I want to know when is a puppy full grown, and when I can change the food from puppy food to adult dog food.

Thanks!

This depends on the breed of dog you have and how large the breed of. Knowing when is a puppy full grown exactly is almost impossible to tell, but as a general guideline:

• Most dogs of a small and average size are fully grown between 1 and 1.5 years, although the time varies for individual dogs
• Larger dogs may continue to grow for longer, up to two years in some cases. Again this depends not only on breed but on the individual dog itself.

Remember that although a puppy may stop growing, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is at its most mentally mature stage.

If you are wondering when you should switch from puppy to adult food, it is usually at around the one year mark although you for bigger dogs you might want to wait a bit longer. Your vet will be able to advise you on when to switch for your specific breed of dog, which makes all the difference.

Knowing when is a puppy fully grown is not an exact science, and there are many factors involved. Don’t worry too much about the exact time they are fully grown, just the general age when they require a change in diet.

I’ve heard blueberries are poisonous to dogs, is this true? What other foods shouldn’t a dog eat?

Chris

This is a surprisingly common question, as many different foods can be dangerous for dogs even if we don’t expect them to be. Things like chocolate and tea for example can be extremely poisonous for a dog to eat, even in small amounts, so you should always be careful.

But are blueberries safe for dogs? The short answer is yes, in moderation. A few blueberries eaten on a walk isn’t going to harm your dog, but if he eats too many you might find he gets diarrhoea. Like most things, blueberries are good in moderation but should not form a large part of your dogs diet.

So in short, as a treat blueberries are safe for dogs. Just don’t give them too many.

There are other foods that aren’t safe for your dog, and you should be careful not to leave these lying around the house.

Some of the more dangerous foods for dog include:

• Alcohol
• Onions and Garlic
• Chocolate
• Salt in large quantities

To provide your dog with the best possible diet you should try to make sure it has a balanced diet. This can include treats, but on the whole should be made up of a high quality dog food. Cheaper dog foods usually contain much more filler than meat and hence aren’t that great for your dogs health.

There’s been quite an uproar about dog food recently actually, with one site claiming that most store bought dog food is actually damaging to dogs health. I like to make home-made dog food whenever possible, and you can find out more about how to do this at here.

Just like a human diet, your dogs diet needs to be well balanced. That means the occasional treat is fine (especially if you’re training) provided that the majority of the dog food you provide is rich in nutrition and that the dog gets lots of exercise.

For training, treats are often an essential training tool, so I’m not say you should disregard all dog treats. Just keep in mind that moderation is key! An interesting article on this can be found at “How Treats Affect Your Dogs Diet”.

So how do you know if you’re feeding your dog the right food? That’s definitely a tricky question, and in general I would advise visiting your vet who’ll be able to recommend some high quality food. In general though, you get what you pay for. The cheapest dog food is likely to be made up of mainly filler and very little actual meat which your dog definitely needs.

Remember that just because your dog enjoys a treat of a certain type of food doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the healthiest option. On the whole, dogs aren’t fussy about their food, as I’m sure you know! There;s been a lot of talk about the quality of dog food recently, mainly sparked by “Dog Food Secrets“.

Along with providing a healthy, balanced diet exercise is crucial. It’s alarming how many dogs around the world are actually obese from over feeding and a lack of exercise, don’t let your dog become one of these! Different breeds require different amounts of exercise, with the bigger dogs generally requiring more. You should endeavour to give your dog at least one period of prolonged exercise in the day, not only for the health benefits but also because your dog needs to be active to avoid boredom.

Like anything in life, there is always too much of a good thing when it comes to dog treats. Keep your treats to only what is required, and you could end up with a much healthier dog.