How to feed a 2 months old puppy?

You're officially the owner of a 2 months old puppy. Congratulations!

You're probably wondering how to feed him properly at that age? What meals for a 2 months old puppy and how often?

Wait before you change everything!

When a 2 months old puppy comes through your door, there's no question of doing anything different with his food! At his kennel, your puppy has had his mother's milk and a transition to solid food – mostly kibble.

In the first few days and even weeks after your puppy arrives at home, our recommendation is to give him the same food that he was fed before: same food and same frequency. Simply ask your puppy's breeder what he was fed and do the same. Very often, the breeder will give you a packet of kibble he used to feed your puppy.

Indeed, your puppy will go through a period of great change with you: leaving his mother, brothers and sisters, his first home, discovering a new family, learning a new way of life … By keeping the same food as before, your puppy will at least keep that stability.

Let him adapt to you before you change everything!

Think transition!

In addition, when you change your dog's diet (if you do change it), take time to make a dietary transition and don't change it abruptly. Introduce the new food gradually so that it doesn't upset your puppy's mood and stomach. This will also help you identify your dog's food intolerances.

What meals for a 2 months old puppy?

These are the four types of food you can consider for your 2 months old puppy. We don't specifically recommend any one of them: each has advantages and disadvantages, which we'll point out. Of course, you'll need to find out more about each one before you start.

Kibbles

It is certainly the most easiest and best-known food. As mentioned earlier, chances are your dog's breeder has fed him kibble.

The advantage of kibbles is that they are:

• Practical: ready to serve in your dog's bowl.
• Reassuring: the frequency and quantity of kibbles are indicated on the packet.
• Whole: the majority of kibbles are whole foods that are self-sufficient. You don't need to add anything else to your dog's diet.

The disadvantage of kibble is that it may contain ingredients that are nutritionally unattractive (or even harmful) to your dog: in order to cut costs, manufacturers sometimes put medium-quality food in your dog's kibble. In general, it is better to favor simple and detailed ingredients, especially rich in quality animal products.

Read our article: Choose the best dog kibble for your dog.

The marketing myth of puppy food

Specific kibbles for puppies, Yorkshires, Labradors and so on. In the majority of cases, it is above all a marketing argument to push you to buy this or that brand. So you don't necessarily have to opt for a range of puppy food.

Wet food

Instead of the kibbles or at the same time (reducing the portion of kibbles to compensate), you can opt for wet food.

Its advantages are as follows:

• Practical: all ready to serve in your dog's bowl.
• Reassuring: the frequency and quantity of the wet food is indicated on the cans.
• Complete : if you opt for a complete meal, you don't need to add anything else to your dog's diet. Warning: some cans of wet food are supplemental, and therefore not complete.
• Nutritionally more interesting than kibbles: often less processed than kibbles, wet food is a more interesting food and often very much appreciated by dogs.

The disadvantages of wet food are:

• The price: higher than the kibbles.
• Depending on the brand, the quality of the wet food can vary enormously. Same as for kibbles, it is better to favor simple and detailed ingredients, especially rich in quality animal products.

Read our detailed article: Wet food or kibbles?

The household portion

The household portion consists of cooking your puppy's meals yourself, based on meat, vegetables, cereals and supplements (salmon oil…). This way of feeding dogs is becoming more and more widespread, even if it is not recognised by all professionals. We recommend it for you and your puppy only if you have a professional to advise you.

The advantage of the household portion is that it is:

• Nutritionally interesting: you control everything that happens in your dog's bowl and can adapt his food to his sensitivities (if allergies, …).

The downside of the household portion is that it is:

• Time consuming: not everyone wants to cook for their dog .
• Not reassuring: it's up to you to determine your dog's quantities and balance his portions. It's not easy, especially for a puppy.
• Expensive: higher than kibbles and wet food.
• Difficult to put in place if you have your dog in care.

The BARF

BARF is the practice of feeding your puppy (and later your dog) only raw prey – in reference to the dog's wild origins. Like household portion, the practice is more and more developed, even if it is not recognized by all professionals. We recommend it for you and your puppy only if you have a professional to advise you.

The advantage of BARF is that it is:

• Nutritionally interesting: you know what you are putting in your dog's bowl.

The downside of BARF is that it is:

• Time consuming: you need to figure out where to find animal carcasses.
• It's not reassuring: it's up to you to determine your dog's quantities and to balance his portions. It's not easy, especially for a puppy.
• Expensive: higher price than kibbles and wet food.
• Difficult to put in place if you have your dog in care.

How many times a day should I feed my 2 months old puppy?

As indicated at the beginning of this article, start by following, as much as possible, the frequency of your puppy's meals instructed by his breeder.

Then, it's best to feed your puppy at least 2 to 4 meals a day. He has reduced digestive capacity compared to an adult dog and must ingest larger quantities of food.