Your puppy is growing quickly – in less than one year they will do all the growth that a human takes 20 years to do! The energy requirements of a puppy can be nearly twice that of an adult dog of the same size but a puppy does not have the stomach capacity to eat enough unless the food is specially formulated. So it is very important that you feed them a good quality food that is designed for puppies.

Read the puppy food label for these important details:

• The food should be 'complete and balanced for growth'.
• It should be AAFCO tested (Association of American Feed Control Officials).
• Check the ingredient panel. Some type of animal protein should be the main (and so first) ingredient on the ingredient list: egg, chicken, chicken by-product meal, fish, lamb, poultry, poultry by-product, beef and meat meal are all good protein sources.
• Poorly digestible proteins are cereal, soy, wheat and corn – these are often main ingredients in poor quality dry foods.

Premium puppy foods give you the best value and convenience, as they contain high-quality consistent ingredients that are highly digestible so that you feed less. Premium foods result in:

• exceptional muscle tone
• shiny, luxurious coat
• healthy skin, bones and teeth
• clear, bright eyes
• small, firm stools
• playfulness
• a happy, healthy attitude.

Large breed puppies have special requirements and may benefit from a specially designed formula that controls the rate of growth to promote normal development.

Medium-breed puppies require a complete and balanced formula that features moderate amounts of all the essential vitamins and nutrients.

Small-breed puppies have unique needs due to their small mouths, small stomachs and their growth spurt to adult size in a short period of time. A poor-quality diet may fill a puppy's stomach before enough food can be eaten to satisfy his nutritional needs, resulting in poor muscle and skeletal development.

Biscuits or moist food?
Once you've decided on a premium formula, you have another choice to make: dry or moist. Dry premium foods offer good value for money and are also good for keeping your puppy’s teeth clean. Some small pups may need encouragement to eat by adding a small amount of canned or sachet food.