Dog Feeding Guide
Introduction
James Wellbeloved’s recipes are carefully balanced to suit all kinds of dogs however, it can be confusing to know much to feed your dog or puppy. We have created an in depth dog feeding guide below for each dog type to make sure you’ve got the right serving sizes and suggestions. If you have any extra questions, you can always reach out to your vet or one of our team.
Dogs & puppies are best suited to eating smaller, more frequent meals – so splitting their daily serving into several meals throughout the day is best.
We also recommended providing plenty of clean, fresh drinking water for your dog or puppy at all times.
Quick-jump to our guides:
1. Puppy Feeding Guide
If you have a puppy, you’ll need to know the basics of puppy feeding. Puppies are usually weaned at around six to seven weeks of age. Prior to weaning, from around two to three weeks, the puppies can be offered small amounts of puppy kibble made into a soft mush with warm water. From six weeks, owners should gradually reduce the liquid. All moistened food must be replaced on a regular basis so that it doesn’t spoil or go off.
Puppies should be weaned onto specially formulated puppy food to ensure they are consuming the correct balance of nutrients to grow big and strong. Your puppy’s daily allowance of food should be divided into a number of small meals. For owners who are giving their puppy pouches, if the whole pouch is not used in one day, it can be refrigerated for use the next day.
James Wellbeloved puppy pouches can be fed alone as a complete diet or fed alongside our dry puppy food or junior kibble. For a puppy feeding guide, you can visit one of our product pages for detailed guidelines based on your puppy’s age and weight.
> See our full range of Puppy dog food <
For an even more detailed breakdown and for further information on puppy feeding, please read our how much to feed a puppy article.
Puppy dry dog food feeding table
Using an example from the feeding chart, if your puppy is expected to weigh 25-32kg as an adult, they should be eating 270g of dry food split between several meals at the age of two months, gradually increasing to 395-475g at six months old.
As another example from the feeding chart: if your puppy is expected to weigh 10kg as an adult, they should start with five pouches and increase this to six pouches at four to six months. After this you should switch them to adult food. Puppies’ tummies can be sensitive to change, so any adjustments to their diet should be made over time, by gradually replacing small amounts of their puppy food with adult food.
2. Junior Dog Feeding Guide
In the transition from puppy to adult, puppies can be given junior dog food. Junior dogs should be given at least two meals per day.
As your puppy grows and matures, they will develop their own unique character and personality, and may express a preference when it comes to food flavours and textures. If you are using dry food, you may wish to moisten it with a little warm water, as some dogs find this more palatable. You can also use James Wellbeloved moist balanced and complete pouches as a tasty topper for dry dog food, but make sure you reduce the quantity of dry food by 40g for every 150g pouch fed.
3. Adult Dog Feeding Guide
Dog adulthood is between one and seven years of age, depending on the size and breed of your dog. The healthy average dog weight for your dog depends on their breed and lifestyle needs. Regular vet visits can help you stay informed on the ideal weight for your dog, and any health conditions to be aware of.
Adult dogs can be given one meal per day, but it’s usually best to divide this into two servings for the day. If you are giving your dog treats, it’s important to take the equivalent amount of food from their daily allowance to prevent overfeeding. Similarly, if you are giving your dog treats, these should not make up more than 10% of their total daily food allowance.
The recommended daily serving for your dog is only a guide, as requirements vary considerably from dog to dog, and the exact serving should be adjusted according to the body condition of your dog.
> See our full range of Adult dog food <
For more advice on responsible feeding, please use our dog feeding chart below or take a look at our how much should I feed my dog article.
4. Senior Dog Feeding Guide
Similarly to adult dogs, senior dogs can eat one or two meals a day. However, your senior dog needs more heart and joint health support than an adult dog, so you will need to adjust their diet to match. James Wellbeloved recipes for senior dogs are supplemented with:
- Taurine, to support heart health
- Omega oils, glucosamine, chondroitin and herbs, to support older joints
- Vitamins and minerals, to support overall health
> See our full range of Senior dog food <
For a complete guide to how much to feed your senior dog, read the food packaging carefully or check the specific guidelines for each product online.
5. Overweight Dogs
If owners overfeed their dogs, or aren’t feeding them the best food for their size, age and breed, dogs can gain weight and become obese. The best guide to whether your dog is overweight is by using a body condition score. We have an easy-to-use scoring system that you can use here.
If you think your dog is overweight, it is always wise to speak to your vet before starting a weight reduction programme. Too rapid a weight loss can be bad for your dog, so it is important to try and carefully monitor your dog’s weekly weight loss.
James Wellbeloved light dog food has been expertly tailored to the needs of overweight dogs, while still including all the nourishing and flavourful ingredients dogs love. We reduced the physical density, at the same time as increasing the dietary fibres and proteins, so you can still fill your dog’s bowl while keeping their calories down.
> See our full range of Light dry dog food <
6. Treating Your Dog
We love treating our dogs; whether it’s for good behaviour, rewarding a successful training session, or just to increase that special bond between human and pet. However, it’s important to be aware that over-treating your dog can lead to weight gain, and even obesity.
If you’d like to treat your dog, remember to portion off the equivalent of that day’s food allowance to ensure your dog is not consuming too many calories. If your dog is overweight, you can use a small portion of their usual main meal to use as treats instead.
There are a number of healthy treats for dogs you can feed, including some fruits and vegetables. Don’t be tempted to give your dog treats from your plate, as some foods can be toxic to dogs and bad for their health. If you are unsure whether you can give your dog a certain treat, check with your vet for advice.
7. Breeding & Nursing Dogs
The requirements of breeding bitches in the last three weeks of their pregnancy and during lactation (feeding their puppies) can differ substantially from those shown above. Please visit the above website for comprehensive recommendations. This food is made with natural ingredients, and freshness and taste will be reduced if stored open for long periods. Store in a cool dry place. Keep closed between uses and store the bag in an airtight container if it is to be kept for more than 3 to 4 weeks after opening.
