We brought our new dog Vida home on saturday(she is 8 weeks old).She was used to eating all day whenever she wanted but we have 3 cats all on a special food and if we leave the dogs foodout they will eat it.Is it okay to switch her scheduled meals? I run a dayhome so am home all day so feeding her often is not a issue.Water will be out all day.We are kennel training at night,do we need to stop water at a certain time?

She is on pedigree puppy(the breeder had her on it)Is it a good food?

she should probably be eating 3 times a day right now. we switched to 2 feedings at about 6 months...

as far as the food, sure there are better foods although its not recommended to change foods right away....

Keeping pups on a feeding schedule helps with potty training (they'll go at more predictable times) so would definitely enocourage a 3x day schedule. I wouldn't think about changing foods yet. New pups often have sensitive stomachs so as long as he's doing well on Pedigree, I'd leave him on that for now.

i dont "free feed".
you will get lots of info regarding kibble on this board. there are much better foods available, in my opinion.

3 times a day would be appropriate right now. You'll want to start with about 3/4 a cup a meal.

Food...could be better, but don't change right now.

I agree put her on a schedule a.m midday and p.m until about 5 months or so then 2 meals a.m. and p.m. My breeder told me to stop water no matter what at 7 p.m. just until old enough to hold it all nite. it did help alot. As far as food......there is much better out there but stay on Pedigree for atleast 2 weeks until she is used to you, the house and just the entire change. Off the top of my head better quality foods are: Innova Large breed pup, Eagle pack holistics LBP, California natural chicken and rice, Diamond Naturals, Acana LBP. No matter what you choose keep calcium under 1.5%....until a year old. another good food search to start at is www.dogfoodanalysis.com (http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com). Avoid corn, wheat, soy and By-Products.

As the rest have suggested, 3 meals a day is a common practice at that age, and if it is better for your cats that way, go for it. I have never seen any studies on how dogs fare on different diets. I do know the large service dog schools that have tried different diets have settled on common brands with the same ''bad ingredients'' as pedigree.

You can cut back to 2 meals at 3 months and one at 6 months if you want to. The type and amount of chow is likely much more important than the brand. You should switch to an adult chow at 4 months, and keep the puppy lean. Both contribute to stronger joints by keeping the weight down while they develop.

Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good illustrated guide, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx

I agree that scheduled feedings are much better. Also can be used as a training tool (sit before eating, work to eat, etc.)

I would not recommend "free feeding" a puppy. Scheduled feedings are definitely better.

A puppy should be fed 3 times a day until he reached about 5-6 months old, then you may feed twice a day for the rest of his life.

Labs are prone to a very serious condition called "bloat" when fed too much food at one sitting. This is why it is important to feed smaller meals more frequently.

Please be careful with Pedigree...there was a recent pet food "recall" on this food. There are much healthier brands available for your puppy. http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/pet_food_recall_issued_by_pedigree

Try to stay away from grocery store foods and visit your local pet center for the better brands.

I personally like:

Eagle Pack Holistic www.eaglepack.com
California Natural www.naturapet.com

Every dog is different and you need to feed what works best for your dog.

Scheduled feedings 3x a day until six months. You will thank yourself for doing that because it makes house training so much easier. Garunteed the pup will need to go outside a couple of minutes after a feeding.

In terms of food, I would personally not feed my dog pedigree puppy, or almost anything else that can be purchased at a grocery store. That being said if the breeder sent you home with a bit of the food, transition gradually to something a bit higher quality. www.dogfoodanalysis.com (http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com) is a great source of information on dog foods and might be helpful in selecting the right one for you. Personally I feed chicken soup for the puppy lovers soul large breed puppy food. Sage does wonderfully on it, and she constantly gets compliments on her coat and overall healthy appearance, so I would recommend that, but it is certianly not the best or only good food out there.

Sage was six weeks and on puppy chow when I brought her home. She was malnurished, and I did not take any of the puppy chow with me, I started her on chicken soup food right away. My pup was NOT thriving.I would not advocate taking this approach though under normal circumstances, but I would start a transition to a new food after a few days because your puppy is growing so much she really does need proper high quality nutrition. A cold turkey switch is not right I don't beleive for you at this point. Although others have had success with pedigree, I personally do not beleive it provides good high quality nutrition.

Congratulations on the new family member!

As others have said, don't change the food right now, but do break it down into 3 scheduled feedings. I personally change to 2 meals at 4 months, but going to 2 at 6 months or later certainly won't hurt the dog...it's more of a convenience for the feeder. I, like most here, feed twice a day for life. Realize that if the puppy has been free fed up until now, it'll be a big transition and she might not eat for a meal or two...this is normal. I'd recommend feeding in a crate (so she can't find something more ammusing to do). Put the food down for 10-15 minutes and then take it up until the next meal time (even if she's not done). She should catch on pretty quickly. Good luck!!

Although others have had success with pedigree, I personally do not beleive it provides good high quality nutrition.

...and what exactly is your personal experience with pedigree?? If your pup wasn't "thriving" when you brought it home, I'd guess it was more of a problem with the breeder than the food. Although many like "better" ingredients, pedigree, puppy chow and even beniful have been tested using feeding trials (which many of the fancy foods have not) and are proven to have everything a dog needs. No, I don't feed any of those, but I've seen dog thrive on all of them.

...and what exactly is your personal experience with pedigree?? If your pup wasn't "thriving" when you brought it home, I'd guess it was more of a problem with the breeder than the food. Although many like "better" ingredients, pedigree, puppy chow and even beniful have been tested using feeding trials (which many of the fancy foods have not) and are proven to have everything a dog needs. No, I don't feed any of those, but I've seen dog thrive on all of them.

Hello! My pup is a lab mix that did not come from a breeder. She was in a neglectful situation, so it was not a problem with the food exactly, but considering she was a runt, skin problems, full of worms, underweight, had been being fed carnation milk since 3 weeks old, and had a rectal prolaspse, the vet agreed that a change of food to would probably be best as she was not tolerating the food she was on to begin with. That is why I said if her pup is healthy on the food, no reason to switch cold turkey.
My personal experience with pedigree is that my grandmothers dog, a jack(persons) russel terrier was being fed that, and she developed severe allergies to corn and wheat after about 3 years on the food. She is five years old now, and can no longer eat even a treat with trace ingredients of corn in it. My parents also feed pedigree to their four dogs. The youngest female (3 years old) has also developed a suspected allergy to corn and litterally chewed her feet raw. The oldest female (5 years) does ok, but she overweight dispite regulated portions and exercise. The two boys seem to do alright, but their coats are dull, and I suspect the larger male is also developing an allergy to corn as he has taken to chewing his feet now too. That is not to say soem dogs do not do ok on it. The dog I had growing up was fed on pedigree. She lived to be 12 before she died of liver failure. She was in great shape until that point, good weight and general health. She too though, had severe allergies that showed themself as sores and hairloss near her hind end. She was diagnosed as allergic to fleas and most other insects, however I now wonder if she to did not have an undiagnosed food allergy. So yes, animals can do well on certian foods. I had a friend when I was in gradeschool that would only eat shoestring frenchfries and hotdogs. She is still alive and well today, but that simply means she could survive on that diet, not that that is the best choice. Have I seen animals that looked good and ate pedigree and beneful? Yes, sure. Have I had alot of experience with animals that have not? More than I have had good. I am no expert on the subject though. I think that since our animals are soley dependant on us to survive in our care, it is important to take into consideration how we care for those who are dependant on us. That being said, there are alot of foods comparable in price to pedigree, that provide, in my opinion better nutrition and less controversial ingredients.

Is this a good food... one word.... No

PEDIGREE PUPPY now contains a new and improved patented PEDIGREE HEALTHY NUGGETS with Meaty Centers kibble. Improvements include a golden yellow shell, 25% more cream fill and meaty center.

Nutritionally complete and balanced for all breed types Contains the ADVANCED ANTIOXIDANT RECIPE Blend with guaranteed levels of vitamins E & C

Easy to soften with warm water for younger puppies Puppy-sized kibbles are designed to be small and easy to chew when fed dry for developing teeth and jaws

Highly digestible ingredients so nutrients are easily absorbed

No artificial flavors or fillers.

Ingredients:
Ground Whole Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal (Source of Lutein*), Animal Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Source of Vitamin E), Natural Poultry Flavor, Wheat, Potassium Chloride, Wheat Flour, DiCalcium Phosphate, Salt, Brewers Dried Yeast, Carmel Color, Vegetable Oil (Source of Linoleic Acid), Calcium Carbonate, Taurine*, Vitamins (dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source of Vitamin E], Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C*], Vitamin A Acetate, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Marigold Meal, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), Added FD&C and Lake Colors (Yellow 6, Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5).

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Crude Protein (Min.): 27
Moisture (Max.): 12
Crude Fat (Min.): 11
Crude Fiber (Max.): 3
Calcium, min. 1.1
Phosphorus, min. 0.9


Extra Information:
PEDIGREE PUPPY Food For Puppies Puppy-Sized Bites Original Chicken Flavor is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for growth and gestation/lactation.

The reason you Do Not EVER allow your puppy to eat on demand is it will make them a picky eater... Pick up un- eaten portions after 15 minutes..It puts you as Alpha and makes the pup understand you are the Boss.. you control the food... the most important thing to them...

Seeing you live in Canada a wonderful company is Champion Pet.. They make ACANA.... look into one of those after pup has settled in for a month... Stress from a new home upsets the tummy... too much stress like changing the diet too soon is worse than the ingredient panel being bad...
http://www.championpetfoods.com/acana/products.php

scheduled feedings. free feedings cause fussiness. (at least here they did)

I would always feed on a schedule- 3x's for a pup- breakfast-lunch and dinner- when he's older you'll want to change to 2x's breakfast and dinner.

As far as food- as long as it's not broke don't fix it.for now anyway. If he's fine on Pedigree- keep it up. You DO NOT want to start the food rollercoaster with a baby! IMO.
Best of Luck and Welcome!

Thanks everyone!
We are going toswitch her food soon.My 1 year old is getting hives on his face whenever Vida licks him,we think he is allergic to corn and need to try vida on a food without corn(My ds does not get hives from other dogs he has been licked by)
We are thinking of acana puppy food for large breed dogs.

Kerrie

If you do change, don't do it all at once. With such a young puppy, I might even stretch out the usual week to longer.

I have a big bag of pedigree and we will mix with the new so that hopefully she is on all new in 3 or 4 weeks.We do not want her to have a upset tummy and do not wnat baby to have hives so slow change and try to prevent licking and we should be good :)