Feeding

The quantity and frequency of feeding will change as the puppy matures. It is very important to only feed the dog their daily allowance of food to keep them at a healthy weight. Feeding table scraps can lead to the dog experiencing diarrhea or learning to scavenge food off the floor.

Dog Food

• Food for the puppy is provided by CNIB Guide Dogs at no cost to you. Contact your Puppy Development Trainer (PDT) to arrange food pick-up.
• Store food in its original bag and keep it sealed.
• When you are down to half a bag of food, notify your PDT.
• Only kibble from the dog’s daily food allowance is used as training treats, unless otherwise advised by your PDT.
• When preparing a puppy’s meal, add water to help soften the food.
• Any veterinary recommended changes to the dog’s diet, must be reported to and approved by your PDT.
• We strictly prohibit feeding our dogs raw food of any kind, including raw-coated kibble and freeze dried or dehydrated raw food or treats.

Feeding Schedule

For example, a 2-month-old puppy with an adult target wright of 26 kg will receive 259g of kibble daily, divided into 3 meals and training treats.

We recommend measuring the full daily food amount in the morning, ideally using a digital scale.

Your Puppy Development Trainer will assess the puppy’s body condition monthly and adjust food allowance as needed.

Whistle Feeding

We train all puppies to associate 3 sharp whistles with being fed. The goal when feeding the puppy is to have them sit and wait. Place the food bowl on the ground and blow a whistle 3 times, releasing them to eat.

Since this is the end goal, lower your expectations in the beginning. Young puppies will not yet understand this exercise. Your PDT will demonstrate the whistle feeding process.

Things to keep in mind:

• Leave the dog alone when its eating.
• Do not make the dog wait too long before you blow the whistle.
• Do not hold back or push the dog during their mealtime.
• Be patient and take things slowly as the dog learns to respond to the whistle.

Once the puppy has successfully paired the whistle sound with food, the whistle can be used to achieve reliable recall, in addition to the verbal cue “Come”.

Transition To Adult Dog Food

From 8 weeks to approximately 12–15 months of age, our dogs are fed high-quality, nutritious puppy food. Around 12–15 months old, they transition to adult dog food as advised by your Puppy Development Trainer.

Mixing puppy and adult food together helps ease the transition. Switching them over too quickly may lead to digestive upset. Use the table below to gradually adjust the ratio of puppy and adult food.