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The growing puppy should be weighed once a week for the first six months of his life. The weekly growth rate, which starts from weaning to six months, should be very constant that it forms a straight line when plotted on a graph. The amount of dog food consumed by a fast growing puppy should be increased at almost the same rate as the puppy's growth. The only way to make sure this increase in dog food consumption happens at the proper rate is to feed a puppy from a self-feeder. Whenever a puppy eats everything he is fed, add a little more, so that you are always offering the puppy just a little more than he will eat.

Puppies obtained after weaning should already have an established feeding program from the previous owner. You should make every effort to find out everything you can about the type of feeding program from the old owner. The old owner should provide you with information that includes the type of dog food that the puppy is currently eating as well as the feeding times. In addition, the previous owner should tell you the amount of dog food given, so that you can duplicate them for at least a few days until the puppy has become used to his new surroundings.

Do not be afraid to change the old routine, however. Such a change is one of those that are considered acceptable when it comes to dog feeding. Do not be misled into feeding your new puppy exactly the same way his previous owner was feeding him, just because you feel that the breeder is an experienced dog feeder. Just because that person is a breeder does not necessary make him/her an expert in dog feeding. In many cases, most breeders, in their innocent ignorance, felt they were doing one of their puppies and his new owner a favor by passing their misinformation along.

If you feel that there is a need to change your new puppy's diet to improve dog nutrition or feeding method, feel free to do so. Once the puppy is familiar to his new home and the people that go with it, you can begin introducing him to a new dog food and feeding routine. Just remember to do it slowly, one step at a time.