When can puppies start eating food? 

Believe it or not, puppy nutrition is similar to a newborn baby’s diet. A dog’s main food source is their mother’s milk for the first few weeks of their life. Nursing provides puppies with all the essential nutrients they need to grow and develop. 

So when can puppies start eating food in place of milk? At around 4 weeks old, you can start introducing solid food into their diet. This will help the pups wean off their mother’s milk and adjust to eating pet food. 

When can puppies eat wet food? The same rule applies for when puppies can start eating all together. Dogs 4 weeks or older can start eating wet food or soft puppy food recipes. 

How to Choose the Best Puppy Food

Puppies spend most of their time sleeping or eating. Their bodies require a lot of rest and a nutrient-dense diet to support their body’s rapid growth. When your pup is ready to transition from teet to dog bowl, choosing quality puppy food is essential. 

AAFCO Dietary Requirements

Dogs need a lot of calories to grow as much as they do in the first year of their life. Funny enough, puppies require more nutrients and daily calories than adult and senior dogs.

Look for dog food that offers AAFCO-approved complete and balanced nutrition for growth and reproduction or all life stages. Some brands offer dog food that’s specifically for puppies. But if the ingredients are cheap and artificial, puppy food formulas aren’t the best choice for your furry friend.

Real Meat = First Ingredient

Since puppies need a protein-rich diet, always choose puppy food with real meat as the first ingredient. The FDA requires brands to list their ingredients in order of quantity. If meat isn’t the first ingredient, then there likely isn’t enough protein for your pup. 

Brands like Sundays for Dogs offer meat-first dog food recipes to support puppy growth. Made with only 100% human-grade ingredients, puppies get access to vitamins and minerals straight from their natural source. The USDA Beef and All-Natural Turkey recipes meet AAFCO guidelines for all life stages, including large breed puppies. 

Breed Size Recipes

Your puppy’s breed also plays a role in their dietary requirements. Large breed dogs require a slightly different nutrient profile since they grow faster than smaller breeds. 

For example, Great Danes and other large breeds are more prone to joint pain and hip dysplasia. These issues can be caused by overconsumption of calcium and phosphorus. That means large breeds shouldn’t eat as much calcium and phosphorus as the average puppy food has to offer. 

To ensure your large breed puppy meets their nutritional requirements, just look at the back of the puppy food packaging. The nutrition label should state that the food is complete and balanced for large breed puppies by AAFCO standards. 

Should I feed my puppy wet food or dry food? 

Feeding your puppy wet food versus dry food depends on a few different factors. Age and development are the most important things to consider.

Puppies between 4 and 6 weeks old are still growing teeth, so soft puppy food may be the way to go. Plenty of brands offer canned puppy wet food that’s easy for young pups to eat. Once they are older than 6 weeks, their teeth should be strong enough to handle dry puppy food. 

While puppy wet food is easy to eat, it’s not the most budget-friendly option. Puppy wet food is often more expensive than dry food, along with being messier and smellier at mealtimes. Plus, the sugar in most wet food can increase tartar buildup on your dog’s teeth. 

Instead of feeding your puppy wet food exclusively, try softening dry food with water or bone broth. This is a more cost-effective way to feed your puppy. Plus, you can reduce the amount of liquid you add in as they get older and transition to plain dry food.

If you are choosing Sundays puppy food, the air-dried jerky softens quite easily when topped with bone broth or water. This creates soft puppy food that’s a tasty distraction from weaning off their mother’s milk. 

Puppy Meal Schedule

Curious about how often your puppy should eat? Puppies require more calories and nutrients than adult dogs. But with such tiny tummies, they can’t pack as much food in one sitting as older dogs. 

As a general rule, puppies should eat more frequently than twice a day and in smaller servings. This will provide your pup with enough energy between meals without making their stomach uncomfortably full. 

Puppies that are less than 6 months old should eat 3 to 4 meals a day. With puppies between 6 and 12 months old, you can cut down to 2 or 3 meals a day. 

Your pup should always start the day with a meal. Their last feeding should be a few hours before bedtime. You can fit the other meals in throughout the day depending on your schedule. 

Calculate how much Sundays your puppy needs by filling out our feeding quiz. Adjust your puppy’s serving as they grow by visiting sundaysfordogs.com/howmuch. 

Transitioning to Adult Dog Food

When can puppies start eating food for adult dogs? That transition coincides with your pup’s first birthday. Once your dog is one year old, they can start eating normal adult dog food. 

Large breed dog parents may choose to keep feeding puppy food until they are about 1.5 years old. The timing of the switch doesn’t matter as long as they are more than 12 months old. Trust your instincts and consult your vet with any questions. 

When you’re ready to transition to a new dog food, always introduce it slowly. Give your dog enough time to wean off their old food and get used to a new recipe. Slow transitioning will help your pup avoid stomach discomfort and digestion problems. We recommend following this 10-day transition guide: 

• Days 1-3: 25% new food, 75% old food

• Days 4-6: 50% new food, 50% old food

• Days 7-9: 75% new food, 25% old food

• Day 10: 100% new food

All Life Stages Dog Food

Instead of transitioning from puppy food to adult recipes, choose dog food that’s complete and balanced for all life stages. The only thing that will change is the serving size as they grow and age. 

Sundays for Dogs has two all life stages recipes: USDA Beef and All-Natural Turkey. You can feed one (or both) of these recipes for your dog’s whole life. That includes the puppy months, adulthood, and golden years of senior age.

If you’re unsure about Sundays, read reviews from our real subscribers. See how starting your puppy on Sundays can set them up for a long, healthy, and happy life.