Q: How Much Should I be Feeding my 4 Month Old English Mastiff Puppy?
by admin ~ April 18th, 2008A: Great question. There are so many variables, it’s hard to give a definite answer, but hopefully I can give you enough information to help you figure this out.
The best way to determine how much your mastiff puppy should be eating would be to ask your veterinarian to calculate how many calories he should be receiving based on your puppy’s age and weight. Most dog foods label how many calories are in each cup of food, so you and your vet can then decide how many cups of food your puppy needs each day. With a giant breed, like a mastiff, you’ll need to be sure to recalculate the totals frequently to make sure you’re keeping up with his growth.
Each dog food brand and type varies in the amount of calories and levels of protein and fat, so depending on the food you’re feeding your mastiff, your puppy might require a cup or two more or less than he would if you were feeding a different brand. Most foods come with a recommended feeding chart on the bag. Giant breeds, like mastiffs or great danes, should never be fed a regular puppy food, so assuming you’re feeding a GIANT breed puppy food (we feed out puppies Eagle Pack Holistic Large & Giant Breed Puppy), check the bag to see the recommended feeding amount based on your puppy’s weight and age. If you want to start out in that range, watch your puppy for the following:
- Weight Condition. As a general rule, it’s better for giant breed puppies to be on the thin side rather than overweight. This can help prevent several serious bone diseases. You should be able to see the last two ribs, and feel the others easily under the skin. If you can see the entire rib cage, your puppy may need to be fed a little more. If you can’t see the last rib or two, cut back a bit.
- Structure. Overfeeding can cause several bone and joint issues. If you know what to watch for, it’s easy to see the signs and adjust your feeding regimen accordingly. Check for straight bone growth. If your puppy’s toes are starting to turn out, front legs are starting to turn out or look bowed, or the top of his back is drastically unlevel (roached top line), these could be signs of overfeeding or an overage of protein, fat or calcuim in your puppy’s diet. Overly knobby joints on the legs or joints that appear to be inflamed are other signs of irregular growth related to diet. If you suspect your puppy may have any of these problems, you should see your vet for a check up and diet recommendations. If caught early enough, some bone diseases can be repaired and deformed growth may be reversed.
- Other Considerations. If you’re using a large amount of treats to train your puppy, or if you supplement his diet with fresh or raw foods, you may need to adjust the amount of dog food you’re feeding to compensate for the extra calories. In addition,some puppies are more active than others, so a puppy that runs around all day will require more calories than a pup that is kenneled while you’re at work and sleeps more.
Filed under: FAQ, Nutrition/Growth, Puppies/Puppy Care | No Comments »
Clicker Training for Puppies
by admin ~ February 25th, 2008I’ve trained many dogs over the years, typically using the standard method of giving a command, like “sit,” pushing gently on the puppy’s rear end to help them into a sitting position, then giving a treat. This seemed to work pretty well.
I recently began taking a beginner’s obedience class with a new puppy. The class is based on clicker training. The theory behind clicker training is that you are able to click (a small metal “clicker” can be purchased at pet supply stores) at exactly the moment the dog performs the desired action, then follow the click with a treat. This provides a more precisely timed reward for the desired behavior (the click), helping the puppy to understand what it is you want faster. Clicker training provides positive reinforcement which seems to work really well with dogs and puppies.
I must admit, I was skeptical at first. We were instructed to stand with the clicker in one hand and a treat in the other, look at our puppy’s backside and wait for them to sit without giving commands or assisting with motion. I was suprised when it worked! But sure enough, after just a few seconds of making eye contact with my puppy’s backside, he sat down and and looked at me, trying to figure out what I was doing and what I wanted. Immediately upon contact between the puppy’s rear and the ground, the clicker is clicked, then a treat follows.
A few weeks into the classes, I’ve found I’m getting a more rapid response to commands. My puppy seems to be grasping new concepts after just a few repetitions of commands with the clicker, vs. the few weeks it would typically take to learn commands the old way. He definitely associates that click with a positive response and a treat. Clicker training receives a thumbs up!
Filed under: Behavior/Training, Product Reviews, Puppies/Puppy Care | No Comments »
Q: What’s the best puppy food for great dane puppies?
by admin ~ February 3rd, 2008A: We feed our great dane and mastiff puppies Eagle Pack Holistic Select. They’ve conducted feed studies on several litters of giant breed puppies with no reported cases of HOD, OCD or Pano, and our dogs love it. Eagle Pack Large & Giant Breed Puppy is available in our i-tails.com online store.If it’s not available in your area, look for a super-premiun food without by-products, sugar, or high levels or salt and corn. Premium foods typically have extras like probiotics, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and glucosamine in addition to better quality meats (chicken meal vs. chicken by-product) and grains. Look for human grade ingredients and all natural vs. artificial colors and preservatives.
Giant breed puppies should never be fed a regular puppy food. More information is available on our giant breed nutrition page.
