# How much should I be feeding him?



## PNWMama (Mar 18, 2014)

Ok, so I have read through a bunch of threads, but am still not sure!

Jasper is 15 weeks, a "Moyen" poodle (think oversize Mini or small Standard - will be around 17" full grown). He's got a solid build and is relatively big-boned; definitely not a delicate guy. He's active, but not wildly so - a mellow temperament overall. At the Vet's a week ago, he weighed 11.7 pounds. We're feeding him Innova Puppy kibble (about a cup in total) and one serving of raw (chicken neck or part of a chicken back) daily - all the kibble as training treats or in Kongs. He also gets a tablespoon or so of Innova canned in Kongs, along with a little peanut butter or yogurt.

Based on what other folks are doing, I am wondering if we are way overfeeding him? He's built solidly, like I said, so it's a little hard to tell. And he will ALWAYS accept more food, if it's offered. (Great for training, not so good for determining how much is too much.)

The amount we're giving him is on the low end of the Innova chart - but I am aware that dog food companies are happy to have us feed them more... 

Any ideas about how to think about this?

Thank you!


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Since you are feeding more than just the kibble and can't measure portions quite the same way as you would if you were, I think you should keep hands on to feel for whether you are over feeding or not. Since he is young and growing you want to make sure he has a waistline and that you can feel ribs and the bones down the back. the bony-ness shouldn't be too skinny, but if you can't feel those bones or see a waist then it is too much food. More than for toys or spoos I often see really stocky (read fat if you want) minis. One of the folks I train with has minis and they aren't over size on height but one of them only weighs a couple of pounds less than Lily (who is admittedly on the thin side). there was a sausage shaped mini at the trial I was at over the weekend too.


----------



## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

PNWMama said:


> Ok, so I have read through a bunch of threads, but am still not sure!
> 
> Jasper is 15 weeks, a "Moyen" poodle (think oversize Mini or small Standard - will be around 17" full grown). He's got a solid build and is relatively big-boned; definitely not a delicate guy. He's active, but not wildly so - a mellow temperament overall. At the Vet's a week ago, he weighed 11.7 pounds.


I remember being concerned about whether I was feeding my pup the right amount. I judged by body condition. And I stopped by the vet's for frequent weigh-ins. (It was easy to do, he's a neighbor.) There's such a variation in builds and activity levels you do have tweak things as you go. I kibble-fed my mini as a pup and was diligent about measuring his portions. I feed mostly prepacked raw now, some homemade and freeze dried meat too. My guy is an oversize mini, 17.75", @ 22 lbs. (He's five.) It sounds like he's finer boned than your Jasper. Don't know that this will be of any help, but I thought I would share my guy's growth stats with you.

9 weeks 4.2 lbs
10 weeks 5.4 lbs
14 weeks 6.6 lbs
6 months 16.8 lbs
7 months 18.5 lbs
8 months 19.9 lbs
15 months 21.5 lbs
23 months 20.9 lbs 
4 years 22 lbs/17.75"










Have you asked your poodle's breeder about the growth rates of her pups? Doesn't sound like the vet mentioned any issue with Jasper's size at your recent appointment, so that's good! 

I'm a "link collector" so I'm sharing these.
How to Determine Your Dog's Ideal Weight
How to Estimate the Right Dog Food Serving Size for Your Pet

Others will probably chime in soon with more pertinent info for you to chew on. :eating:


----------



## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

I'm with what other folks have said. The back of a bag is not a good way to measure food. So many people do that and have fat dogs. Just like there are thin people who can eat anything and then, well....there's me. 

I would be more concerned about actual body condition than the amount of food. Plenty of dogs would eat as long as there was something available it just isn't good for them 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## PNWMama (Mar 18, 2014)

I am so sorry, I somehow missed that there were replies to my question! Thank you all for your suggestions, and Chagall's Mom especially for the list of Chagall's growth stats. Very interesting! I think you are right that Jasper is a more solid build than Chagall, but that gives me an idea, at any rate. (The weight gain between 3 and 6 months is especially interesting.) Thank you for taking the time to post that.

It hadn't occurred to me to ask Jasper's breeder - duh! - so I will shoot off an email now.

Thank you all!


----------

