Feeding Schedule at Black Forest after weaning
Feeding Amount @ 8-9 weeks old
2 cups 2 x's per day
Add a little warm water to make gravy in bowl. Each puppy has a unique metabolism and different energy needs. A good rule is to add or subtract amounts of daily food based your Labradors "waist line" and how you want him/her to look. The ideal build Labrador body is a somewhere between an hour glass and a sausage ;) While a fat puppy is adorable, excess weight is bad for joint development
Water after feedings:
As much as they care to drink (water intake in crucial to a healthy puppy)
• Take up their water at least 2 hours before bed time (this will significantly lower late night accidents)
For the entire 1st week at home
Add 1 tablespoon of plain or Vanilla yogurt with each meal. (Activia brand or ones with added probiotics or bacteria are too strong
This will help any upset stomach from the transition and the good bacteria in yogurt will help fight off bad bacteria the puppy might pick up from new surfaces or grass.
Dog's Diet
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99% of all dog food available in grocery stores is pure garbage. Your dogs will love it because of the sugar and fillers manufacturers use to entice the dogs to eat. In reality, food of that quality would be like a human eating McDonald's for every meal...it tastes great but it wouldn't take long to become obese, and/or unhealthy.
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Normal physical activity would become difficult and the compounding issues mean more frequent visits to the vet. Standard rule manufacturers won't tell you: the first 4-6 ingredients on a dog food label make up 95% of the food within. Use common sense, just like us they are what they eat!
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If you're feeding a good quality food you will NOT need to provide any vitamins or supplements. Furthermore, we do not recommend supplements for puppies under a year old because a puppy's cycle is designed to accelerate at nature's pace. This is especially true regarding Calcium in Labradors. Calcium speeds and assists the growth and solidification of bone structure. Common sense might merit adding calcium to a puppy's diet to ensure healthy bone growth but in truth, moderate or less calcium allows natural growth and bone hardening to occur. Too much calcium can lead to arthritis, Osteoporosis and even Dysplasia.
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After a few weeks, remove the water from the food mix but allow as much cold water as the pup wants to drink. Don't worry if your puppy's appetite is minimal for the first few days. It's just left its family and may take a little to feel comfortable with its new home. That said, Labs are notorious eaters.
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Please don't overfeed your pup either. Fit-not-fat is a good rule to keep your pup from excessive growth and obesity which can cause hip Dysplasia as it grows. Do not feed human food! Their stomachs cannot handle it and it can cause problems.
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Human interaction while a dog is feeding: A puppy that has been stroked, petted, or even sat with during meals is far less likely to be dominant over its food bowl which will greatly reduce the risk of an accidental bite near the food bowl. This same theory applies to bones and chew toys.
