Puppy Feeding Guidelines: Q&As To Help You Get It Right!

There are many puppy feeding guidelines on the internet, all offering sound advice on how, what, and when to feed your Cocker Spaniel puppy, including my article on how to feed your puppy!

However, despite all these feeding schedules, many of our visitors still have lots of questions (understandably so), which is why I've added a few here, along with answers and comments from other visitors. I hope you enjoy them!

What Should I Feed My Cocker Spaniel Puppy?

Hi, I'm new to being a puppy parent and looking for guidance on feeding my new puppy.

My cocker spaniel pup is only 5 weeks old, and I'd like to know what I should give him to eat and drink. He's my first Cocker, and I want him to be a happy puppy.

I must also learn how to potty train him, but I will read your post.

Thank you for such an excellent stunning website!

By: Tanya from South Africa
Puppy Feeding Guidelines: Q&As

Puppy Feeding Guidelines: Reply from Pauline (Web Owner)

Hello Tanya!

Thank you for your kind words about my website, and congratulations on your new Cocker Spaniel puppy!

I'm hungry again, Mum!

Five weeks is too young to have left his mother, so you'll have a lot of work to do. I recommend you take your puppy to the vet to allow him to confirm that all is well with your new little man.

Ongoing, you'll need to monitor your puppy's development carefully.

Puppy tummies are pretty delicate, so it's important not to do anything that would upset them. My best advice is to continue with what your puppy has been used to.

He should have been weaned onto solid food at around three and a half to four and a half weeks.

You can check with your breeder; they should have records and will let you know which brand and how much you should feed your new Cocker puppy.

If that's not possible, phone the vet's office; someone there should be able to offer you guidance on feeding your puppy.

The vet may recommend a combination of gentle puppy food and powdered milk supplement, or he may feel your puppy can go directly onto specially formulated puppy food, dry or wet.

I recommend kibble (tiny, dry biscuits) as it's a complete meal; just make sure that there's plenty of water available for your puppy as kibble doesn't contain much - certainly not enough for your puppy's needs.

Until you can get an appointment to see your vet, you could try feeding him a little plain boiled rice (no salt in the water) and a little chopped, cooked chicken or lamb (no fat), just until you can get some professional advice about puppy nutrition from your vet.

I'm always hungry Mum!

Please don't leave it for long; make an appointment now and get the vet's advice.

Good luck - I'm sure you and your family will have many great times with your new Cocker puppy!

PS: You'll find this article on feeding your puppy quite helpful.

PPS: Remember to start the socialization process now. Start as early as possible to help your puppy be the best he possibly can be, with an excellent rounded, loving temperament! Please don't delay.

Hope this helps!

Puppy Feeding Guidelines: Q&As
Reply from Pauline (Web Owner)

Visitor Comments: Puppy Feeding Guidelines: Q&As

Puppy Feeding Guidelines: Q&As - What Should I Feed My Cocker Spaniel Puppy?
Reply From: Nancy

Hi Tanya, I am surprised the breeder has allowed one of their pups to leave their home so young. It's not usually safe for a puppy to go to a new home until they're at least 8 weeks old.

No matter what the breeder tells you, never buy a puppy younger than 8 weeks. 5-6 week old puppies may well be eating solid food, but this alone does not mean they are ready to be on their own.

There is a difference between when a puppy is physically able to leave its Mum and when it is emotionally able to.

Tazzie - isn't he beautiful?

I would be extremely wary of any breeder willing to sell a pup under 8 weeks old. It's usually a good indication that the breeder is more interested in quick turnover than the puppy's welfare.

It is also common in inexperienced breeders.

Only buy a puppy you can pick up directly from the breeder; please don't buy from a breeder willing to ship the puppy to you.

Being separated from its Mum and littermates for the first time is traumatic enough for a young puppy, but spending the first day away from them in the cargo hold of a jetliner is cruel beyond belief.

Imagine yourself as a two-year-old child, taken from your mother for the first time, placed in a cage and put into the cargo hold (not the passenger compartment) of an airliner with no heating, air conditioning or lights. It doesn't bear thinking about, does it?

Any breeder that can't find local buyers for their puppies and has to resort to shipping puppies by air is breeding way too many puppies.

I wish you and your puppy lots of luck, Tanya!

Visitor Questions: Puppy Feeding Guidelines 

What's The Best Food For My Cocker Spaniel Puppy?

Hi everyone, please, can anyone recommend the best food for my cocker spaniel puppy?

My Cocker puppy, Teddy, is 10 weeks old, and we have had him for four days now.

The previous owner fed him on tinned pedigree chum. We brought our own choice: a mixture of wet & dry food. Wainwright dry puppy food and the same but in the wet formula. Teddy won't eat it.

We are really concerned. We need to find out if Teddy isn't eating it because he doesn't like it or because he's just being picky!

We would love to hear some advice on the best food for a cocker spaniel puppy so we can get it right.

Thank you.

Puppy Feeding Guidelines: What Should I Feed My Cocker Spaniel Puppy? 

I can't believe your breeder was feeding the puppy Pedigree Chum!

Professional breeders know that their puppies need to be fed the best, high-quality food, specially formulated for puppies, to help them grow.

They usually give you a small supply of puppy food before you bring one of their puppies home to tide you over until you can get some.

Good breeders will also give a puppy pack to help new puppy owners through those first few weeks. Passing on puppy feeding guidelines or a tailored schedule is often a high priority for breeders.

You can buy good puppy food at most supermarkets, but make sure it's specially prepared for puppies. The food should have a high protein content and not be full of fillers like corn, and should be nutritious enough to sustain a pup's development.

Hope you have a great time with your new puppy!

By: Annabelle (Visitor)

What Should I Feed My Cocker Spaniel Puppy?

Hi, you've done the right thing by taking your puppy off Pedigree Chum.

What he needs is exactly what you're feeding him now; proper puppy food. Good for you. I can't believe the previous owner (I'm assuming it was the 'breeder') was feeding the puppy wet food that wasn't formulated for puppies.

Keep up the good work; you're doing fine.

By: Jemma (Visitor)