Puppy Feeding Guide

Puppy Feeding Guide

An earlier start to a healthier life

Figure out how much and how often to feed your new puppy so you can get back to what really matters.

A lifetime of fresh food

As puppies grow, their nutritional needs change fast. But we've got you covered with a balanced diet that promotes health and longevity throughout doghood.

Nutritionally complete and balanced
Full of fruits and vegetables (see below)
Soft in texture
Light on low-calorie treats

Our Chicken & Rice Recipe and Fish & Sweet Potato diets are especially great for puppies of small to large breeds.

A handy list of safe fruits and vegetables

Apples

Carrots

Blueberries

Green Beans

Broccoli

Cranberries

Zucchini

Butternut Squash

Calculate your puppy's portions

1

Find your puppy’s estimated adult weight.

2

Determine their daily calorie intake using the puppy feeding chart.

3

See food label for “calories per serving” to calculate the quantity needed to meet daily calories.

4

Use the meal frequency chart to determine how many meals your puppy needs a day.

5

Divide the weight of food calculated in step 3 by the number of meals in step 4.

Your puppy. Your plan.

Tell us your puppy's age, weight, and activity level, and our calculator builds a daily feeding recommendation just for them — no chart-reading required.

Get Started

When do puppies eat solid food?

Generally, puppies usually start the transition from milk to solid food at around 3–4 weeks of age. Puppies should fully transition to solid food and be weaned completely off of milk by 8–10 weeks old.

Always seek the advice of your veterinarian on:

Your puppy’s activity level & energy requirements—active dogs require more calories, sedentary dogs, less.
Your puppy’s body condition—underweight puppies require more calories and vice-versa.
Your puppy’s breed—large breed puppies will have different requirements from smaller breeds.

Your Year-One Feeding Schedule

For puppies, consistency matters as much as amount. Stick to a feeding schedule, and try to finish their last meal a few hours before bedtime to help your puppy digest and cut down on nighttime accidents.

6 to 12 weeks

After your puppy is weaned (3-6 weeks) and has transitioned to solid food, it is best to feed them 4 times a day.

3 to 6 months

When your puppy is between 3-6 months old, reduce meals to 3 times a day.

6 to 12 months

For 6-12 months of age, you can begin feeding them twice a day.

Building up to treats

Treats should constitute a maximum of 5% of your puppy's daily calories. Fresh vegetables and fruits are low-calorie treat options. Always check with your veterinarian prior to starting a treat regimen.

Staying on track

As your puppy grows, so does their portion size. Because growth rates vary by breed, we recommend tracking your puppy's growth with tools like the WALTHAM™ Puppy Growth Charts — it's an easy way to help keep them at a healthy weight as they grow up big and strong.

When should puppies transition to solid food?

Ask your vet or use the WALTHAM Puppy Growth charts to best determine when your dog is ready to switch to adult food. Generally 6-12 months for small-medium breeds, 12-16 months for large breeds, and 18-24 months for giant breeds.

Puppies can keep eating our Chicken & Rice Recipe and Fish & Sweet Potato into adulthood — no food transition needed.

How to transition from puppy to dog food

To make the transition, mix your puppy’s current food with their new adult food, gradually decreasing the amount of puppy food and increasing the amount of adult food over a period of 7 days.