Feeding

Now is the time to get a good start on nutritional patterns that will last through your puppy’s lifetime.  Simplicity and consistency are the two keys for the successful transition from the breeder's home to yours.  It may take several days to adjust to your new routine and to learn to eat alone.  So be patient as your puppy makes its transition.

Simplicity

On the whole, Labrador Retrievers are not problem eaters.  They like to eat!  By keeping the feeding process a simple routine, there should be no fuss.  Allow your puppy ample time to complete its meal – approximately fifteen to twenty minutes.  After this time, pick up and discard whatever food is left in the bowl.  If the puppy is still eating when you are ready to pick up her bowl, allow another five minutes. 

When your puppy refuses to eat its meal, do not offer it anything else until the next scheduled meal.  Don’t worry if your puppy has not eaten much of its food for a particular meal.  Puppies grow at different rates and may have more or less need for food at different developmental stages.  Your puppy will not starve if it misses a meal or two.  However, caution is appropriate.  A sudden and persistent refusal to eat may indicate a physical or behavioral problem.  It is appropriate to take your puppy in for a checkup. 

Obtain beginning feeding instructions from your breeder.  As your puppy grows into adulthood, there is no absolute guide to the correct amount to feed – each puppy is unique with respect to size, age, temperament and amount of daily exercise.  As a responsible owner, you can monitor your puppy’s overall trim to determine whether it is getting enough or too many calories. A Labrador Retriever should be firm, not plump.  It is easy to get out of condition by not exercising enough and by being fed too much by well-meaning owners.  Labradors will overeat, if allowed.  At the other extreme, if the ribs and hipbones can be easily felt upon running your hand down the dog’s side, your pet may require additional calories.  Your veterinarian can also give you some guidance as to your puppy’s weight.

Consistency

Feeding consistency is essential to a successful transition.  Drastic changes in diet can cause significant digestive upsets that can be hazardous to your puppy’s health and growth.  Once your puppy enters your home, it will be very advantageous to your puppy to set and maintain a very consistent feeding schedule – this will also contribute to advancing your housebreaking agenda.  Your puppy, and its digestive system, will do best with a very predictable schedule.

The Labrador Retriever is a large, rapidly growth breed.  For good long-term orthopedic health, it is advantageous to feed a puppy food that is formulated for large breeds.  Be consistent with the food you provide your puppy.  Any abrupt changes in food or eating schedule can disrupt your puppy’s digestive system.  When you a changing from one formula or brand to another, make the transition gradually over three to five days.  Begin by providing about three quarters of the total food portion from the original feed and about one quarter from the new food.  Gradually shift the apportionment of old to new until you are feeding only the new food.

Avoid falling into the trap of feeding table scraps or human food to you puppy.  While your puppy will give you the most compelling looks – RESIST!  Your puppy’s food is formulated to provide the right nutrition for your puppy at its stage of life.  Table food and scraps add unnecessary calories and don’t contribute to the nutritional balance.  Again, consistency is the key!