[JE-UK]

Can I get some input on amounts people feed?

I have a 9 mon. miniature, neutered male. At the moment, he gets a.m. & p.m feedings, each a small handful of Orijen kibble and about 100g of Naturediet wet food. Add in training treats, jerky chews and PB or cheese in his Kong for the day, and his midnight snack (tiny handful of kibble & some olive oil, to avoid occasional morning bile vomits), it seems like a LOT for a small dog. He's at 7 kg now, but ribs/hips/spine clearly defined (I'd say visible, but they aren't due to hair). Healthy, bright, happy in himself.

He gets lots of exercise ... 40 min ball/frisbee walk in the morning, dog walker runs him midday with other dogs for 30-40 minutes, and an hour ball/frisbee walk in the evening. Weekends, we try to go for a hike through the woods.

I've found the guidance by the food companies pretty rubbish, so would be interested in knowing if the above sounds like too much or not enough.

 

[myfunnyvalentine]

The best way to tell how much to feed a dog is by watching the build of the dog and adjust the meal accordingly. Everyones dogs are different and no one would know better then you how much to feed. Of course puppies will need more food because their body's are growing.

 

[Locket]

One of my spoos eats about two cups a day and my other spoo eats about 2.5-3 cups a day.

You don't want your pup to be a stegosaurus (aka spine and hips sticking out). You should be able to feel them easily with light pressure, but if you can easily feel them or see them then he needs to eat more. He's getting lots of exercise so you can up his food if he's too skinny. I find its hard to keep weight on mini poodles because they're so little and active.

 

[Olie]

My standards are both different and weighing close to the same. One gets about 2 cups a day and the other about 1 1/2 a day. Not including treats. The higher the quality the less they eat is what I have noticed. Sounds like what you are doing is plenty.

 

[JE-UK]

One of my spoos eats about two cups a day and my other spoo eats about 2.5-3 cups a day.

You don't want your pup to be a stegosaurus (aka spine and hips sticking out). You should be able to feel them easily with light pressure, but if you can easily feel them or see them then he needs to eat more. He's getting lots of exercise so you can up his food if he's too skinny. I find its hard to keep weight on mini poodles because they're so little and active.

I guess that's what I was after ... I always had Goldens, and they are sharks for food. I had to be super vigilant to stop them turning into round tubby balls. Not enough experience yet with poodles to know whether they have tubbo tendencies too. I know from hard experience that it's harder to take it off than put it on! Are yours unusual, or the norm for minis, i.e. skinny tendencies?