Puppy Power Beats High Gas Prices

Online, March 30, 2011 (Newswire.com) - We are all getting fed up about the high price of gas but this girl and her puppy did something about it!

LOL: Sick of high gas prices? Girl uses puppy power instead.

After all that work, her puppy is definitely going to require a great meal.

The health and happiness of your puppy is directly linked to what you as the pack leader choose to offer for food. Dog food prices have a huge price range and you would do well to remember the old adage that you get what you pay for.

Step 1:

Before you bring your puppy home from the breeder or current owners, find out the name of the food they used to wean the puppy from its mother. The weaning process begins at around four weeks and usually finishes sometime between eight to twelve weeks. Your puppy is now used to this kind of food so finding out this important information will help to avoid stomach and bowl upset that can happen if a new food is introduced. A puppy needs at least one full week to determine if the new food will agrees with them.

Step 2:

Speak with your vet to determine if the current food being used meets the nutritional needs of your breed of puppy. All breeds of dogs have different nutritional requirements and your vet can guide you to a food that is best suited for your specific breed. The nutritional value of the dog food is listed on the back of all dog foods. The order the ingredients are listed in tells you how much of that specific item is in the food. So for example, if corn is listed first followed by rice, then chicken, the food would be made up of a lot of corn, less rice and even less chicken. Keep an eye out on the ingredient list for actual species of animals versus the word "meat". When you see the word "meat" used you can't be sure what type of animal has been used.

Step 3:

Start a regular feeding schedule as soon as your puppy arrives home. Most puppies will need to be fed twice a day, in the morning and evening, however smaller breeds may require feeding as often as every three hours. Make sure that you don't leave your puppies food out all day. This method encourages grazing which can lead to an overweight dog and depending on the physical make up of your dog, can lead to a whole host of health concerns. Also, by feeding a puppy on an individual basis, you will be able to see if your puppy decreases the amount of food it usually eats, which can be a sign that your puppy is unwell.

Using food also helps with crate training.

Along with feeding, you will want to make sure a fresh and clean water supply is available. Water should be served with the food and after exercise or a highly charged play session. Always be around when your puppy is drinking to ensure that they don't need rescuing should they loose their balance and fall face first into their water dish. A shallow dish works best.

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