How Much To Feed A Sheltie Puppy – Sheltie Feeding Chart

How Much To Feed A Sheltie Puppy

Shetland Sheepdogs or Shelties for short, hail from Scotland and are known to be vibrant and intelligent dogs. This is no surprise as they are the smaller cousins of Border Collies.

If you are interested in this breed then it is prudent for you to understand how much to feed a Sheltie puppy.

A Sheltie puppy feeding chart can greatly help you to understand how you should be feeding your dog.

You need to understand the nutritional needs of this particular breed,  as well as the feeding schedule that would be beneficial to his health.

This article will inform you of everything you need to know about a Shetland Sheepdog feeding.

How Much Should A Sheltie Puppy Eat?

How Much To Feed A Sheltie

When deciding how much you should feed a Sheltie puppy,  you must remember to start slow.

When you are just starting off the consistency of food must be soft enough for their tiny mouths. About a quarter cup of food should be fine, but you need to split this up into 4 meals.

Another thing you must remember is that constant observation is important.

You want your Sheltie puppy to develop properly and meet all his developmental milestones, but you also do not want to overfeed as this may lead to diseases.

So if you notice signs of being hungry after you have fed him, you can adjust this recommendation as needed.

Best Dog Food For Sheltie Puppies (2022)

Sheltie Puppy Feeding Chart

The RER method is used by many dog owners to help them calculate the amount of food their dog should be given. The RER method is an acronym for Resting Energy Requirements.

It is calculated when you multiply a Sheltie’s total body weight and then raise that number to the power of ¾ and multiply it by 70.

You should note that you will only get an estimate from this calculation, so you should still continuously monitor your dog’s health.

Many people simply look at the dog food packaging and follow the instructions based on the weight range provided by the manufacturer.

Sheltie Puppy Feeding

2-Week-Old  Sheltie Puppy

Your Sheltie puppy will be in the hands of his mother at 2 weeks old. This bonding time with his littermates and mother is very important. Human intervention should be minimal at most because you do not want to risk the mother rejecting any of the pups.  The mother provides a crucial environment where she takes care of the puppy’s nourishment, warmth, and hygiene.

4-Week-Old  Sheltie Puppy

Your Sheltie puppy will be making the switch from his mother’s milk to puppy food around the 4-week mark. You must facilitate this transition smoothly.

The solid food that you intend to give your puppy must be prepared in a way that makes it easy for him. For dry kibble, try watering it down with milk water or chicken stock.  It should be the texture of a thick porridge or mashed potatoes.

Your Sheltie puppy will be fine on a quarter cup of food but since they are prone to bloat you should split up into 4 smaller meals disseminated throughout the day.

 6-Week-Old  Sheltie  Puppy  

Your Sheltie puppy will be used to solid food by now and spend less time around his mother. He will be more active as he explores the surroundings and plays with his littermates.

It would be a good time to increase his rations as he would need more nourishment to keep up with the busier lifestyle.

Try to give him half cup of food but spread it out between 4 meals so that he does not have terrible bloating.

As always you should monitor and make sure he is not hungry or over fed so that you can make the necessary adjustments.

8-Week-Old  Sheltie Puppy  

An 8-week Sheltie puppy can now be mostly independent and away from his mother. The exploration and physical activity will increase as he gets stronger.

Exercise is great but make sure that it is not done in excess at this time. Training is important and you can begin now.

Be careful of the treats though because you do not want to start him with bad habits and an improper feeding schedule. You can keep his food at half cup 4 times per day.

Best Puppy Dog Food For Shelties

10-Week-Old Sheltie Puppy 

This would be a good time to increase your puppies rations, but you can decrease the amount of times per day he is fed. Try him with 2/3 cup of food per day but make his  feeding time 3 times per day.

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See how he adjust to this new schedule but try to make it as easy as possible for him. As always look for signs that he is still hungry.

12-Week-Old Sheltie Puppy 

A 12-week-old Sheltie puppy is a great milestone. Now would be a good time to increase the rations to 1 cup of food. Continue to feed him 3 times per day as this is the recommended time frame for a puppy this age.

You do not want to have longer periods where he is hungry. Keep in mind that for growing puppies nutrition is very important for proper growth and development.

14 Week Old Sheltie Puppy

Expect rapid changes in your Sheltie puppies growth. Because they are small breed dogs it means that they have less growing to complete.

He should also be quite playful and work up a good appetite. Continue to feed him 1 cup of food per day because you don’t want to over feed him. It is easy for Sheltie puppies to be over fed so make sure it is not the case.

16 Week Old Sheltie Puppy

At 16 weeks old, you can now increase your Sheltie puppies rations to 1 ¼ cups of food daily. the feeding schedule should remain at three times per day.

Normally a Sheltie puppy will be around 12 lbs.  however many of them may  weigh more or less depending on a variety of factors.

Check for Proper muscle and bone development which is important as this time.

6 Months – 12 Months Old Sheltie Puppy

In this stage, you should expect that your Sheltie puppy will have a slower rate of growth when compared to the previous 6 months.

Most of the growth will happen in the first 10 months of life, and then it slowly peters off until full growth at 12 months.

Sexual maturity takes place during this stage so look out for that. 1 ½ – 2 cups of food is perfectly fine during this time. Make sure to check for signs of hunger or overfeeding.

An average Sheltie will be about 14 lb, but this is not set in stone as every dog is different.

Sheltie Puppy Feeding Chart

12 Months & Above Sheltie 

Your Sheltie puppy is now an adult but expect him to still display playful behaviors because this is just a part of his personality.

Make sure that you do not give him too much food, and he has enough exercise. Over feeding your dog is easy to do once they have attained adulthood. So it is your job to make sure  that he has the proper nutrition.

Many people use this time to switch from puppy food to adult food so that the right amount of protein and fats will be consumed.

2 cups of food is a fair amount for most dogs but monitor to see if you should adjust this. Also, you can begin feeding him twice per day as opposed to 3 times per day.

Understanding Sheltie Puppy Nutritional Needs

Your puppy’s nutritional needs is perhaps the most important thing you can do to ensure that he has a good and healthy life. Always try to give him the best food available.

To do this you must first understand what are the nutritional needs of your Sheltie puppy at different stages of life. Because the nutritional needs of a puppy will not necessarily be the same as a senior dog.

A Sheltie puppy should have at the least 25 to 27% protein as well as 12 to 15% fat within his diet.

As an adult this needs to be adjusted because he should now have 21 to 25% protein and 8 to 10% fat in his diet.

Remember that protein is good for your dog but too much can be harmful. Your dog may suffer from renal failure if there is too much protein in his diet.

How Many Times A Day To Feed A Sheltie Puppy?

Your Sheltie puppy should have an effective feeding schedule as he develops into an adult.

As a newborn he will  take nourishment from his mother at different points during the day. So when he is just starting to be weaned he will eat more frequently (about 4 times per day is standard).

However, when he starts to grow up the frequency can be reduced while the amount of food should be increased.

During these adjustments you should always monitor your dog to see how he is coping with the amount of food as well as the amount of times you feed him.

Kibble vs Wet Food For Sheltie Puppies

Kibble vs Wet Food For Sheltie Puppies

Many people prefer to use kibble as the main source of food for their dog.  Sheltie puppies are no exception.

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You should go with a brand that you absolutely trust to provide your dog with the nutritional requirements of a growing puppy. We have a few good ones below.

Kibble is quite convenient as long as they  contain healthy protein and fats for your dog. There should also be healthy fats included because as you know the dog needs Omega fatty acids.

For wet food you must remember safety and handling the food properly. You do not want to get your dog sick. The benefit of wet food is that some dogs prefer it as opposed to dry kibble.

Some people create their own wet food, and they can put all the nutrients that the dog needs inside of it. A main disadvantage of wet food is that the shelf life is  lower unless you put it in the freezer.

Switching From Puppy Food To Adult Food

For a Sheltie puppy this would most likely happen around the 12-month mark. This is when a Sheltie puppy is considered fully grown.

However some puppies are known to stop growing a bit before this, but it is okay to start them on adult food around this time.  It is important because adult food has different nutritional qualities which are better suited to adults dogs.

You also have the option of checking with your veterinarian to make sure it is okay to make the switch.

The transition should be handled with care because  you need to take your dog to get a slowly accustomed. Some people mix the new food with the olds in varying amounts until their dog is used to it.

What If My Sheltie Puppy Won’t Eat?

The most important thing to remember at a time like this is that panicking will not help. However, you should monitor the situation closely because your dog should have a good appetite to get the nutrients he needs.

Look for any change made to his diet or his surroundings which could be affecting him. Also consider that sometimes your dog is overfed and is simply choosing to fast for a few days.

Best Puppy Food For Sheltie

In most cases, you should check with your veterinarian to ensure that your dog is in good health. Loss of appetite is not normal, so something is definitely going on. As a dog parent is it is your job to figure out what that is.

Can You Freefeed A Sheltie Puppy?

It is not recommended that you free feed a Sheltie puppy because they may suffer from bloating.

Bloating can cause serious health problems for your dog who may not be able to control themselves if you leave the food out for them all day.

They may  most likely eat in a haphazard manner without a strict schedule causing the problems with gas.

Free feeding is also not recommended because it can lead to obesity. Sheltie dogs are known to suffer from joint issues, so extra weight will only make matters worse.

Give your dog food and smaller quantities and adjust the frequency as he gets older. Your dog should also not be craving food in between meals.

How Long To Feed A Sheltie Puppy?

Because Sheltie puppies suffer from bloating,  it is not a good idea to leave the food out for him for long. Many dog parents have trouble when it comes to keeping their dog’s  feeding schedule within a certain time frame.

We recommend that you use a timed method of about 30 minutes which will allow your dog to complete their meal. Any food that is left is removed, and your dog does not have access to it.

By doing this, your dog will get accustomed to having available food for only a short period of time so he will make sure to eat promptly.

He will also be hungry at the next meal and follow all good schedule of bowel movements with reduced bloating.

Best Puppy Dog Food For Sheltie 

Best Puppy Dog Food For Sheltie

1. Eukanuba Puppy Medium Breed Dry Dog Food

Editor’s Choice

At the top of our list, we have Eukanuba Puppy Medium Breed Dry Dog Food because it is the best choice for medium breed puppies like a Sheltie.

It offers a complete nutritional base for your Sheltie as he grows into an adult. It is packed with nutrition for muscle and bone growth like phosphorus and calcium.

You also have the benefit of healthy brain function with DHA included. This is especially great because Sheltie puppies are quite smart and need training.

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It is great for growing puppies who can benefit from the healthy fats. Chicken is listed as the first ingredient which is also a great sign of a high quality dog food.

2. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food

Runner-Up

Coming in at a close second  is this Diet Dry dog food from Hill’s science. One of the best features about this dog food is the delicious flavor that dogs love.

It is specially made for puppies as evidenced by the smaller Kibble, so you can start  your Sheltie puppy quite young on this dog food.

The fish oil is great for healthy eye and brain development which your dog needs as he is developing motor skills and intelligence. With this dog food you can expect healthy bones and teeth from your sheltie puppy.

3. Rachael Ray Nutrish Bright Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food

Rich in antioxidants the Rachael Ray Nutrish Bright Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food is a hit with many dogs simply because of the taste. But taste is not all this dog food has to offer.

It is also rich in antioxidants because it contains real fruit. These antioxidants are good for your dog’s immune system.

As if that was not enough, it also contains no preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors or poultry by-product meal. This natural dog food is packed with vitamins and minerals.

Sheltie Feeding Chart

4. ORIJEN Puppy Dog Food, Grain-Free OR with Grains

ORIJEN Puppy dog food gives your dog a well-balanced diet that is full of fresh ingredients. It contains free-range chicken and turkey, cage-free eggs and wild caught fish.

You can be sure that your dog is getting adequate protein because 85% of this dog food contains animal ingredients.

It uses organ meats, bone, cartilage and the meat itself to bring your dog  a quality meal that you can trust. It is also free of grain and all the ingredients are sourced from trusted farms.

5. NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food

NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog is also a great choice for a growing dog. Even though it was made for large breed puppies.

A medium breed like the Sheltie can greatly benefit. It uses real chicken and no GMO ingredients. You also won’t find any wheat soy or corn which is not the best option for your puppy.

It contains DHA for omega-3 fatty acids as well as natural sources of chondroitin and glucosamine for healthy joints. Your dog also gets a healthy immune system because of the antioxidants.

Is A Raw Diet Healthy For A Sheltie Puppy?

A Sheltie puppy can actually benefit from a raw diet especially if they start off quite young.

A lot of dogs have trouble switching from raw food to kibble, so it proves a problem if the parents are busy and are unable to prepare raw food for the dogs every day.

This option can also be quite costly as the raw meats must be sourced and provided for your dog every day.

There is also the issue of contamination to consider when dealing with raw food. Extra care for cleanliness must be taken at all times so that your dog does not become sick.

How Much Do Sheltie Puppies Grow Each Week?

It is almost impossible to come with a definite answer to this question because different dogs grow at varying rates. Additionally, one dog may have different growth rate throughout his development.

For instance, dogs tend to grow more rapidly during the first three months of life answer then this gradually becomes slower.

For Sheltie puppies the first 10 months is when they have 95% of their growth and the rest is completed by the 12 year mark.

Should You Feed A Sheltie Puppy Supplements? 

When your dog is an adult, it may be okay to give him a few supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin. Be careful because these may also be contained in his kibble.

Check with your veterinarian to make sure that you are giving your dog the correct supplements.

How Much Water Should A Sheltie Puppy Drink? 

Because Sheltie puppies are so energetic, proper hydration is very important. It is a good idea to free feed water so that your Sheltie puppy can drink as necessary.

It is especially important to have quick access to water especially on hot days.

Sheltie’s have very long coat, so the heat may be a bit much for them. The availability of water is important enough to save their lives in some cases.

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