Four meals or three at 9.5 weeks?

[basildonbond]

Dpup is currently on 4 meals a day but he never finishes the bowl - he's now on a mix of wet and dry wainwright's puppy food (he will eat a bit of kibble if it's thoroughly mixed in)

As we're clicker training he also gets a lot of teeny tiny bits of chicken, sausage, cheese, carrot etc

Because he's having the treats and because he's obviously not that hungry am I right in assuming we're ok to go down to 3 meals a day?

I'd say three. Our pup was on that as soon as we got her home at 8 weeks. On breeder's advice, btw.

I believe in 4 to 16 weeks, then three to 20 weeks and then if you want to drop to 1 wait till at least 24 months. I see far to many skinny puppies, because meals have been dropped to soon.

I tend to keep my pups on 4 meals a day up until 16 weeks, drop 1 meal over the next month or so and then down to 2 at 6 months-ish.

Every evening I weigh his daily intake (which is based on his predicted adult weight and worked out according to the food manufacturer's guidelines) apportion out a quantity for clicker training treats and keep them in a separate pot, then divide the remaining intake into the right number of meals for that day. It makes things a whole lot quicker at meal times, as I just grab a bag and know he's getting the right amount without having to check each time.

That said, Pip is 16 weeks tomorrow and still on 6 a day, due to his digestive/weight issues. We did try to drop down to 4, but that was the day he was suddenly taken ill again, so have decided to stick with 6 for a little bit longer, as it's easier on his digestion.

I take that back. Dh has just left the kibble bag on the kitchen table and left the room. He then came back to find half a puppy - the rear half - sticking out of said bag with happy munching noises coming from within.

That's what happens when I'm ill and ask dh to weigh out tomorrow's feeds.

Do you think I'd be better off giving him smaller meals more often - the only way I can get him to eat kibble at all is to smoosh it up with the wet food (and even then he manages to lick most of the wet food off)

We tried giving him bits of kibble for clicker treats and he just looked at us in a completely bemused way and let it drop out of his mouth!

moose I'm sorry but that image of Pip is really making me smile .

My dog is equally unenthused about kibble for clicker treats but (guided by moose) have some little star treats from fish4dogs, they are tiny bits of kibble but coated in salmon oil so they smell like heaven for a dog and my two will do anything for them. If you go on the fish4dogs website and join the puppy club they will send you some free samples and a puppy feeding guide with handy training tips. Very pleased with mine.

I had high hopes for those but sadly he turns his nose up at those too - just lets them drop out of his mouth :(

No really! That's not worth getting your hands all stinky for then. My dogs now give me the look if I try and feed them anything at all that doesn't stink of fish. House smells lovely .