The correct development, physical activity, health and ultimately the life span of your dog directly depend on how well you feed it. And the point is not only in a well-chosen individual diet, but also in the diet. It differs significantly between puppies and adult dogs.
Nutrition of the dog after a year
Since up to a year and a half years, depending on the breed, a dog is considered a puppy, it needs to eat often at this age. Babies up to 2 months old are fed 6 times a day, from 2 to 3 months - 5 times a day, from 5 months to 1 year old a puppy on three meals a day, and after a year a young dog should be transferred to two meals a day.
Some dog handlers advise gradually, by the age of 2-3 years, to train the dog to eat only once a day, but most still believe that it is optimal to feed an active and mobile animal, especially if it is a working dog, twice - after a morning walk and after an evening walk. You should not treat the animal as a capricious child and offer him food some time after he has already refused it. You also don't need to leave uneaten food in your dog's bowl.
If the dog refuses to feed or, having eaten a little, is distracted by other activities, consider that you have fulfilled your master's duty and the dog is simply not hungry. Allow for feeding no more than 15 minutes, after which the dog should have only one bowl - with fresh water. Such a feeding regime disciplines the animal and gradually the dog will quickly eat everything that is put to it.
But in the case when an adult dog, already accustomed to such feeding, refuses to eat, observe its behavior - it is quite possible that it is not healthy. In animals, as well as in humans, refusal of familiar and favorite food can serve as a signal of illness.
How to feed your dog properly
Remember that your mistakes can cause chronic illness in your dog. Do not feed her with those products from your table that you consider to be delicacies - meat and fish smoked meats, aged cheeses, spicy, salty and sweet should be strictly prohibited. Puppies whose permanent teeth have not yet formed should not be given bones. And the tubular bones of a bird with their sharp fragments can also destroy an adult animal.
Adjust the daily feed intake according to the size, age and physical activity of your pet. If he spent the day off with you in nature, running and playing, the amount of food should be increased. When there is enough food, an indicator of this will be normal body condition, which does not hide the developed muscles. In the event that the dog seems thin to you, consult your veterinarian and, if necessary, increase the daily allowance. Remember that overfeeding your dog can lead to obesity and heart failure.
