When should I switch my puppy to 3 meals a day? Here’s the Answer

What time should a puppy have their last meal of the day?

Ideally, your puppy’s last meal for the day should be around 5 P.M., followed by a potty break and a playing session. Feeding your pup around this time will give them enough time to properly digest the entire meal and eliminate one last time before going to bed.

Wait two or three hours to take your puppy for a final walk for the day, making sure they have plenty of time to empty their bowel and bladder completely before heading back home.

Making sure that you stick to a regular feeding and potty schedule is the best way to housetrain and keep your pup energized throughout the day.

When Should A Puppy Go From Three Meals To Two Meals?

Bringing a new puppy home is a huge responsibility! Not only do you need to survive the puppy’s first night at home, but you also have to create and stick to a regular feeding schedule from the get-go.

A good feeding schedule and high-quality food are essential for your puppy’s growth and development and have a huge influence on how healthy your pooch will be when they grow up.

Free feeding and low-quality puppy food put your puppy at risk of becoming overweight and developing serious health problems such as diabetes and musculoskeletal conditions.

Therefore, it’s vital that you know what the best feeding schedule is for your puppy, based on their life stage.

All puppies go through the same developmental stages during their first year of life, but some pups can transition to two meals a day sooner than others.

This largely depends on your pup’s breed and size. Smaller breeds need less time to develop and grow than larger and giant dogs.

Consequently, a small breed dog such as a Chihuahua may start eating two meals a day way sooner than a giant Great Dane puppy.

Generally speaking, you should switch a puppy to two meals a day when they hit the six-month mark. This is a general rule of thumb.

As you know, all dogs are individuals, and you should always talk with your breeder or veterinarian before changing your puppy’s food or their feeding schedule.

With that said, I’ll give you a general timeline for what your puppy’s feeding schedule should look like during the first year of its life.

QUICK RECOMMENDATION: We’ve found the best bowls to use with our puppies are simple no-tip stainless steel dog bowls. We’ve had these exact same bowls since our first puppy Linus who we rescued from the shelter back in January 2005!

Very young puppies, like human babies, need to eat several times throughout the day to stay energized and grow properly. Most puppies are already weaned from their mothers by the age of eight weeks when they are sent to their new owners and forever homes.

Whether you purchased or adopted your puppy, the breeder or the staff from the shelter should have told you the brand of puppy food your pup is used to eating.

If there is no dire need to change your puppy’s food to another formula, you should continue feeding the same food after you bring the pup home.

At this stage, puppies grow fast and need a lot of food and frequent meals to grow and develop properly. You should feed four equally spaced meals and make it a point that meals are always given at the same times of the day.

Sticking to a regular feeding schedule will help you immensely in potty training your puppy, since they need to eliminate 10 to 15 minutes after eating a meal.

By keeping a strict feeding schedule, you can predict when your puppy will need to go outside and give them an opportunity to relieve themselves in the designated potty area.

From six to 12 weeks of age, you should be feeding a complete and balanced puppy food that is specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of a developing puppy.

When eating commercial puppy food, puppies can transition to unmoistened, dry puppy food by the age of nine to 10 weeks for large breed pups and by 12 to 13 weeks for small breeds.

If you are considering a homemade or raw diet, talk with your vet or canine nutritionist first. Preparing your pup’s food takes a lot of time and planning to get it right, and your pooch may be better off eating commercial puppy food.

QUICK RECOMMENDATION: If you are considering a different type of food for your puppy your might want to consider fresh dog food. Our current favorite is The Farmer’s Dog.

At the three-month mark, you should consider cutting your puppy’s meals from four to three meals a day. Ideally, aim for feeding your puppy equally spaced breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same times every day.

While your growing puppy will be eating significantly larger meals than when you first brought them home, it will still need a high-calorie puppy food.

Most dogs start to lose their trademark chubby puppy appearance when they are around 12 weeks old. This is one of the signs you should look for when decreasing your pup’s feedings from four to three meals a day.

If your pup still has a potbelly and looks chubby at this stage, continue feeding four meals until its body starts to lose its puppy pudge.

And if you think that your pup is too chubby or, by contrast, too lanky, schedule an appointment with your vet and have your pooch examined. The solution may be as simple as tweaking your pup’s portion sizes and feeding more or less food for each meal.

When they reach six months of age, puppies enter an adolescent stage and their nutritional needs change. So, if you were wondering when you should switch your puppy to two meals a day, now is the right time!

By the time puppies reach six months of age, they stop growing and developing at a rapid pace, and they no longer need as much food.

However, most will continue eating puppy food. Still, you should talk to your vet and see what the best food would be for your pup based on their individual nutritional needs.

Bear in mind, most veterinarians recommend spaying and neutering puppies at this age (although we tend to wait longer based on this recent study for spaying and neutering), since this is the time most males become sexually mature.

If you decided to spay or neuter your pup, know that the procedure affects your dog’s nutritional needs.

Desexed puppies and dogs have lower energy requirements than their intact counterparts and need a different type of food. Consult your vet about switching your pooch from puppy food to adult maintenance formula.

Feeding a nutrient- and calorie-dense puppy food to a desexed dog can lead to obesity, so don’t wait long to transition your pooch to a new food.

You should also know that most smaller breeds can make a switch from three to two meals a day when they are around seven or nine months old.

Small dogs need less time to grow up and reach adulthood than larger breeds and consequently have different nutritional needs. If you have a toy or small breed dog, feed them with small breed puppy food.

Small breed dog foods generally have more calories and are specially formulated to meet the higher energy needs of a small dog.

You should keep this in mind when picking out food for your pup, since feeding an inappropriate diet can have an adverse effect on your pup’s growth, energy levels, and overall health.

Large and giant breed puppies, on the other hand, can continue eating three meals a day until they are 12 and in some cases even 14 months old.

Larger dogs need more time to fully grow and reach adulthood and have completely different nutritional needs than their smaller counterparts.

When it comes to large breeds, getting the nutrition right is of utmost importance. Overfeeding a large breed puppy can cause rapid growth, which can lead to serious health problems.

Eating too many calories can cause musculoskeletal disorders in large and giant breed puppies, so pay close attention to how much food you are feeding your pup.

Another important consideration when it comes to large breed puppies is the calcium-phosphorus ratio. An ideal calcium-phosphorus ratio for large and giant breeds is 1.2:1 and should ideally come from your pup’s diet.

Large puppies that are eating a complete and balanced food that contains recommended amounts of calcium shouldn’t take any calcium supplements.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong if you aren’t sticking to a regular feeding schedule or feeding complete and balanced food to your large breed puppy.

When it comes to bigger dogs, it’s better to err on the side of caution and continue feeding puppy food three times a day rather than switching to a large breed adult dog food too soon.

Remember, giant breeds such as the Great Dane may take two years to reach adulthood and their full size. Switching your pup to adult formula or cutting their meals too soon can deprive your pooch of essential nutrients and jeopardize their health.

On the other hand, feeding a puppy formula for too long isn’t a good option since it can lead to obesity and joint problems.

When it comes to your puppy’s diet and nutrition, you should have your vet involved every step of the way.

Knowing when to switch a puppy to two meals a day gives you enough time to schedule an exam with your vet and discuss your pup’s mealtimes and feeding schedule before making any changes.

Even though most puppies do well following these feeding guidelines and meal schedules, know that every dog is an individual. This means that your pup may need a specific feeding schedule and meal plan that will cater to their unique dietary needs.

Don’t hesitate to talk with your vet or your breeder whenever you have some questions or doubts. In the end, it’s their job to help you raise a happy and healthy puppy.

QUICK RECOMMENDATION: We feed most of our puppies dry dog food sometimes mixed with fresh dog food. Over the years we’ve found the easiest way is to use an airtight storage container like the Iris Pet Food Container.

How Can You Tell If Your Puppy Is Being Fed Incorrectly?

According to your puppy’s size, age, breed, activity level, health, and calorie intake requirement, he or she requires a certain number of calories daily.

Healthy growth and development are promoted by ensuring your puppy consume an adequate amount of calories.

You can use the rib cage as a gauge of the physique of your pooch. Run your fingers along the rib cage, which should feel palpable, but not heavily defined.

If you cannot feel your dog’s ribs, yikes. Your dog might be a little tubby!

However, if you observe visible ribs and dull, dry fur, your puppy might be a little underfed and malnourished.

When in doubt, always check with your veterinarian on a proper diet for your pooch.

In addition, to determine whether your dog is consuming enough calories, you can closely monitor their pooping habits. There are several signs that your puppy is underfed, including gas, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting bile.

The usual amount of food will be sufficient if you keep your puppy’s activity level constant. In contrast, puppies have more energy to play as they grow and require fewer naps.

You should therefore give your dog a little more food if he or she has had a more active day. To keep him satisfied, he should consume enough calories to cover his expenditures.

When should I switch my puppy to 3 meals a day?

When to change your puppies food to adult food

A puppy’s feeding schedule depends on his age. Younger puppies need more frequent meals. Older puppies can eat less often.

Feeding your new puppy is one of the most important things you can do to lay the foundation for adult doghood. Proper nutrition from a complete and balanced puppy food has a positive impact on your puppy’s growth and development.