In the first month of life of the dog bitch's milk is an irreplaceable and complete. If the puppy's mother has no particular health problems do not need to act otherwise, the important thing is to make sure the puppy is not showing signs of insufficient power supply (crying, hyporeactivity, weight gain below normal). The milk bitch is a food much more calorie than other types of milk: 135 kcal/100 g (approximately double that vaccine of which there are 66); if this alone is not sufficient to ensure a correct weight gain is necessary to resort the advice of a veterinarian that will indicate the correct way to integrate the power supply.


Weaning puppy starts between the third and fourth week of life, depending on the breed. As is the case in children, the transition to a new type of diet (solid food) must be done with some gradual, at the start of weaning you can use ad hoc preparations (small pieces of dry food softened with 'water). Not all puppies will appreciate immediately the passage, it will be the man his friend patiently encourage the new type of food.

He spent six weeks after birth, at least one quarter of the food requirements of the puppy should be made by the new type of food (pieces as larger and a smaller quantity of water). Weaning normally ends after seven or eight weeks, the important thing is to avoid abrupt weaning, which could create problems for both the puppy to the mother.

Essential in the first months of life (but it will be even later) to avoid overeating, overweight in fact a dog run many more risks of contracting diseases like osteo-articular, among other things many puppy foods are supplemented with substances condroprotettrici such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate) as well as vitamins and minerals such as calcium and phosphorus.
The time to reach the maximum weight vary from size to size, small dogs in the maximum weight is reached within ten months in medium-sized dogs within a year, in the big dogs in the space of a year and half, while in the giant breeds it takes about two years.

In weaning the number of meals recommended is four per day, spent the weaning phase you will go to three and then stabilized in two. In large dogs and those of giant size is recommendable to supply a subdivision into three meals apart from the increased age to avoid too substantial amount create disturbances in the stomach. It is important that digestion occurs correctly, the meals will have to be administered at appropriate intervals (at least 8-9 hours between the one and the other). It is advisable not to give the evening meal too late at night