by Nick
How much food should I feed my 14 month old because I feel like I’m over feeding him.
Hi Nick. This is kind of like ‘how long is a piece of string’ 😛 Every puppy/dog is different and how much food they need depends on a lot of things, including their size/weight, general health, activity level, type/brand of food being used… and individual appetite.
But there are some general guidelines that might help you.
The first thing I’d look at is the quality of the food you’re giving your pup. The higher the quality of ingredients and the more nutrient dense it is, the less of it your pup will need to get the nutrition he needs – and to feel full.
A dog needs to eat more of a cheaper, generic or lower quality foods which contain a lot of filler or less-than-optimal ingredients to get what he needs. He will also get hungrier more often.
Secondly, the food you choose has guidelines on it, but these are only a rough guide. Many puppies/dogs will eat more or less than the suggested amounts. As long as a puppy is healthy, active and happy that is fine. Every one of them is different. Some are chow-hounds and others are very picky. It’s a personality thing.
Over the years I’ve developed a system that works for me and my dogs, if you feel confident enough using it, it may help you.
First, feed a quality large-breed food (this page has tips on choosing a good food and also links to three options which are all excellent foods… Best Puppy Food
Then, measure out what you think he will eat and offer it to him. Whatever your pup has eaten in 10 minutes is what he wanted/needed at that time. After 10 minutes pick up the bowl and don’t feed him again until next meal time. If he’s left food in the bowl then he didn’t need it. If he ate every bit of it, put a little more in there next time until you find his set-point.
Most puppies who are past the weaning stage will not eat much more than they need, even the chow-hounds. If they gorge at one meal they often eat less at the next. Depending on their stage of development their appetites can change, sometimes they’re hungrier, other times they’re not. That’s normal.
As long as your pup is happy, healthy and active I wouldn’t worry too much about how much he eats. I would suggest having your vet check him out to make sure his weight is within the range of normal and healthy, and also be sure that he has been dewormed regularly (just to make sure there aren’t any parasites stealing his nutrition). Once those are both taken care of then you don’t need to worry. If you feel he may be carrying more weight than he needs (which is rare with large breed pups who are active) then increase his exercise just a bit.
I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck with your pup.
~ Sue
