Feeding
Diet is the most important aspect of dog care and is vital to your dog's health and well being.

High quality dry food provides a well-balanced diet for adult dog's and may be mixed with water, or canned food. Puppies should be fed a high-quality puppy food. People food should be discouraged or eliminated as it can lead to insufficient nutrition and may cause eating habits that lead to obesity. It is strongly advised that you ask your vet or your breeder for a recommendation on brand selection and portion size.

Feeding times

• Puppies 8 to 12 weeks old need four meals a day.
• Feed puppies three to six months old three meals a day.
• Feed puppies six months to one year two meals a day.
• When your dog reaches his first birthday, one meal a day is usually enough.
• For some dog's, including larger canines or those prone to bloat, it's better to feed two smaller meals.
  
  Rules for proper feeding
  
• Never overfeed your dog
• Feed according to your dog's size, exercise level, and age
• Feed a well balanced diet with the correct amounts of fats, fiber, carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins and minerals
• Provide fresh water preferably in a stainless bowl daily. Clean the bowl frequently.
• Do not feed your dog table food, as they may not be getting all the vital nutrients
  
  
  
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  Understanding Basic Nutrition

  Proteins
  Protein is the dietary structural material for dog's. Proteins perform specific and different functions. Each different amino acid configuration corresponds to a different protein, including enzymes, hormones, genes, red blood cells, hair, skin, bone, and muscle. The nine essential amino acids that an adult dog has to obtain from food are: isoleucine, lysine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine, histidine, methionine, and tryptophan. Puppies require an additional essential amino acid, arginine. The type of protein contained in the food is the key to your dog's heath. The amount of usable protein is typically expressed in terms of a biological value. Foods containing many cereal proteins such as wheat, corn, and barley have little biological value. While meats, eggs, and organ meats have a high biological value. Some dog owners supplement protein beyond the minimal daily requirement to improve the skin, coat, and general body definition of dog's and to help puppies grow. Protein is also used to help with pregnancy. Many breeders add eggs or brewer's yeast to their dog's food. Both of these are protein rich. Brewer's yeast includes a wide range of B vitamins and minerals to help with a shiny coat.
  
  Fats
  Dietary fat serves as the most concentrated source of calories in your dog's diet. There are many different fatty acids found in foods such as saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. One fatty acid "linoleic acid" is essential for your dog's health and should be provided in your dog's diet. Studies have indicated that an intake of adequate levels of linoleic acid in combination with the mineral zinc, can significantly improve the skin and coat quality of your dog. Linoleic acid is found in sunflower oil and used in many pet foods as a result. Fat also carries the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, which are crucial for the dog's health and well being. Fat levels should be controlled in order to avoid excess weight gain and obesity.
  
  Carbohydrates
  There is no known dietary requirement for carbohydrates in dog's, which means that the dog can live well on a carbohydrate-free diet. Carbohydrates are an excellent source of calories and as such are an important ingredient in most dog foods. Dietary fibers are a specific group of carbohydrates, which are known to play an important role in the digestive physiology and the health of your dog. Dietary fibers, such as sugar beet pulp, can help to support gastrointestinal health.
  
  Fiber
  Benefits of fiber for dog's or puppies include: Providing the necessary bulk to stimulate intestinal movements. Cleanse the intestine walls of digested food residue. Fiber provides the intestinal cells with nutrients essential for health. Fiber helps regulate water and mineral absorption from the intestinal tract.
  
  Vitamins
  Vitamins are organic compounds that help to regulate your dog's body processes. Most vitamins cannot be synthesized within the body and must therefore be present in the diet. Vitamins can be divided into 2 categories, the fat-soluble and the water-soluble types.
  
  The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K can be stored in the fat tissue within the body and there is therefore less of a risk of the dog developing a deficiency when the intake is limited. However, because these vitamins are stored, there is a higher risk of accumulation within the body when their intake is excessive. The feeding of high amounts of fresh liver can, for example, lead to an excessive intake of vitamin A with typical symptoms of vitamin A-toxicity. In healthy dog's there is no need to supplement a commercially prepared balanced dog food with further vitamins. Care should be taken to avoid vitamin toxicity.
  
  The water-soluble B-group vitamins cannot be stored over longer periods of time and need to be supplied on a daily basis. The B-group vitamins, such as vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 (cobalamin), are recommended to be included in your dog's diet.
  
  Minerals
  Minerals are essential nutrients that your dog requires. They are present in natural food ingredients however, minerals are typically supplemented in dog food in order to meet the nutrient requirement standards. Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, selenium, and iodine aid in metabolism and should be considered when selecting a dog food.
  
  Water
  The number one most important ingredient in your dog's diet is water. Dry foods have a low moisture content causing your dog to drink more water. As a rule of thumb your dog will need about 2.5 times as much water as dry content. Weather conditions and activity levels also need to be considered. Your dog's health is dependent on your ability to provide clean, fresh water and make sure the water bowl is never empty. You also need to remember to bring water when you take your dog on activities outside of the home.