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Puppy Feeding Schedule for Weaning Puppies

What to Feed your Puppies for Proper Puppy Development!

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When weaning puppies, it is best to try and stick to a regular puppy feeding schedule.

This doesn't have to be an exact set schedule of hours, but rather, certain times of the day in general.

You will need to gradually build up to a 4 times daily feeding schedule, while the puppies are weaning.



When they are 3 weeks old, it is time to introduce them to solid food.

Golden Retriever puppy

Get some dry puppy food, not adult dog kibble, and soak it in warm water for about 20 minutes. It will soften to a nice mush, which is exactly what you want!

Place the soaked down food into large, shallow bowls, then set the puppies in front of it and stand back!

They are going to have a riot! Some will nibble at it, others will walk through it, and some will even try and lay down in it!

Enjoy this spectacle now because it only takes a few feedings before they really get the hang of it and get straight to business.

Using two or more bowls is a good idea, but you will still have some pups that will crowd around one bowl, even though the other bowl has plenty of room to eat at!

You will want to start with one feeding schedule a day, then two, once in the morning and again in the evening.

feeding puppies, Golden Retriever puppies learning to eat puppy food

After 2 days, move your feeding schedule to 3 times daily, then to 4. When the pups are completely weaned, you can go back to only 3 feedings a day; morning, afternoon, and evening.

Make sure you give them plenty of food. It is better to have too much, as momma will gobble up what is left over anyway!

Keep a shallow bowl of water for them to drink out of. They will not actually start drinking water right away, but it needs to be there for them to “practice” with.

Once they are truly eating their food, and not just learning how to, then they will start drinking lots of water.

Once they are 4 weeks old, gradually lessen the amount of water that you soak the food with. By 6 weeks of age, Golden Retrievers should be eating plain dry puppy food, as that is best for their teeth.




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