by John
(Iceland)
Hey,
I own a cross breed of Rotty and Border Collie but apart from the little bits of white on his paws you’d think he was a pure bred.
Just wondering if you have any ideas about exercise and the amount I should feed him. He’s 8 months old and I have recently changed his food to a more nutritional brand but seeing that it is less in quantity – Paddy always seems starving and unsettled, as if he is dying for some more food.
Hi John
Generally a pup (or dog) needs to eat less of a premium food because it’s dense in nutrients. However, if Paddy is still acting as if he’s hungry when you’ve given him the recommended amount, then personally I’d simply give him some more.
I use the instructions on the bag as a guideline, but all dogs are different and some are ‘chow hounds’ where others are just ‘picky’. Also, puppies in particular go through phases and stages when it comes to appetite, and during times of spurts in growth/development they can be extra-hungry. At 8 months old Paddy is the equivalent of a human teenager… and just think how much a teenage boy can eat, and usually does!!
As for exercise, you don’t want to overdo things as his bones and joints are still not mature, but a couple of daily walks, a play session and a training session should be about right. No jumping from any sort of height (ie from a pick up truck, off a low wall etc.), and no jogging or pounding on hard surfaces such as concrete, because these can cause damage in a pup. Other than that pretty much anything is okay.
Hope this helps, best of luck with Paddy.
