From Week 4: First Little Spoonfuls for Your Puppy
From the fourth week of life, a new phase begins for your puppy: In addition to mother’s milk, you can slowly introduce solid food. Suitable are special puppy porridge or →high-quality wet food for puppies, which you mix with warm water or puppy milk to create a soft porridge. Also, finely chopped dry food, soaked in water, can be used.
Start with small amounts – one to two teaspoons per meal is sufficient. Offer your puppy the porridge in a shallow bowl and let him decide how much he wants to eat. Mother’s milk remains the main source of nutrition; the supplementary feeding is merely to get him used to new tastes and textures.
It is important that the transition to solid food is gentle. Observe your puppy closely: Is he interested in the food? Does he tolerate the porridge well? Every puppy is individual, so patience is required.
From Week 8: How to Successfully Transition to Solid Food
From the eighth week, your puppy has become braver and is ready for junior food. Usually, the weaning process is completed by the 8th week – from this age, you can start feeding normal junior food, which is specifically tailored to the nutritional needs of puppies. The number of meals remains important: four small portions per day are perfect for small dog stomachs.
If your puppy is still skeptical at first, you can enrich the food with a little warm water or puppy milk to make it softer and ease the transition. Make sure your puppy does not eat too hastily – this can quickly lead to digestive problems. Give him enough time and peace to get used to the new food.
And always remember: Every dog is a little different – so it’s better to proceed in small steps rather than changing everything at once.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Endlich richtig futtern! Ab der 8. Woche darf dein Welpe mit ausgewogenem Juniorfutter durchstarten – Schritt für Schritt.
From Month 6: Adjusting the Feeding
At around six months, the next big step comes: Your puppy is no longer a baby but is slowly becoming a young dog. Now it is important to continue feeding the junior food that fits his new life phase. It provides the right nutrients for growth, which is now a bit slower but still robust – with more protein and energy than adult food, but not as much as puppy food. This supports your dog in growing up healthy – without overfeeding him.
You can also reduce the feeding frequency now: Instead of four meals, three portions a day are sufficient from this age. Continue to ensure that the new food is introduced slowly and give your dog enough time to adjust.
These Nutrients Are Important Now
Especially during this transition period, it is important that your dog receives all the nutrients he needs. This means: plenty of high-quality protein for muscle building, healthy fats for energy, and easily digestible carbohydrates. Also, vitamins and minerals like calcium and phosphorus are important to strengthen bones and joints.
Make sure that the food is specifically tailored for puppies or juniors. This ensures that your dog gets the right mix – without being over- or under-supplied. Generally, dogs receive junior food until about 1 year before transitioning to adult food. For large breeds (e.g., Great Danes), this phase can even last up to 18–24 months.
If you are unsure whether your food covers all this, it’s best to ask your veterinarian. This way, you ensure that your dog has everything he needs for an active, healthy life.
