She did very well on it. Her vet said she was a very healthy weight throughout her time on the plan. He even commented that because she was thin she would be less likely to have health problems and that many people have puppies that weigh more than is ideal. You can search for slow growth threads on the forum to see others who have had success with the plan. There was one a little just a little while ago. Please don't give up. You really are doing your pup a favor by following the slow growth plan.

 

[GoldenSail]

I try myself not to worry about how much Scout is eating as long as she is not too thin or fat--and she is neither. For her, since she is still growing (5 months) it comes and goes. Some weeks she will eat not quite 3 cups a day and be a wild child, but more commonly she is only eating 2 cups, if even that.

 

[Willow52]

Hank get 1/2 c. dry puppy food + a tablespoon or so of canned mixed in 3x a day.

 

[Ambesi]

Winchester is up to a little under two cups per day. I feed him twice a day and he has some treats throughout the day as well. He would eat the whole bag if I let him! What a chow hound. I weighed him last night and he was 18.8 pounds and he's now 11 1/2 weeks old.

 

[pokey]

While everyone is posting how much they feed, you are failing to mention what you feed. Some foods have a higher caloric value so would require less food than a lower caloric food. For example, California Natural Lamb and Rice Puppy has 591 kcal/cup while Eagle Pack Holistic Select Large & Giant Breed Puppy has 375 kcal/cup. You are going to feed more of the Eagle Pack than the California Natural at each feeding to get the same per day calories.

I was only using the above foods as an example; you should check the food you feed to see what the kcal/cup is. If you happen to feed Natura brand, they have a feeding calculator on their site-http://www.californianaturalpet.com/tools/feeding.asp#