Feeding & Bathroom Schedule
It is important to create a Puppy Schedule that works for your family and your new puppy. Here are some tips to help make the training and transition period easier and more streamlined:
Getting into a routine
One of the most important things you need to do for your puppy right off the bat is to establish a routine. Though it will be difficult initially for you to decide on a routine that will work for you, your family, and your puppy, don’t wait too long to figure it out.
Here are some of the most important things to make sure you have on your puppy schedule:
1. Feeding
Your new puppy is doing his best to become a full-grown adult dog. But in order to do so, he’s going to need to eat more frequently than an adult. Where you can feed many adult dogs twice a day — or even just once — puppies need to be fed three times a day like people. Because of the size of your puppies, it is important to make sure that the blood sugar doesn’t drop too low, which is why three times a day (if possible) is probably best. Sound like a lot of work? Well, the good news is that you can plan your pup’s meals more or less around your own. The best times to feed him are around 7 in the morning, at noon, and then again at 5. You’ll want to follow this schedule for the first 3 to 4 months of your pup’s life. Then you can switch to twice-a-day feedings unless your vet recommends continuing more frequent meals. Establishing a routine for eating times is especially important. With a set feeding schedule, your puppy will learn when to expect food and will be less likely to beg between designated meal times.
2. Potty time
Unless you want to have a big mess on your hands, you need to make sure you’re giving your pup “potty time” every 2-4 hours. Any longer than that and she just won’t be able to hold it. Putting a set time (and place) to this activity also teaches her that this isn’t just something she can do whenever and wherever she feels like it. After eating and drinking, make sure to give extra potty breaks because that is generally when the puppy will need to go right away. Between after meals/water and being forgetful at play, that is when the most accidents happen. Signs to watch for are circling an area, sniffing in corners and around the edges of a room (or a rug), and dancing around.
3. Keywords training
Very young puppies can’t get into any kind of formal training class right away, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be teaching him some basics every day. One thing every pup can start learning: keywords. Begin with important words like “good,” “bad,” and “no.” Keep these words simple and be consistent with which ones you use. Your dog needs to get used to hearing the same words in order to associate the same meanings with them each time. When the puppy is old enough, we recommend formal training. Before all of the shots are given, there is also the option of hiring an in-home trainer, which a lot of our owners have had excellent results with.
4. Exercise and play
Starting to think you’re never going to have any fun with your new puppy? Well, you can relax, because it’s also important to build time for exercise and play into your schedule. Ideally, you want to begin your pup’s day with exercise before she has her
first meal. After breakfast, try a pack walk (if she’s too young to go outside, you can do this around the house) followed by some bonding or play time. You’ll repeat this general routine throughout each day. Exercise, meal, exercise, bonding, meal, and so on. By creating a good schedule for your puppy and starting small with tasks like feeding times, potty times, teaching keywords, and exercising and playing, you will not only save yourself innumerable future headaches, you’ll also ensure that your new bundle of joy grows up to be the best that he can be.
Food Amount
We use the back of the bag of puppy food by weight/age for daily intake amount. This is dependent on weight. Some puppies are tiny, so only need about ½ cup of food per day. This can be divided into about 1/8 of a cup per feeding etc. Larger puppies will need more food. If the puppy doesn’t seem satisfied, add a little bit more, but be careful not to overfeed. If you have any questions about portion size, speak with your veterinarian.
Sample Feeding Schedule: (Bathroom schedule will vary by puppy and intake)
7 a.m. – Wake up, take puppy out for morning constitutional, followed by breakfast. 1/8 cup for each puppy Diamond Naturals small breed puppy food (or whatever brand you choose and the recommended amount for that brand).
7:30 a.m. – after leaving food out for the puppies for about 30 minutes, put it up until later and take puppies out to go potty.
12 p.m. – Feed lunch, followed by bathroom
6:00 p.m. – Feed dinner, followed by bathroom
Make sure the water is taken away a few hours before bedtime, and that puppies are taken out right before bed. For the first several weeks, their bladders may not be able to make it all night, some owners put a puppy pad down, others use a puppy apartment type setup.