Canidae - how much to feed?

[mojo-rizin]

My st. poodle puppy is 7 mos old and weighs about 57 lbs. He is not as active now that it has gotten cold outside, but I have still been feeding him 3 1/2 cups a day. He is starting to look a little chunky, but I have no idea how much food he truly NEEDS. He will eat all of his food, and then I have to fight him to keep him out of my other two dogs food. We feed Canidae ALS Original. How much should I feed him based on activity?

 

[showpug]

You are feeding A LOT of food for a dog that size. Why don't you try cutting back to a cup in the morning and a cup at night and see how he does?

As far as him trying to get into the other dogs food, well, get used to it. Dogs by nature are opportunistic feeders. It's how they survive in the wild. They are programmed to always look for and want food for the most part. His trying to eat all the food in sight is not an indication of his hunger.

 

[chanda]

give your dog more activities and exercise and cut the food a little...

 

[mojo-rizin]

Thanks guys! I was going by the feeding guidelines on the back of the bag and since he is still a puppy, I was feeding by the puppy guidelines. It is just different having a dog that actually wants to eat as my older boys are very picky. I will start feeding him 2 cups a day and see if that helps any!

 

[Magriet]

What I think we must all remember is that just as humans dog's needs differs slightly from dog to dog. You'll very soon see if the 2 cups are the right amount of food for him during the winter while he is a little less active. For me, as a South African, it is strange as it never gets that cold here and all the dogs in South Africa are still out and getting all their exercise right through the winter. Would not mind a "White Christmas" once in my life though!

 

[Amstaffer]

Sal is 69lbs and Athena is 58lbs and the both get 2 cups (with a dab of non-yogurt and large table spoon of boiled ground turkey) and they both do well.

When Sal gets overly hungry, I just add some green beans for filler.

The Vet says both are perfect weight.