The female heat cycle or season occurs twice per year and starts at between 5-8 months of age. The first time can be quite stressful, as apart from the mess, you will also have to contend with the risk of an unwanted pregnancy if you are not vigilant in keeping male dogs away from her. It is particularly important to avoid the risk of pregnancy in the first season as she will not be fully grown or developed which can run the risk of dystocia (difficulty during whelping, that often necessitates a caesarean) and she is not likely to be an attentive mother.

Day 49- 57: When the mother is resting you will be able on occasion to see and feel the pups moving. Pups can be born at any time now, but keeping them in for another week is much healthier, so avoid rough play. Some dams can get milk (colostrum) as early as day 45, but normally it is later on. Dr John has been an established brand for quite some time. Their products are designed with quality in mind and their recipes have been specifically formulated to provide dogs with the maximum nutrition possible.Collar: This should be a light weight type that fits well now. There are fabric versions with extensions which would last most of the growth period. There should be room to easily move the collar around but not to come over the head when tugged lightly. Sørg altid for, at frisk drikkevand er let tilgængelige på alle tidspunkter. Andre produker til hunde fra Dr. John hundefoder Large & giant breed puppies will need to be fed a growth diet for much longer than a toy or small breeds, whilst a terrier pup will finish its growth by 6 months of age, a giant breed like a Newfoundland will still be growing at 18 months. It’s particularly important that growth in these larger dogs is evenly spread over this period and the nutrient levels are appropriate. Our growth diets, as with all our diets, require no supplementation as they are complete foods with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for growth in the right proportions. In fact supplementing with additional minerals or vitamins can create a nutrient imbalance which can affect coat, appetite and even bones. There is some evidence to suggest mineral imbalance can cause bones to become enlarged yet with lower bone density which could have detrimental consequences in later life (osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis). WHY CAN’T I FEED MY PUPPY ADULT FOOD? Commitment to 10+ years of your life to looking after your dog through all his/her life stages. Commitment to regular exercise, playtime, providing a suitable diet and veterinary care as needed. Days 28 – 35: At this time the fetuses begin to resemble dogs with developing toes, whiskers and claws. They can be identified as male and female at this point and their eyes will now close (and remain closed until the pups reach until about 10 days old or so.) At this stage they become more resistant to development problems. In the mother, her weight will begin to increase, and swelling will begin to be noticeable.

There are reports of a couple of owners that have had issues, but in comparison to some of the other brands we have reviewed, these are very few and far between. We understand that all dogs are different, and we know that not Dr John might not work for every dog out there. Dr John also makes food specifically designed for working dogs and has a great range of different foods for different breeds. All dogs will vary in their nutritional requirements, and although estimates can be made for average breed size, individuals may require more or less than these guidelines. Factors to consider are whether your dog is smaller or larger than the standard for the breed, how active they are, their energy levels, their age and appetite. Then, start with the recommended feeding amount and adjust to as many of these factors as possible – never going more than 50% over or under the starting amount (exceptions for puppies and during breeding). Always remember to subtract a small amount for treats if using these as behavioural rewards. The resulting amount is your starting point. Immediate signs of overfeeding are struggling to finish the food in one sitting and loose stools or diarrhoea; a more long term effect is weight gain. If you under feed, some obvious signs are that your dog will be ravenously hungry and constantly asking for food even after finishing the meal and in the longer term, weight loss will result. Weigh your dog regularly and keep a careful eye on their shape to maintain a good level of condition. You should see a nice covering on your dog but the ribs should be felt once you press lightly. How you measure the food is important, the best way is to weigh the food out each time as this avoids inaccuracies gradually being built up over time. Alternatively a measuring cup or marked scoop can be used, but with this method it is worth weighing out the amount you are measuring every now and again, to make sure that the amount still matches the weight you are expecting. NEW PUPPY? Days 42- 49: The developing puppies continue to grow. The mother will start shedding her stomach hair. For this reason we would suggest trialing Dr John first to see if you can notice any improvements for a month or so. This will also give you the time to notice whether or not your dog has had any reactions Dr John.All puppies will develop slightly differently to each other depending on their environment and genetics but they all will go through the same stages during the first 12 weeks from birth. There are of-course some objections to this, but these tend to be from owners that use this food irregularly. Any responsible owner knows that dogs need routine, the same goes for their food too. Providing a suitable environment for a dog, a warm quiet place for them to sleep, room to play and a fenced in, secure garden that they can treat as their own.

For this reason we've calculated the approximate 'as fed' percentages for the main ingredient categories in the finished product.

At the other end of the spectrum, the racing Greyhound has been designed for immense speed, sprinting over short distances and extraordinary concentration on the lure but then followed by collapsing on the sofa at the end of the day. Racing Greyhounds need small biscuit based diets to suit their mouth size (like Dr John Grain Free) and the diet must be low bulk, high digestibility and high fat and with a good level of protein (24-25%) as this improves race times and prevents the development of anaemia which they are prone to. The mineral content of the diet is particularly important for greyhounds as they need up to 2-3 times the normal levels of a sedentary dog, to cope with the stress of racing. A supplement during race season may be needed to keep the Greyhound in good health. Recovering from operations, or long term illnesses should also be taken into account when considering diet, even in the case of standard operations like neutering or dental treatments. Assess how your dog is coping; whether there are problems with chewing after dental work (in which case soak the food for longer in warm water to soften it). If activity has to be restricted, then consider changing diet to a lighter, highly digestible food, as your dog will still want to have normal sized meals but won’t be using the same amount of energy as before. Joint supplements may be useful, for instance, an active ingredient in NZ green lipped mussel has been found to have an anti-inflammatory effect, and other ingredients are present that benefit joint health (We use a joint complex in many of our diets, ( Gilpa Kennel for instance). In some dogs, neutering can have a long term effect on metabolism slowing it so these dogs are prone to weight gain and will need to be fed a lighter or low fat diet. (try Dr. John Silver). We can’t seem to find many alternatives that quite match Dr John Dog Food. There are a few grain-free products out there, but we really are very impressed with Dr John. If your budget can stretch to it, we would highly recommend grabbing a bag. We are certain that your furry friend will lap it up! Hundefoderets protein består af minimum 14 % kylling og er med fuldkorn, der giver langsomt frigiver kulhydrater for at holde energiniveauet jævnt hele dagen. The duration of pregnancy in dogs can range from anything between 57 – 69 days. Feeding well throughout this period should ensure a successful outcome and healthy well-fed pups. For the first 35 days there is no need to increase the amount to feed, simply feed as normal and monitor appetite, digestion and condition. You may notice that during week 4 and 5 of pregnancy she loses her appetite, which in most cases is entirely normal and indicative of pregnancy. However, in the last third of the pregnancy period she will need to have her food increased by approximately 10% a week so that when she is ready to give birth she is having 1.5 times her maintenance amount. As the pups increase in size in her, her stomach capacity is reduced so feed her little and often or through free choice feeding. FEEDING FOR LACTATION