Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy food is the only dry dog food I give my puppies. There are some grain free dog food brands that the FDA has speculated may be contributing to heart disease, therefore I avoid all grain free food.  Growing puppies need specific food tailored to their breed.  Large breed food is recommended which helps the puppy grow at a natural rate which allows the bones and joints to develop properly.  This is key to prevention of bone and joint developmental orthopedic disease (DOD).  Growing too quickly is not healthy for large breed puppies. While it is tempting to think that large breed puppies need more calcium to support healthy bone growth, studies have linked high levels of calcium and phosphorus to DOD. Limiting the intake of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D helps reduce the risk of DOD in puppies, and limiting the number of calories in their food helps to slow growth rates.   Medium or Small breed food is tailored to help your puppy grow at a a faster rate which requires a higher caloric content to their food. Dog foods formulated for small to medium breed dogs increase the calories without increasing the amount of food in a serving. This is done by maintaining a higher fat to protein ratio in the dog food recipe. Although my puppies are not large breed, their genetics are from large breed dogs like the golden retriever, labrador retriever and standard poodle.  Therefore I only recommend large breed puppy food.

Protiotics are not only essential for humans.  I give my puppies   Doc Roy's GI Synbiotics probiotics and prebitotics sullplement gel daily until the day they go home with their new family.  I use the gel for the puppies and the granules for my adult dogs.  Once the puppy transitions to solid food and go to live with their forever home they can be switched to the granules.  Probiotics minimize the potential for diarrhea and strengthen your dog's immune system.

I add Plaque Off Powder to their meal once per day.  This is a great complement that can be added to their oral care.   It is s an all natural dental cleaner that is free from additives and artificial preservatives and contains no gluten or added sugar.  It helps reduce plaque and tarter on their teeth so you don't have to worry about having their teeth cleaned as often.  It is receommended by the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council).

 If you’re looking to treat your new puppy during training, stick with healthy, lower calories treats.   Treats are not ment to be a a replacement for daily nurtional needs. I recently switched to Pupford Freeze-Dried Training Treats.  My dogs love these treats and each treat has less than one calorie.

 A healthy treat to add as your new puppy starts growing are Freeze Dried treats.  My dogs all love the Stewart Beef Liver Freeze Dried treats.  A healthier, nutrient-rich option dried to preserve the natural nutrients in the treats.  I have used these as a  reward.  Also, I have crushed them and added to the top of their food for my pregnant moms since they tend to be picky eaters during pregnancy.