Things You'll Need
- Water and food bowls
- Measuring cup
- 2 types of dry dog food
Instructions
Feeding Your Bichon Frise
Check with your veterinarian to determine what food your Bichon should eat and how to administer it. Most vets and breeders will agree the food should be a proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals to match the breed-specific requirements. It should be a premium dog food, not generic, and some may go so far as saying you should prepare your Bichon's meals yourself. A raw food diet can be beneficial to a Bichon as well as a holistic food diet. Some holistic brands include Eagle Pack, Innova and Taste of the Wild.
Designate an area in your home where you will feed your puppy its meals. Make sure you choose somewhere away from where your family dines. Provide both a food and water bowl for your Bichon. Keeping your Bichon hydrated is important to is health.
Crating your Bichon at mealtimes can help its finicky ways. This helps determine how well your puppy is eating, as well as with portion control. It also keeps other house pets separated from your puppy's food and minimizes mealtime distractions like children and other interference.
Feed your puppy at least four times a day. An average size Bichon will eat one cup of dry dog food a day. You will want to give your puppy some form of a dry dog food since Bichons are susceptible to dental problems, including plaque build-up. Dry foods scrape the teeth and clean them as the puppy eats.
Space meals four to five hours apart. Give the first 1/2 cup when your puppy first wakes up once he has gone to the bathroom. At midday, give a 1/4 a cup and then in the afternoon 1/3 a cup. A final feeding should be given at night before bed. Remove food after 10 minutes if your puppy shows disinterest in eating.
Continue this feeding schedule until he is at least three months old. Then feed your puppy three times a day until he is six months old. It is important to go off the puppy formula at six months to avoid kidney disease, resulting from excessive protein in the diet.
Feed twice a day from six months and up.