We are aware that there are numerous giant dog breeds in the globe, some of which are trained as security dogs, some of which are employed for military purposes due to their intelligence, and others who serve as family companions.
The Bernese Mountain Dog is a wonderful companion as well as a capable worker. In this essay,
I'll go over everything you need to know about feeding a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy and how to properly feed your Bernese Mountain Dog.
So, whether you're looking to buy a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy or already have one, this article will assist you in keeping your beloved Berner healthy.
It's critical to consider your dog's or puppy's health and well-being.
Then, to maintain their body healthy and fight off any assailants who try to disrupt the immune system, they must eat a well-balanced diet rich in nutrition.
What Is The Appropriate Amount Of Food For A Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy?
As your puppy develops, so does the amount of food they require.
Knowing how much to feed a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy is very critical.
It is recommended that you feed your puppy the same food that they were eating at the breeder's when you adopt them.
A healthy puppy between the ages of 8 and 10 weeks consumes 34 to 1 cup of food per meal and eats four times per day.
You can feed them three times a day between the ages of two and six months.
The amount of food you give your Berner puppy is determined by their activity level and age.
If you're not sure how much to feed your puppy, talk to your veterinarian.
Feeding Chart for Bernese Mountain Dog Puppies
A Berner puppy feeding chart can show you how much food your puppy need based on his weight and age.
You can figure out how many calories your puppy requires by multiplying their RER (Resting Energy Requirement) by two.
RER may be computed by multiplying the puppy’s weight in kilos to the power of 0.75 by 70.
Your Berner puppy's RER will be 70(15kg)3/4 = 535 calories per day if he weighs 15kg.
Their total daily calorie intake will be around 1,070.
A detailed Bernese Mountain Dog puppy feeding chart can be seen below:
2-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy
A Berner puppy should still be with its mother at two weeks.
They should be completely dependant on their mother's milk for all of their nutritional needs.
The puppy is starting to open its eyes at this age, but it will not go anywhere.
If you have a larger litter, check sure that all of the puppies are growing normally and gaining weight.
If some puppies aren't getting enough milk, puppy formula should be given to them so they can gain a healthy weight.
4-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy
Your Berner puppy will become curious and want to explore the world at the age of four weeks.
Therefore, it is appropriate to introduce a tiny bit of puppy food such as dry kibble to them and observe if they are interested or not.
Because their stomachs are still little and they can't take much food, make sure the ratio is 14 puppy food to 34 water.
They still get their nutrition from their mother's milk.
6-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy
Your dog is ready to be weaned and switched to a puppy food diet at 6 weeks.
You should do this in stages, gradually increasing the food-to-water ratio.
The proportions should be 50/50, with half of the water and half of the food.
Once your puppy has become accustomed to the food, gradually increase the amount of water until they can only consume the food.
A Berner puppy should be exploring apart from its mother at this age.
8 Weeks Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy
If your puppy hasn't been weaned yet, now is the time to start feeding them puppy food.
The Berner puppy will also be moving to their new home at this time.
Feed them four times a day, but don't leave food in the bowl after each feeding.
This is done in order to establish a consistent feeding schedule for their meals.
You can give them between 34 and 1 cup of food per meal.
10-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy
Your Berner puppy will become hungrier at this age, but you should continue to feed them four times per day and one cup per meal for consistency.
Your puppy will begin to grow at an accelerated rate.
Make sure your puppy stays at a healthy weight by not feeding them more than they require.
12-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy
You'll still be giving your Berner puppy one cup of food per meal at 12 weeks, but three times a day.
Depending on your puppy's activity level, you can raise the amount of food.
Because they are adjusting to their new adult body, you may find that your puppy takes less food on some days and more food on others.
Tips For Berner Puppies And Adults On Food And Feeding
A well-balanced diet provides high-quality nutrients, which keeps cells, tissues, and organs in good shape.
This keeps a Berner's immune system in peak shape so it can fend off any invaders.
The food you give your dog can either help them stay fit or cause problems with their ears, skin, overall health, and behavior.
Throughout your Berner's life, you'll base your feeding decisions on your dog's physical condition, coat quality, eye and ear condition, and eating habits and preferences.
How Do You Select The Right Food?
Your dog's breeder should advise you on a diet for him.
Your puppy's breeder has experience selecting a specific food that has been shown to fulfill the nutritional needs of dogs from the same families as your puppy.
Dietary guidance from a veterinarian can be beneficial, especially if the dog develops short or long-term digestive problems.
However, keep in mind that your dog's breeder is the finest source of information on which food is ideal for your new puppy or adult dog.
Bernese Mountain Dog owners feed raw diets, homemade diets, and commercially prepared kibble to their dogs.
Regardless of the type of feed, Berner owners appear to agree on feeding a high-quality meal with a low protein content (about 18-26%) and a moderate fat content (around 16%).
Many Bernese, especially those who are not very energetic working/performance dogs, may find high protein/fat meals (>28 percent, >16 percent) to be “too much.”
Some Berners have been known to develop hotspot outbreaks after being fed a diet that is overly ‘rich' in protein.
A high-fat diet can lead to undesirable weight gain and, in some circumstances, diarrhea.
Feeding Guidelines For Berners Puppy
The immune system function and overall health of your Berner can be improved by feeding raw foods or a raw diet.
Many Bernese people enjoy eating a wide variety of fresh foods.
As a way to introduce enzymes to a diet, small amounts of yogurt, cooked or lean raw meat, fish, eggs, or fresh fruits such as banana, apple, or pear, as well as vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, squash, cooked pumpkin, or yams can be supplied.
Your Berner may have some preferences – for example, your dog may enjoy carrots, green beans, and apples but dislike other fresh foods – picky, picky, picky!
Do you really expect me to eat brocolli?' says the dog. ‘.
Preferences are very natural.
It can be difficult to select the most healthy food sources and strike the right balance of elements in a raw diet for each dog's activity level, metabolism, and digestive system.
List Of Nutraceutical Support Supplements
Check out the list below for some of the most often taken supplements to strengthen the immune system in general and/or particular conditions like allergies, dry skin, digestive issues, and arthritis.
Choosing the right supplement(s) and dosage for your Berner is a time-consuming process.
Be mindful of the possibilities of interactions of supplements with other medications your dog may be on.
It's recommended to talk to your Berner's breeder and vet about adding vitamins to his or her diet for the greatest results.
- Vitamins C and E are antioxidants.
- Supplement with B-complex vitamins
- Kelp
- Fish oil and flax seed oil are good sources of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.
- Glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and Methylsulfonylmethane are all joint support supplements (MSM)
- Plant enzymes/probiotics
Kibbles Background
Many Bernese owners choose to feed an excellent quality professionally prepared meal for optimal development and upkeep while minimizing food preparation time.
Bernese Mountain Dogs should not eat the cheapest food available at the supermarket or pet store.
Human-grade components are used in some professionally manufactured kibble, canned or frozen meals, and vitamins C and E are used as preservatives instead of BHT, BHA, or ethoxyquin.
Chemical preservatives and additives may cause allergic reactions in some Bernese (itchy skin, seepy ears or eyes, pink discoloration around lips or feet, or a myriad of more significant immune system issues), according to anecdotal data.
Meats, eggs, fish, and grains are the most common protein sources in commercial kibble and canned dog diets.
Many Bernese dog owners choose to feed their dogs diets that have meat sources mentioned first in the feed ingredient list on the packaging.
Additional Thoughts
Food sensitivities or allergies can cause skin or ear problems, as well as stomach issues like gas or diarrhea, which can be difficult to manage.
If your dog has persistent digestion issues or allergic responses such as skin rashes, hot spots, itching, or leaky ears, switching to a different brand of food with different meat and grain components may be an option.
Exercise – Feeding
Manage your Bernese puppy's or adult's play schedule so that exertion and exercise occur at least 1 – 2 hours after eating – A puppy or dog that is particularly energetic or exercised with a belly full of food may have bloat or stomach torsion.
Allow for a half-hour or so of cooling down time after the dog has been exercising before feeding.
Manners and Food Of Your Bernese
Offering a brief 1-3 minute training session, even if it's as easy as forcing your dog to sit before giving a plate, will encourage nice behavior during mealtime.
Managing Food Consumption Of Your Berne
The best thing an owner can do for their puppy is to control activity and eating so that growth is as consistent as possible.
Any dog's appropriate weight should be determined by his or her size and amount of bone and muscle.
It is not advisable to feed a puppy more food in order to hasten its growth.
Overfeeding a Berner puppy can lead to obesity, which puts additional strain on the dog's joints, ligaments, tendons, and bones.
Overfeeding can also lead to digestive issues like diarrhea.
When the dog feels tight fleshed but not bony, a bit of firm flesh covering the ribs is reasonable.
How Much Food Does Your Bernese Need?
As your puppy grows, his or her food intake will gradually increase.
Healthy puppies between the ages of 8 and 10 weeks take about 3/4 to 1 and 1/2 cups of food per meal.
Between the ages of 2 and 6 months, young puppies are usually given three meals.
Feed the dog twice a day after six months.
The amount of food a puppy need to stay in excellent shape varies based on his or her metabolism and degree of exercise.
As a general rule healthy Bernese will eat about 3-6 cups of good quality food daily.
A four-month-old will consume more than an eight-week-old pup.
At 6-8 months the food intake will normally be at an adult proportion or somewhat larger depending on the dog's environment and system.
Ideas And Suggestions
Puppies in a litter are usually fed from one or two huge communal food dishes.
It can be difficult to get a puppy to eat from his own bowl without competition from his littermates.
Some puppies are easily sidetracked, may wander away before finishing.
Unless the owner is ready to act as a continual monitor, an easily distracted puppy that likes to move into other pets' food dishes can be restricted to a crate or a different area during feeding times.
Puppies are known to be less interested in meals at certain times of the day while devouring food at other times.
Finicky eating habits are often learnt and might be the result of poor management or an owner selecting the wrong feed for a certain dog.
In general, most puppies thrive when food is placed on a regular schedule and left for short periods of time, such as 5-15 minutes.
Any uneaten food is then collected and safely stored in the refrigerator until the next meal.
Because what goes in must come out, scheduled feeding can help an owner establish a housebreaking regimen.
Free feeding, or having food available at all times, is something the puppy's breeder should explain.
Coddling a puppy by holding the food bowl while it eats or providing tasty treats after the bowl is set down can lead to poor eating habits.
Puppy will eat if it is hungry.
Dogs have an excellent understanding of what they require to survive.
No puppy in good health will go hungry.
Bernese who do not receive enough exercise on a regular basis may become less passionate eaters.
Some puppies are true “chow hounds,” and using a flat shallow pie plate or tin instead of a steeper feeding dish will slow down food gobblers since the food is spread out rather than all mounded in.
Resource guarding, meaning canines that growl, become territorial or blatantly violent when food is removed or when a person comes about while the dog is eating must not be permitted to develop.
Place your hand in or around your dog's food bowl early on to train your puppy to be comfortable.
Bernese Mountain Dog food prepared from scratch
It's a good idea to feed your Berner handmade natural foods like veggies, meat, grains, and dairy.
This is the path that many Bernese Mountain Dog owners take.
Meat is the best diet for a dog because it is the foundation of their nutrition and it is natural for animals.
You can also feed him a small amount of grains and a reasonable number of vegetables with that.
If you choose to feed your dog homemade food, you should be aware that you will have to prepare meals for him on a daily basis, as well as purchase and store veggies and meat.
It does increase the amount of work you have to do on a daily basis, but it is a better approach to feed your dog if you plan to provide him/her nutritiously balanced meals.
However, persons with hectic schedules may find it tough.
That is why some people feed their dogs professionally packaged food.
On a daily basis, an adult Berner consumes approximately 750g of meat and 200g of vegetables and grains.
Because a significant quantity of nutrients is lost during cooking, raw meat is preferable than cooked meat. But, in the end, it's your decision.
It's preferable if you can provide them with raw meat. If you don't want to feed them raw meat, you can feed them prepared meat instead.
With natural feeding, you'll have all you need.
If you prefer to feed your dog this natural way, they will get practically everything they desire.
More information about feeding a raw diet to a Bernese Mountain Dog may be found here. Then you'll be able to learn more about it.
Also, make it a habit to have your Berner's health checked by a veterinary nutritionist on a regular basis to ensure that he is receiving appropriate diet.
That is the most effective strategy to keep kids healthy and engaged at all times.
If you'd like to learn more about Berner's most common health problems, click here.
Bernese Mountain Dog raw food
This is also something to consider when determining how much to feed a Bernese mountain dog puppy.
Most Bernese Mountain Dog owners feed quality commercially prepared food due to a lack of time to prepare food.
If you buy cheaper food from the supermarket or a pet food store, it is actually not a healthy decision for your dog.
In some commercially made foods, human-grade components are used, and vitamin C and vitamin E are used as preservatives instead of BHA, BHT, or Ethoxyquin.
Chemical preservations trigger allergic reactions in your pet's ears, eyes, skin, feet, and mouth, according to what I've observed and read.
According to studies, most owners prefer foods with meat origins mentioned first on the ingredient list.
Is it better to feed Berner wet or dry food?
You have two options if you think you should feed commercially prepared food to your dog due to your busy schedule: wet food or dry food.
A large breed like the Bernese Mountain Dog requires between 1.2 and 1.5 kilograms of wet food each day.
The majority of individuals eat dry food as well.
It's because dry food is a convenient option.
However, it is not a very nutritious option for your dog.
An adult Berner will consume approximately 400g of dry food per day if fed dry food.
When feeding them dry food, don't forget to give them plenty of water.
Bernese Mountain Dog wet food
There are numerous brands of dry food available on the market.
But there's one thing I should mention.
Dry dog food isn't very good for your dog's health.
If you can offer him half dry food and half raw food, that's a good option.
Also, alter the diet every six months to avoid food inadequacies in dog food formulae.
When buying dry dog food, make sure to check the phosphorus and calcium levels on the container.
They should normally be included in 1:1 or 1:1.2 ratios, so double-check before purchasing.
You can find decent dog food on your own, but you can also get help from your veterinarian.
Bernese Mountain Dog Background
The Bernese Mountain Dog is a remarkably attractive dog with a gentle, friendly personality.
It is big, muscular, and built for hard labor.
Berners are normally calm, but they are always up for a game of fetch with their owner, whom they live to please.
The Bernese Mountain Dog is a huge, strong worker with a shoulder height of over 27 inches.
The coat is tricolored: jet black, transparent white, and rust. It is thick, silky, and relatively long.
The Berner's majestic nobility is enhanced by the breed's distinguishing markings on the coat and face, which, when paired with the intelligent shine in the dark eyes, give to the Berner's aura of majestic nobility.
The Berner, a robust dog who thrives in cold weather, used his intellect and strength to multitask on Swiss farms and meadows.
Berners get along with everyone in the family and are especially gentle with children, but they do develop a strong attachment to one lucky human in particular.
Berners are formidable but not intimidating, and strangers are treated with aloof dignity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much should a 12 week old Bernese mountain dog weight?
Bernese puppy weights typically range from 24 to 45 pounds.
Puppy legs that were short and stocky at an earlier age may begin to lengthen.
They appear to be taller and have a slimmer physique.
Puppies can begin to be housetrained, but they will not be dependable when it comes to asking to go outside to relieve themselves.
How long should a puppy eat 3 meals a day?
I'm not sure how often I should feed my puppy.
Feed your puppy four meals a day until they reach the age of four months, then reduce to three meals a day until they reach the age of six months.
They can then switch to two meals each day and maintain this schedule for the rest of their lives.
Do Bernese Mountain dogs sleep a lot?
He will work nonstop and appear to have no need for rest.
When he's at home or at the ranch, on the other hand, he'll fall asleep and stay sleeping for hours.
Give him his daily workout, and he'll curl up with you on the couch and snooze all day.
How many times a day should you feed a Bernese mountain dog?
The quantity of meals a dog consumes each day is entirely dependent on the family's routine. Dogs should consume at least two meals every day, separated by roughly 12 hours.
A breakfast, lunch, and supper routine, on the other hand, is a fantastic alternative.
If you go more than 12 hours without eating, your stomach can become hyperacidic, causing nausea.
How much food should I feed my Bernedoodle puppy?
Your puppy gets fed three times a day, at 8:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m., for a total of 14 to 12 cup of food every meal.
Their kibble has been soaked in goat or cow milk, but they are normally OK eating it dry by the time they are eight weeks old.