Puppy food built for the size they will be.
Puppies are not small dogs, and a big puppy is not a big small dog. Growing too fast is its own risk for a breed that will be heavy, so we make two: one for puppies expected to finish under 70 lb, and one for the ones who will not.
Puppy Recipe
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2 recipes to choose from
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- Two recipes, split by grown-up size Under 70 lb as an adult, feed Puppy Recipe. Over it, feed Large Breed Puppy, which is formulated for steadier growth.
- DHA for growing brains From menhaden fish meal and fish oil, not sprayed on at the end.
- Legume-free No peas, lentils or chickpeas standing in for grain — the same rule as the rest of Market Fresh.
- AAFCO growth Puppy Recipe meets the AAFCO profile for growth; Large Breed Puppy meets it for all life stages.
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A big puppy is not a big small dog
A terrier puppy and a shepherd puppy are both puppies for about the same number of months, but one of them will multiply its birth weight far more times than the other, and it will do it on joints that are still forming. Growing quickly is not the goal for a dog that is going to be heavy. Growing steadily is.
That is the whole reason we make two puppy recipes rather than one. The split is not about how big the puppy is now — it is about how big they are going to be.
Which of the two to feed
Go by adult weight, not today's weight. Puppy Recipe is formulated for puppies expected to finish under 70 lb. Large Breed Puppy is for the ones who will not — shepherds, retrievers, mastiffs, anything built long or heavy.
If you are not sure what your puppy will weigh, your breeder will know the range for the breed, and your vet will have an opinion by the first or second visit. With a mixed breed, err towards the larger of the two guesses: feeding a steadier recipe to a dog who did not need it costs nothing, and the reverse is the mistake worth avoiding.
What is in them
Both lead with deboned chicken and chicken meal, with white rice and oatmeal behind them. Both carry DHA from menhaden fish meal and fish oil, which is in the recipe rather than sprayed on at the end.
Both are legume-free — no peas, lentils or chickpeas standing in for grain, the same rule as the rest of Market Fresh. Puppy Recipe meets the AAFCO profile for growth. Large Breed Puppy meets it for all life stages, which is useful later.
They are chicken recipes. If you are already avoiding chicken, say so to us or your vet before you start a puppy on either.
How often to feed a puppy
Most puppies do better on several small meals than one or two large ones, and most owners land on three or four a day to begin with, dropping to two somewhere around four to six months. Your vet or breeder will give you a better answer for your dog than a bag can, because it depends on the breed, the litter and the puppy.
Weigh the food rather than guessing by eye, and weigh the puppy every week or two. A puppy who is filling out steadily is doing what you want. One who is stacking on weight quickly is the reason the large-breed recipe exists.
When to move on to adult food
Most dogs move across somewhere between nine and twelve months. Big breeds usually stay on a puppy recipe longer, often to about eighteen months, because they are still growing when a smaller dog has finished.
There is no cliff edge on the day they grow up. Large Breed Puppy meets the AAFCO profile for all life stages, so a dog can stay on it while you decide, and the change to an adult recipe gets the same slow week that every other change should get: a quarter, then half, then three-quarters.
Questions worth asking
Which one does my puppy need?
Go by what they will weigh as an adult, not what they weigh now. Under about 70 lb, Puppy Recipe. Over it — a shepherd, a retriever, a mastiff — Large Breed Puppy, which is built so they grow steadily rather than quickly. If you are unsure, your breeder or vet will know the breed standard.
How long do I feed puppy food?
Most dogs move to an adult recipe somewhere between nine and twelve months; big breeds often stay on puppy food longer, to eighteen months or so. Large Breed Puppy meets the AAFCO profile for all life stages, so there is no cliff edge on the day they grow up.
Can an adult dog eat puppy food?
It will not hurt them, but it is richer than they need and most adults will put on weight. Feed an adult recipe once they have stopped growing.
How do I change my puppy over?
Slowly. A quarter of the new food mixed into the old for a few days, then half, then three-quarters, over about a week. Puppies have less in reserve than adults, so a sudden change is worth avoiding.
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