Puppies make life better. It’s no wonder their owners will do everything in their power to make their puppy’s life the best it can be. Part of this is feeding your pup a high-quality diet at times of the day when your puppy needs its nutrients most. If you’re trying to decide on when to feed your dog during the day, this article will outline the best times to feed your pup and signs to look for that puppy is due for a meal.
When Should Your Puppy Eat?
When you first bring your puppy home, it’s a huge adjustment for your fuzzy-ball-of-love. They likely went from cuddling up with their mom to learning to live in a home and eating on a puppy feeding schedule.
Puppies often sleep a lot more than adult dogs and need more frequent feedings, so figuring out the best time to feed your puppy can be tricky. You also want your puppy’s feed times to align well with your own schedule.
To begin narrowing down when it’s best to provide your pup with a scrumptious meal, you first want to divide the day into the number of meals your puppy needs. Then you want to take a close look at your own schedule.
A good guideline to go by is to feed your puppy over the course of 9 to 11 hours. You also want to leave enough time in the evening for your puppy to digest, so you can take them out for their last bathroom break and not wake up to a mess to clean up.
This also helps your dog get used to your sleep rhythm, so they won’t wake up expecting a midnight snack later on.
For younger puppies, you may want to adjust your schedule for one feeding before bed, so they can sleep on a full stomach. Yes, they may have an accident, but because puppies under three months cannot hold their bladders or bums for more than 3 hours or so, you will likely need to wake up and take them out or clean up in the morning anyway.
The Best Times to Feed a Puppy Under 12 Weeks
Morning
Try to feed your puppy an hour or two before you have to leave for work. This will give them some time to process the food and possibly go to the potty before you leave.
Midday
If you can come home for lunchtime, feed your puppy another meal during this time. If you cannot make it home, try to have a friend or family member give your puppy a meal. You can also hire a dog walker or sitter to stop by to feed your pupper.
Afternoon
Your fuzzy puppy will need to go out to use the potty as soon as you get home. Do this, then prepare a meal for your puppy.
