Small breed puppy feeding

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I got my first dog on Tuesday--a 10 week old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel tri-color male named Dublin. I have a couple questions concerning how much he should be eating and his eating habits.

I'm wondering if the guidelines for feeding amounts apply to small breed dogs as well. We went to the vet yesterday and he's just under 7 lbs, so the feeding guidelines on his food (he's been eating Nutrena Loyall Puppy and I'm gradually switching him over to Innova Puppy) say he should be eat about 1c-1.25c per day. I've been feeding him three times a day and giving him a 1/4 c per meal. I'm working on training with him too, so I figure the training treats help make up the difference between his meals and what the guidelines say. It takes him a decent amount of time to eat (10-15 minutes) because he can't eat very much at once and he gets distracted easily (I've made a conscious effort to cut down on distractions, but he just wanders away sometimes). Am I feeding him enough or should he be getting more even though he's a small breed?

Second, I've read several other people have this problem with their puppies too, but he won't eat out of his bowl. He has a small metal bowl and he's eaten out of it in the past, so I don't think it's that it's too deep for him to use. The first meal I hand fed him simply because I wanted him to eat, but I haven't since. I discovered he'll eat his food when it's on newspapers or the floor, so I took out a very very shallow paper bowl and flattened it as much as possible, but he won't eat out of that either. I have a half-bath set up for him to stay in when I need him in a safe, contained area and I've tried keeping him in there with his food and leaving, but he didn't eat any. I also tried hand-feeding him a few pieces and lowering my hand into the bowl (both the metal and paper ones) and he'll sometimes eat one bite from the bowl, but he won't eat more from it after that. He eats all of his food when it's on the floor or papers, so I know he's hungry. It's not the most ideal to have dry food scattered all over the floor though!

Thanks in advance He's been a real doll so far (not perfect, but still a good boy) and I'm learning a lot

Labsnothers

Puppies sometimes don't eat at first, but he should be eating by now. Often not eating relates to a health problem or over feeding. If you didn't get him to the vet this week, I would next week.

You should be feeding a puppy chow now. Switching to an adult chow for the
larger breeds at 4 months, slows growth and helps develop sturdier joints.

Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You
should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different.
Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its
food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good
illustrated guide, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx

Many puppies come from the breeder overweight. Unless he is too thin, I I would put down the dish with what the dog should eat, and give it 15 minutes to eat. Then take it up. Do not give it anything to eat until its next scheduled meal. In a few days, it should be eating what it needs. Continue to check its ribs and adjust the food as needed. This is not easy. I had a Shepherd go 3 days on a few nibbles. I was a wreck, but she was fine. It is almost unknown for a healthy dog not to eat what it needs. Unfortunately, in too many cases, it is less than the package says, and less than the owner thinks the dog should have. Many dogs are quite good at holding out for tastier chow. Like kids, sometimes it calls for tough love.

Michiyo-Fir

Just give him his meal in the bowl, if he eats it great, if not feed him again next meal. He might go a couple meals without eating but he'll soon get the idea that the bowl is where he should be eating from. He's hungry yes but not hungry ENOUGH to eat from his bowl.

I wouldn't get him into the habit of eating from the floor...

As for how much he needs to eat...does he seem to be losing weight? IS he gaining weight? Usually for Cavaliers you should control how much they eat since they tend to be piggies. Ours can eat a whole bag of dog food if we let her.

To me it seems like Dublin is getting enough food.

He's such a cutie! Looks exactly like our Cavalier when we got her!

lexilu

although I dont have small breed experience, I can tell you our 7 year old Golden Retreiver would not eat from a bowl when we first got him. I called our vet, who explained that it was probably because he didn't get to eat from the bowl when he was with his littermates, and only got to eat the dropped food from the floor. He told me to feed him by hand from the floor, and bring hand to dish, letting the dog eat from my hand while in the bowl. Eventually he started eating from the bowl. He is still a slow eater, and will still sometimes drop a mouthful of kibble on the floor to eat it.

Also our cockapoo is afraid of her metal bowl if her collar accidently clangs against it while eating. Perhaps his collar is the culprit.

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