Thought I'd start a new thread! Being a new lab puppy owner I would like to ask what others do or recommend for meal times v treats. I find it difficult to know if I am feeding too much by the time I add in to the day treats for training twice a day (bits of cheese or cooked chicken), a raw stick or two (to keep her busy), a yoghurt filled puppy kong (again to keep her busy)... how much should I reduce the kibble by? Thank you in advance! x
Puppy food / mealtimes / treats
- Thread starter lilliput
- Start date
- Location
- Wellington, NZ
Oh boy, I found it hard to balance this while she was still growing and I honestly just winged it - I weighed out the recommended daily kibble and then used whatever treats I wanted. She was never fat (probably too slim if I'm honest), so whatever I did worked.
If you notice pup getting podgy then decrease the daily kibble by...20 grams? And if pup's getting loose poops then that's also an indication that he's eating too much.
I'm far from a puppy expert, so take this advice with a grain of salt and see what the others have to say
If you notice pup getting podgy then decrease the daily kibble by...20 grams? And if pup's getting loose poops then that's also an indication that he's eating too much.
I'm far from a puppy expert, so take this advice with a grain of salt and see what the others have to say
Leanne
Sniffer Dog
- Location
- Shropshire, UK
I was utterly neurotic. I used to write everything down that had passed his lips so I could make sure that he was in optimal condition - then get him weighed weekly. 
Then I realised that quite frankly with the constant stealing of food, the helping himself to anything he could scavenge of the sides and/or the memorable occasions when he chewed through his food bag (embarrassingly this happened twice!) and ate about 2Kg of food in one sitting (I’m sure your puppy won’t be like this.. Mas is a bit of a twat
) that is much easier to just go by what they look like... every now and again he looks a bit thinner so I give him a bit extra. I tend to underfeed the levels recommended on his Millie’s wolfheart by a fair bit as he just doesn’t need that much food (Mas disagrees quite strongly) I’m fairly relaxed with treats - I don’t like anything that’s prepackaged as it tends to mess with his stomach so we stick to pizzle sticks and the occasional rawhide chew. He loves cows hooves and that tends to be his main chew now at 9 months.
Then I realised that quite frankly with the constant stealing of food, the helping himself to anything he could scavenge of the sides and/or the memorable occasions when he chewed through his food bag (embarrassingly this happened twice!) and ate about 2Kg of food in one sitting (I’m sure your puppy won’t be like this.. Mas is a bit of a twat
) that is much easier to just go by what they look like... every now and again he looks a bit thinner so I give him a bit extra. I tend to underfeed the levels recommended on his Millie’s wolfheart by a fair bit as he just doesn’t need that much food (Mas disagrees quite strongly) I’m fairly relaxed with treats - I don’t like anything that’s prepackaged as it tends to mess with his stomach so we stick to pizzle sticks and the occasional rawhide chew. He loves cows hooves and that tends to be his main chew now at 9 months.
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
I remember feeling like this too, as reward based training was new to me I was quite bewildered about it all. I think it's a good idea to weigh out the kibble for the day, but if I'm honest I never got as far as factoring in the calorific value of rewards. Going by how he looks is the best advice, you can soon alter his intake on a given day.
My vets surgery are very proactive with the weight control and encourage drop in visits to weigh and discuss general condition.
Truth to tell though, there have been times when getting the behavior I want, such as recall, was more important than possible weight gain.
So it's a juggling act really.
My vets surgery are very proactive with the weight control and encourage drop in visits to weigh and discuss general condition.
Truth to tell though, there have been times when getting the behavior I want, such as recall, was more important than possible weight gain.
So it's a juggling act really.
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
I`m afraid guesswork comes into play a lot with me , I don't weigh anything , just hope for the best ! If you have a steady weight gain , and puppy looks good , then don't worry too much ! Reuben is a little greedy piggy , so his kibble will suffice for treats , but I do buy Harringtons training treats which he adores ! Depending on how many he has had in a session , I will maybe cut down the meal food a little, but then he is so full of energy on walks that he runs off any excess ! We are heading towards the cutting out of lunch , he will be mortified ! xx
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
I find it’s impossible to over feed them weight wise- they remain skinny however much I give them. But their poos go too soft if their meals are too big - so I make poo consistently my guide 
I use only kibble as treats until 12 weeks old, then add fish cubes. I don’t add any other treats until they are six months old. Their tums take time to become ‘hardy’. Tatze now has iron guts! Lol
I use only kibble as treats until 12 weeks old, then add fish cubes. I don’t add any other treats until they are six months old. Their tums take time to become ‘hardy’. Tatze now has iron guts! Lol
Jacqui-S
Moderator
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
We used a different kibble as a training treat as recommended by our trainer.
I can't recall right now what it was called - but a pretty cheap dog food that came as rings and you could easily break into quarters so not much for a reward but there was a fair bit of "streaming" where the dog/pup gets several bits in quick succession.
I think other people have used things like ZiwiPeak which is hugely expensive to feed as a single source, but again, good as treats. I also use free samples of kibble or small sample packs from Fish 4 Dogs - I think just that it is something different to normal kibble makes it a treat.
Lilly will do anything for cheese or smoked sausage. We use cheese in particular at hydrotherapy as it is quickly down.
Its important for training treats not to use anything that takes much chewing.
I can't recall right now what it was called - but a pretty cheap dog food that came as rings and you could easily break into quarters so not much for a reward but there was a fair bit of "streaming" where the dog/pup gets several bits in quick succession.
I think other people have used things like ZiwiPeak which is hugely expensive to feed as a single source, but again, good as treats. I also use free samples of kibble or small sample packs from Fish 4 Dogs - I think just that it is something different to normal kibble makes it a treat.
Lilly will do anything for cheese or smoked sausage. We use cheese in particular at hydrotherapy as it is quickly down.
Its important for training treats not to use anything that takes much chewing.
We used kibble with Kipper when he was tiny, then he got a condition called Giardia which upset his whole digestive system so we were very conservative with food for months. Now for high value treats he loves tiny bits of frankfurters (those packs of 10 ‘essentials’ jobs) and Harrington’s treats like @kateincornwall mentioned; but will still work for kibble!
We still weigh it out at the beginning of the day and try to adjust according to what treats he has, but we’re still working with it as he’s just stepped up from puppy to adult food - he’s ~2kg over at the moment...
We still weigh it out at the beginning of the day and try to adjust according to what treats he has, but we’re still working with it as he’s just stepped up from puppy to adult food - he’s ~2kg over at the moment...
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
If I`m going somewhere new with a puppy , I will use really tasty treats , special ones ! I let him/her see me put them in my pocket before letting off lead , works a treat with a greedy monster like Reubs !
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Oops sorry, I got the gender mixed up xx
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
Very fishy sounds just right!
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
I’m another in the “winging it” camp. Almost of my dogs’ food is used in training or enrichment, so I want to ensure it’s as healthy as possible. This means kongs are normally soaked kibble with a bit of sardine for flavour, or I use their regular food, which is home cooked. Sometimes mince or similar.
The food they get in their bowls is more for my benefit than theirs, and is a tiny amount. This is what I alter when I think they need an adjustment because it’s important to me that they still get their enrichment and their training; at the moment, Shadow is a bit skinny so he gets double, but Ginny and Squidge are a touch plump and are getting a tiny bit in their bowls. We muddle through.
Squidge had a cast iron constitution as a pup; she was enjoying raw chicken wings, cooked beef and pork, alongside cheese and hotdogs, from as soon as she came home. The other two were far more delicate.
The food they get in their bowls is more for my benefit than theirs, and is a tiny amount. This is what I alter when I think they need an adjustment because it’s important to me that they still get their enrichment and their training; at the moment, Shadow is a bit skinny so he gets double, but Ginny and Squidge are a touch plump and are getting a tiny bit in their bowls. We muddle through.
Squidge had a cast iron constitution as a pup; she was enjoying raw chicken wings, cooked beef and pork, alongside cheese and hotdogs, from as soon as she came home. The other two were far more delicate.