How Often Should You Feed A Goldendoodle Puppy?

Last Updated/Info Checked on February 18, 2023 by Linda Michaels

A puppy’s feeding requirements are quite different from those of an adult and vary wildly over different months of age.

Thus, it becomes essential for their owners to have an idea about their needs and to know what, when, and how to feed them.

Broadly, Goldendoodles need to be fed about 4 times a day up to the age of 3 months. This is gradually decreased over the months until they require only 2 meals a day by the age of 2 years and above.

In this article, we will discuss how much to feed a Goldendoodle puppy at various ages with Feeding schedules and finally will have a feeding chart to sum it all up.

Goldendoodle Puppy Daily Caloric Requirements

A Goldendoodle pup would need between 800 to 1600 calories per day till the age of 3 months. The range will narrow down to between 1300 to 1800 calories by the time it becomes an adult.

You can see that there is no clear-cut caloric limit for any Goldendoodle puppy. This is because a puppy’s caloric requirements depend on various factors apart from its breed. These are

Weight

A lot of a puppy’s energy is spent on the weight that it carries. Hence the bigger the pup is the more energy it will require to move about on a daily basis.

Activity

Not all puppies share the same level of enthusiasm for physical activity. Some have a natural tendency to be more active thus spending more calories and requiring bigger meals than the ones who prefer to be couch potatoes.

Appetite

Even without physical activity, many pups will have a bigger appetite than others. This is due to different neuronal behaviors among such dogs, the details of which are not necessary. 

However, you would need to ascertain your pup’s basic appetite levels before starting a diet plan.

Also, this will help you regulate a pup’s lifestyle so it doesn’t overeat itself into obesity or thin out due to a poor appetite.

Age

As a pup grows older, its energy requirements gradually increase as a lot of food is needed for the growth phase of the body. This has a direct impact on daily caloric requirements. 

Upon reaching adulthood, the daily energy needs form a plateau and you do not need to change the diet plan every other month.

How Often To Feed A GoldenDoodle Puppy?

A Goldendoodle pup will need a different number of meals at various months of age that suits its body’s needs as follows:

2 to 3 Months Old Goldendoodle Puppy

All puppies should be nursed by their mothers up till the age of 2 months. Breast milk covers all the nutritional requirements for the pup.

It has the advantage of being naturally maintained at the body temperature and is light on the baby’s tummy as well.

Breastmilk from a dam is also rich in natural antibodies that keep a pup’s immune system strong and protects against many infections.

After that, for the next month, you should feed your pup about 4 times a day. Around 2 months of age, your puppy will have its baby teeth grown so now it can move to dry and semi-dry food.

The timings of these meals should be equally spaced and follow your puppy’s appetite. You need to give your puppy’s tummy apple time to digest one meal before it gets the next one.

4 to 5 Months Old Goldendoodle Puppy

For the next month, tapering down to a 3-meal plan with the same rule of spacing the meals out over the day. 

Allow the pup to eat how much it wants without forcing it to keep eating more. Remember not to overfeed your pup.

6 to 8 Months Old Goldendoodle Puppy

This is the time when your pup is now more mature and its growth phase slows down.

Lower the meals to 2 per day. Regulate the timings so that the pup can eat, digest and get energy from the food before it starts any physical activity.

1 to 2 years and above

You can continue the same 2-meal-a-day plan as before. The only difference will be in the type of food your dog eats now as it is getting closer to its adulthood.

When lowering the meals in a dog’s day, do not do it drastically. Start by decreasing the portion in a meal over time until you remove it from the day completely.

This gives the dog adequate time to adjust. You can have snacks for your dog at times when you feel it is really hungry.

Goldendoodle weight	Amount per day
15 to 30 pounds	1 to 2 cups
30 to 45 pounds	2 to 4 cups
45 to 100 pounds	3 to 5 cups

Goldendoodle age	Feeding amount/day
2 to 3 months	1/5 cups
4 to 5 months	2/3  to a full cup
6 months to one year	1 to 1.5 cups
1 year and above	1.5 to 3 cups

These values are for a regular Goldendoodle pup and not for a miniature one.

In order to convert cup values into grams, multiply your cup’s figure by 236 and again by the ingredient density (in g/ml) which you can easily find on the internet.

This is because different ingredients weigh differently in the same cup due to being more or less dense. 

Related: https://doggomag.com/how-often-should-you-feed-a-poodle/

Best Time To Feed A Goldendoodle Puppy

Having a feeding schedule for your dog is very important. This allows the gut to be receptive to the incoming food even before the food is eaten due to the establishment of hormonal reflexes.

For a 2 meal plan, the best way is to give one meal early in the morning around 7 am. The second meal can be given at night but avoid giving it directly before sleep as it can lead to GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Dinner around 8 pm is good when the dog sleeps around 9-10 pm.

Lunch should be given around 1 to 2 pm for pups on a 3-meals-a-day plan.

What To Feed Goldendoodle Puppies?

Upon weaning the pup from breastmilk, use softer foods that are easy to digest. Puppy mush or puppy gruel is a great choice at this stage.

If you don’t know about much, it is the kibble that you give an adult dog but softened to a gruel-like consistency.

Its three main ingredients are kibble, milk, and water. Take 2 cups of dry kibble then add 340 grams of milk. Add water according to how thin you want the mush to be for your pup.

I try to be a little experimental with it as well by having additional ingredients like fruits and veggies to the mush. This makes it tastier and adds a sense of novelty to the overall texture of the food.

This becomes necessary when the pup gets bored of having the same food over and over again. 

Also, according to the health recommendations by your veterinarian, nutritious foods like broccoli, bananas, pumpkins, etc can be added.

With time you’ll learn about your dog’s taste and the foods that are easy on your pocket, finding the perfect balance between the two.

Kibble/Dry Food

Kibble is dog food that is dried in the form of pellets. These then become easy to manage in terms of storing, serving, and eating.

This generally contains all the nutrients a pup needs in its diet. However, what I do is check the back label for any given kibble product and match it with my dog’s dietary requirements because these differ among different providers.

Also, Kibble comes in pellets of different sizes so choose the one that is easy for your pup to chew and swallow.

The water content of kibble is very low so a diet solely based on it may lead to dehydration if it’s not supplemented with water. That is why you should also consider making mush from kibble to solve this problem.

Wet Canned Food

Another option that you have instead of kibble is to use wet canned dog foods. These products have an additional water content that makes them better suited to dogs prone to dehydration. 

Also, many dogs find the texture of wet canned food to be more appealing and it stimulates their appetite better than dry kibble. This serves as a better incentive for them to eat properly.

However, the water content of such canned foods means that they provide fewer calories for the same weight as dried kibble. This needs to be kept in mind because your pup may be underfed without you even noticing it.

It is thus important to check that the caloric and mineral content is the same regardless of the amount of kibble or canned food.

Dry Kibble	Wet Canned Food
Easy to store	Requires more storage space
Better for mastication development	Not ideal for mastication development
The fiber content helps in digestion	Too easy to digest
Easy to serve	May spill
Needs an Air-tight container to keep fresh	Fresh with every can
Cheaper in bulk	Expensive

Human Foods That A Goldendoodle Pup Can Eat

Many foods that humans eat can be given to dogs because of their high nutrient content and easy digestibility.

Here are some human foods that you can give your Goldendoodle:

Apples– being loaded with iron that keeps the blood cells healthy, apples also contain fibers to make digestion easier.

Bananas– these are rich in carbohydrates that provide instant energy and potassium that maintains the electrolyte balance.

Pineapple– Filled with vitamin C and B6, Pineapples are juicy and delicious. You should cut them into smaller bites before serving them to your pooch.

Carrots– they are rich in carotene which is required for better vision and skin. Also, carrots contain a lot of fiber to give bulk to the stools.

Rice– rice is easy on the stomach and a good source of antioxidants.

Pumpkins– rich in fluid and water content, pumpkins are a great food to be given for an upset stomach.

Beef, Lamb, and Chicken– are great sources of proteins for the dog. 

For chicken, you can mix it in mush or make a broth. Also, chicken over rice is a favorite food of many dogs. However, try to avoid the parts of the chicken that are rich in fats like the skin or thigh.

Sweet potato– with a lot of water, proteins, and a decent amount of fiber, sweet potato can be a very nutritious part of a dog’s diet.

Potato-boiled potatoes are easy to digest and provide plenty of calories.

Cabbage– cabbage contains fiber and antioxidants that keep the dog’s body young.

Cheese– it can be a good source of calcium and vitamin D. however, use it only in moderation or else it can lead to obesity.

Pasta– it can provide lots of carbs before exercise. However, pasta should only be given in small amounts every once in a while due to the risk of obesity.

Eggs– Eggs are rich in essential amino acids and are safe to be eaten when fully cooked. You can also use these in different salads as boiled eggs for the protein content.

Human Foods To Avoid Giving A Goldendoodle

Many human foods contain chemicals that are harmless to us but are toxic to dogs and can even be fatal in large amounts. These should be withheld from dogs at all costs.

Grapes and Raisins– these fruits contain toxins that affect a dog in two ways. First of all, they lead to vomiting and diarrhea. Secondly, they damage the kidneys and can potentially cause kidney failure when given in large amounts.

Avocados– Persin is a chemical that is found in avocados and can cause loose motions in dogs. When severe, this can lead to severe dehydration, collapse, and even the death of a dog.

Apple and Cherry seeds– these contain cyanide a famous poison that is often depicted in movies being used by spies. This is a lethal chemical and can lead to instant death when ingested in large amounts.

Coffee– Coffee along with other similar beverages that are loaded with caffeine lead to increased gut motility that can cause watery stools and dehydration. Also, they increase the heart rate leading to palpitations and anxiety. 

Chocolate– The theobromine in dark chocolates is another gut stimulant that can potentially cause diarrhea in dogs so it is better to avoid it.

Xylitol- A component of artificial sweeteners used in many sugar-free products. When taken by dogs, Xylitol can cause rapid sugar drops that can lead to unconsciousness and can even be fatal in large amounts.

Raw Meat– Raw meat whether it is from fish or cattle can contain parasites capable of infesting the dog’s body. It can involve multiple organs, especially the digestive tract and lungs.

Treating them can be trouble and some parasitic diseases are potentially fatal.

Should I Use Cups or Grams?

It’s time to solve the conundrum of whether to use cups or grams to give a measured quantity of food to your pooch.

Cups are a little deceiving as they seem simple to be used but can be very confusing as they vary in their exact sizes from one country to another.

A standard cup in the USA is about 240 grams, however, You may face some differences between manufacturers as well.

Then there is the issue of a cup’s meniscus- the top level to which a cup is filled. Some people like me would fill it to the brim while others leave a lot of room. At the end of the day, both of us would be calling it a ‘’full cup’’’.

Hence, this will under or overfeed a dog in the long run.

Grams, on the contrary, are fixed and do not show subjective differences in measurement. That is why I prefer measuring the dog food in grams rather than cups.

Using a kitchen scale is the most convenient way to weigh the dog food before serving. Pour the dog food into a cup and then transfer it onto the scale. This will also tell you about the size of your cup.

Which Dog Food Is The Best For Your Goldendoodle?

What I have learned over the years about dog food is that you can only learn the best diet for your dog through a trial-and-error approach. There is simply no other way.

For kibble, the best advice is to check its nutritional content and match it to that of your dog’s daily needs.

I mostly use products from Royal Cannin as I’ve found them very standardized and my dogs also like the taste of their products. You are free to try any one of the certified brands and pick one that suits you and your pooch.

The Association Of American Feed Control Officials sets guidelines for all pet food marketers according to the best health standards, making sure whichever product you pick complies with them.

For mush, after many failures, you will get to know which consistency is of your dog’s liking. Add additional foods like fruits, vegetables, and cereals to make them more nutritious and tasteful.

Likewise, try different combos of canned foods and add things to make them more flavourful.

Try alternating between cans and Kibble so that your dog’s taste buds don’t feel bored with one particular food all the time.

As stated above, you can also add human foods to the kibble or wet canned foods for a better experience and nutritive value.

After trying all these ways, you’ll be able to get a perfect diet plan that suits your dog in its quantity, digestibility, and health value.

Can I Feed My Dog Once A Day?

For puppies, it is never a good idea to feed them only once a day. The reason is that they have smaller tummies that cannot digest large meals at once and so need smaller portions spaced throughout the day. 

However, for adult dogs, you can have them on the one-meal-a-day plan. Their bodies are mature enough to digest and extract the maximum amount of energy from a single meal that can sustain them throughout the day.

How Much Water Should A Goldendoodle Puppy Drink?

According to AKC guidelines, a pup should drink half a cup of water every 2 hours to be hydrated. This is about 120 ml of water for those who want to be too precise and handling cups is not what you’re good at.

This needs to be adjusted according to the weather and your dog’s overall hydration status. You can increase the water content of your pup’s diet in summer while toning it down a bit in winter.

Also, avoid giving water to your pooch just before bed to avoid any accidents during sleep.

One more thing that people tend to forget is that puppies do not need any water during the months they are being breastfed. This is because breast milk provides adequate fluid content for the pup’s body.

Following are the signs of dehydration that need to be looked for in a dog that you think is prone to dehydration be being ill or over-exhausted:

• Sunken eyes
• Dry skin with lost turgor (skin tightness)
• Lethargy
• Panting
• Dry tongue with pale gums
• Persistent diarrhea or loose motions

FAQs

Following are some of the frequently asked questions I’ve been asked.

Conclusion

Feeding a pup has a lot to do with its age, weight, physical activity, and any comorbid conditions. Goldendoodle puppies can eat a variety of foods but it is essential to know the portions and timings of the meals.

Then there are certain foods that need to be avoided altogether.