How long should my dog be fed with puppy food?

When a puppy moves in with a new family, there are many things to consider. One important decision concerns the food.

The breed and the expected final weight play a decisive role in the choice of feed. Very small breeds in particular need food with a higher energy concentration, i.e. above all with a higher protein and fat content. Mini Junior is therefore ideal for breeds that will later have a final weight of less than 10kg. For medium-sized breeds, the protein and fat content is reduced somewhat. We have developed the Medium Junior for these dogs.

Raising large breed puppies is a particular challenge. With these dogs, care must be taken to ensure that they grow slowly and evenly so that bones, cartilage and joints can develop properly. These young dogs should always be fed an adapted diet with a significantly reduced protein and, above all, fat content.

Many owners of large breed puppies follow the advice above and look for a food with a reduced energy content. Unfortunately, it is also often recommended to feed puppies adult food at an early stage to prevent them from growing too quickly. However, adult food is not adapted to the needs of young dogs. We therefore strongly advise against raising a young dog on adult food. We have therefore developed our Maxi Junior for these large breed puppies.

It is also particularly important to adhere to the specified amount of food. This includes treats and rewards in particular, which should always be included in the specified daily ration. Overfeeding a young dog leads directly to faster growth!

Our tip: It is best to use the main food as a reward. For young dogs in particular, getting something from their human's hand is the greatest reward, and what that is often only plays a subordinate role. Exceptional treats should be saved for exceptional achievements.

And now one more crucial question:

The recommendations for small, medium and large breeds differ considerably here. This is because a Chihuahua is fully grown much earlier than a Bernese Mountain Dog, for example.

Very small breeds are sometimes fully grown at 7-8 months and can then be switched to a suitable adult food.

Medium-sized breeds are fully grown at 12 months. From this point onwards, the dog can be fed a follow-on food.

The very large breeds are a bigger challenge. These dogs are often not fully grown until they are 18-24 months old. However, the main growth takes place in the first 12-15 months. Feeding an adapted Maxi Junior food is therefore particularly important during this time. Even after the age of 15 months, the dog will certainly still gain weight, get a stronger build and also build up muscles. However, as this development is not as great a challenge for the body as the development from puppy to young dog, an adult food can be fed from 12 to 15 months without any problems.