You love your new German shepherd pup, and you want to make sure they’re getting the best start in life. Part of giving your GSD pup the best possible life includes feeding them a nutritious diet. But how much do you feed German shepherd puppies? What’s the best way to ensure they’re getting enough to eat, but not too much? And what time of day is best to feed German shepherd puppies?
Fret not, as this article will answer all those questions and more. Keep reading to learn more!
How Much Do You Feed German Shepherd Puppies?
German Shepherd puppies eat double the number of calories per kilogram of weight as compared to grownup German Shepherds. This means an 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy can consume twice the food of an adult GSD!
Puppies consume twice their adult counterparts in order to achieve sustainable growth and nutrition. Their consumption is important to ensure their bodies are healthy and offer them the energy to grow.
A German Shepherd puppy that is younger than four months old will require at least 80-90 calories per unit of body weight in order to grow and thrive.
Once a German Shepherd puppy hits four months of age, you may cut his calorie requirements to roughly 40-60 calories per unit of body weight. Weigh your puppy frequently, check on their general physical health, and modify their calories to encourage their growth.
German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Chart By Age
| Puppy Age | Total Cup Of Puppy Food | Number Of Meals Per Day |
| 8 Weeks | 1 – 1 ½ Cups | 4 |
| 12 Weeks | 1 ½ – 2 Cups | 4 |
| 6 Months To 9 Months | 2– 3 Cups | 3 |
| 9 Months To 12 Months | 3 – 3 ½ Cups | 3 |
| 12 Months Or Above | 3 ½ – 4 Cups | 2 |
Important Things to Note
When Should You Stop Feeding Puppy Food?
As your dog reaches physical maturity, you should shift away from puppy food. Transitioning a large breed like the German Shepherd to adult food should begin between the ages of 12 and 24 months.
To prevent or minimize gastrointestinal discomfort, make this move gradually over a one to two-week period by combining and progressively increasing the adult meal with the puppy food.
When Should You Start Feeding Dry Food?
A puppy should ideally be breastfed and nourished by its mother during the first eight weeks of its life.
However, to have your puppy acclimated to eating dry food, start introducing it at approximately 4 to 6 weeks of age.
Duration of Meal
Set a maximum mealtime duration of 15 minutes. That length of time will allow your German Shepherd to consume its fill and will prevent your dog from being a fussy eater.
High-Quality Dog Food
Aside from the amount of food to give a German Shepherd, you should also consider the food quality as well as the nutrients it contains.
Feeding your German Shepherd low-quality dog food will result in malnutrition, gorging, and health problems such as dry skin, gastrointestinal disorders, and osteoarthritis.
Water
Aside from feeding your German Shepherd, make sure it gets enough water to be hydrated. To avoid dehydration, give your German Shepherd full access to clean, fresh drinking water.
Activity Level
Just like activity level influences how much humans should eat, so does it influence how much dogs should consume.
German Shepherds are an energetic, robust, and fast working breed. All of these factors lead to a larger caloric need and should be addressed by consuming a high-quality diet.
Health Considerations
Since this breed is predisposed to a number of health conditions, it’s important to identify each one and begin preventive treatments with a balanced diet. It is usually preferable to try to prevent issues from occurring in the first place rather than waiting for them to occur and then treating them.
Arthritis, which is frequently caused by hip or elbow dysplasia, is one such health concern that nutrition can help to avoid or minimize.
Bottom Line
So, how much do you feed German Shepherd Puppies? To sum it up, you should feed them 3-4 times a day. Each meal should be one-third of a cup for puppies that are two to three months old and one-half of a cup for puppies that are four to six months old.
German Shepherd Puppies need more food as they grow, so make sure to adjust their meals accordingly!
