It can be very tempting to share what’s on your plate with puppy. But, before you do and establish an expectation as well as a hard habit to break, keep in mind that good nutrition and a balanced diet are essential for optimal health. Recommendations for a healthy start include:

• Provide plenty of fresh water
• Monitor your pup’s caloric intake, inadequate or excessive intake of nutrients can be equally harmful
• Feed higher quality diets, with AAFCO* certification and approved by the CVMA: a higher quality food may be more expensive, however dogs will eat less, reducing the cost and typically the clean up.
• Feed for your dog’s life stage: puppy food should be fed for 12 to 18 months depending on its breed and size. Overfeeding the large breed puppy for maximal growth rate may result in crippling skeletal changes years later.
• Any changes in diet should be gradual over a period of several days.
• If your puppy has special medical needs, follow your veterinarians recommendations.