Small breed puppies: How to feed them properly!

Feeding puppies of small dog breeds requires special attention, as the growth and development of these dogs entail specific needs. It is important to choose the right diet to ensure that your little friend grows up healthy and vigorous. Here you can find out what you should pay attention to when feeding small breed puppies.

1. Choosing the right puppy food especially for small breeds

You should choose a special food for small breeds for your puppy, as this takes into account the needs of the little ones and provides the right amount of energy to avoid overfeeding. Small breeds need food with a higher energy concentration and therefore a higher protein and fat content. We have developed two types of food for these dogs:

The bosch HPC Mini Junior is suitable for rearing your puppy up to 12 months of age and up to a final weight of 15 kg. Another junior dog food that is suitable for mini puppies is our bosch HPC Menu Mini Junior with grain-free animal welfare chicken. This recipe is also ideal for your growing puppy up to 12 months of age. In addition, the kibble sizes of both varieties are adapted to small dog snouts.

Just as important as the right choice of food is the question of how to feed it. You can refer to the feeding recommendations for this. In general, it is advisable to offer your puppy several meals - up to 6 months, it should be fed at least three times a day, from 6 months onwards it can be reduced to two meals a day. Especially in the first few months, you can also soak the food in a little water if your puppy prefers it. From 6 months onwards, we recommend offering the food dry to support dental health. It is always important to ensure that there is enough fresh water available.

2. How long should I feed my little puppy his special junior food?

Small dog breeds usually reach their weight and size after just one year and grow up faster than their larger counterparts. Until this time, your puppy should be fed puppy food. Puppy food is designed to support your puppy's healthy growth and general development. For very small breeds such as Chihuahua, Miniature Spitz or Yorkshire Terrier, puppy food can be switched to a suitable adult food at 7-8 months. For slightly larger breeds such as Jack Russell Terriers or Dachshunds from around 12 months.

Of course, treats and rewards are part of training a puppy. It is important that you only give rewards with caution and keep an eye on the quantities. For small daily training sessions, you can also simply use normal dry food. For particularly demanding training sessions or tasks that need to be mastered with great confidence (e.g. recall), you can also use very special treats.

The greatest reward for your puppy is your attention anyway!