Bajan Pomeranians
Nutrition
Nutrition -
WOW!! There is so much I could say here. I will keep it simple. Here's the deal.... dog's are not people and consequently should not eat people food. Besides being just plain bad for them, feeding your puppy table scraps creates a host of bad habits along with an attitude of dominance that is counter-productive in your establishment of being the leader. Find a high quality, dry dogfood. This is far better for her dental health as well as being much less expensive than canned food. I personally feed and reccommend
"Nutro Ultra" brand
puppy food for the first year and then switch over to "Nutro Ultra" brand adult food for small breeds. That is my personal preference. There are other high quality dog foods as well. Just do your homework, find the one you think works best for your puppy and stick with it.
There are two different methods for feeding your puppy that we will talk about. The first is free feeding and the second is feeding on a schedule. There are times when one is more appropriate than the other and arguments for both. Let's start with the first.
Free feeding basically is what the name implies. You fill your puppy's bowl with food and let her eat at will. While this may seem convenient for you, it really makes potty training much more difficult. It also gives control to your dog about when and how much she will eat which can lead to issues regading who's the boss, and obesity.
Feeding on a schedule requires more commitment on your part but it is ultimately the best thing for your puppy. Young puppies should be offered food three times a day and then gradually reduced to twice a day. Only leave the food out for about 20 minutes. This will teach her that if she wants to eat it has to be when you decide, not when she gets around to it.
There are situations that call for deviation from the scheduled feedings. For example, if you have a sick puppy you may need to offer a wet food to coax her to eat. Or you may need to leave dry food available for her until she gains strength.
Treats and Chews-
Do not give your dog animal bones. Particulary pork, chicken, or ham bones. They splinker easily. Natural rawhide chews are great for teething and there are a whole host of nutritious dog treats available for training. I've found that my dogs will do almost anything for a small bit of chicken.