Why is my 3-week-old puppy so hyper and food-obsessed when feeding?

At 3 weeks of age, you can actually start introducing wet puppy food. I would wet it down with some puppy milk and put it on a paper plate. This way he can explore the wet food and try some. If your veterinarian evaluated him and say he is physically ok then I would not worry too much that something is wrong. I would just continue with trying to feed him the bottle but also offer and wean him onto the wet food. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These can both be very normal behaviors for a young puppy. Your puppy is just starting to bond with you and probably feels safest when you are around. This may change overtime as she gets more independent so enjoy the extra puppy snuggles now! I would recommend continuing to feed your puppy the same dry food you have been giving her and cutting out all treats. It is very common for a puppy to become picky and refuse a certain food in the hopes of getting something better. If you give in to this behavior now it will encourage her to be a picky eater later in life. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 3 weeks is young. I’d recommend a puppy milk replacer and bottle feeding for another week or 2. Then mix the puppy milk replacer in with canned puppy food and gradually add dry food over a couple of weeks. I like Purina proplan orhl’s puppy foods. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would continue to feed her the small breed puppy food at the recommended amount on the bag. Puppy food is calorie-dense, so as to meet the energy needs of high-energy puppies. You can try breaking the amount into smaller, more frequent meals (ie three or four times a day) so she feels like she is getting to eat more. I would not over-feed her for fear of early onset obesity, which can lead to significant health issues later in life. You can also supplement her diet with healthy treats during the day such as carrots or green beans. After she is spayed, her energy requirements will decrease and she will need to be fed less food so she doesn't become overweight. I hope this is helpful!

A 9 week old puppy should generally be fed 3 times a day to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Also, scarfing down food can put a large breed puppy at risk for ingestion of excess air and bloat which can be life threatening. I recommend adding a feeding, perhaps of the same amount as the other two and consulting with your vet re: body condition scoring. If your puppy currently has a low body condition score (google body conditon scoring dogs for a diagram), continue with the extra feeding until Luke is at an ideal body condition (noticeable waist but ribs/spine not prominent). If rapid eating persists, purchasing a puzzle feeder to slow down feedings (available on Amazon.com) is recommended. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may be too young still so I would continue to hand feed him for now for at least 2 more weeks but I recommend that you leave the bowls available to him so that he can let you know when he is ready to make the transition. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Maggies is very cute! I think that 4 weeks is too young to be taken from the mother and siblings. At this stage I would mix puppy formula with canned puppy food. If she won't eat that then you can mix the cerelac in with the canned puppy food but I personally do not like animals eating human dairy foods. Gradually over the next week or so add less and less puppy formula and more canned puppy food. Then around 5-6 weeks add moistened dry food. Hopefully by 7 weeks she will be eating all canned or dry puppy food. Good luck!