How Much Should a Cockapoo Eat?
If you have just got a new Cockapoo puppy or are considering expanding your family with a new canine companion how much you need to feed your dog is a common question new or potential pup parents will ask. Nobody wants to overfeed their dog and for it to become overweight and get health problems, or even underfeed their dog leaving it without the nutrition it needs to grow up to become a healthy dog. But how much should you actually feed your Cockapoo? And how does that change in each part of their life? Well, in this article we will cover everything you could want to know about feeding your Cockapoo the right amount. The amount a Cockapoo needs to eat will depend on a few factors including the type of Cockapoo you have and the stage of life they are, and your dog's lifestyle. All of the guidance on how much food to feed your Cockapoo we offer below will be based on feeding your dog dry food. This is the most common approach of dog owners. There are other dog diets such as the raw food diet. We have a resource on that too if you are interested. While most Cockapoos you see will be standard Cockapoos there are actually four different types of Cockapoos you could come across. This includes: For their sizes, we can split these dogs into two groups as the two smaller and larger dogs are similar in size. Let's take a look at what each group of Cockapoos need as adult dogs. Teacup and Toy Cockapoos As the smaller of the two groups, these Cockapoos need a smaller portion of food. If this is the type of Cockapoo you have feed it between one and one and a third cups of food a day with the Toy dog getting the larger portion. Miniature and Standard Cockapoos The Miniature and Maxi Cockapoos are larger than their smaller relatives. Of course, this will require more dog food to give this larger dog the nutrition it needs to be healthy. Up the daily food intake to 1.5 cups for the Miniature and 2 cups of dog food a day for a standard. Another key factor that will influence how much food your Cockapoo needs is what stage of life they are at. The three stages we will talk about are puppy, adult, and senior. Each of these stages has its own considerations. Puppy Puppies are small and need less food than adult dogs, however, all that growing is hard work. High-quality dog food will be a must for a Cockapoo puppy. You'll need puppy food for your Cockapoo when they are still young (under 18 months). This dog food is packed with all of the nutrients your dog needs to become a healthy adult dog. For portion size, you want to feed a Cockapoo puppy 20 grams of dog food per 1 kg of body weight. You can get more information on this from Burns Pet. Adult For the amount of food you should feed an adult Cockapoo use the figures above. Always read the packaging of your dog's food for any specific guidelines for a particular food. It can vary from one to another. Senior The dietary requirements of a senior Cockapoo are slightly different to those of senior dogs. Older dogs are less active than their younger counterparts. Typically this food has fewer carbs and a bit more protein. You'll switch your Cockapoo to a senior food at around eight to nine years old. The amount will be pretty similar to that of an adult dog. Again, consult the packaging for any specifics. While the above guidelines for the amount of food you should feed your Cockapoo will give you a good idea of what you should be feeding there are still other factors to consider. For example, how much exercise is your dog getting? If you are very active taking your Cockapoo for runs or enrolling them in dog sports you might find they need something a little extra to stay healthy and have enough energy. On the other side of the coin if your dog has a more sedentary lifestyle you might notice that your dog is gaining weight. In this case, you will just need to evaluate your dog's exercise regime. It's important to keep your furry friend at a healthy weight. Also, if your dog has any health conditions that would affect either the type of diet they have or the amount of food you would need to consider that. However, your vet will advise you of any changes needed. If you want to learn more about Cockapoo exercise needs we have an article covering that. As we have covered already there are different types of Cockapoos to consider when looking at how much they need to eat. Here is a breakdown of their needs in a table. The number of calories an adult Cockapoo needs each day to stay healthy will vary depending on the type. These are pretty low numbers, something to think about when giving your dog too many treats! It all adds up pretty quickly. Try Pet Nutrition Alliance's calculator to see yourself. If you have made it this far you are pretty much a pro when it comes to feeding a Cockapoo regardless of type, age, or activity level. We still have a few helpful tips that can help you avoid a few pitfalls. Dogs love routine. Try to set a feeding schedule for your Cockapoo to offer a little structure and consistency to their day. The most common way is to split their daily allowance into two meals 12 hours apart. We do 8 am and 8 pm. Giving your dog a solid balanced diet requires high-quality dog food. Not all kibbles are the same. There are many rubbish commercial dog foods which are packed with cheap, rubbish ingredients that don't offer your Cockapoo much or in some cases any nutritional benefit. The short version of this is to look for whole ingredients and avoid food that has meat derivatives or artificial preservatives or colours. Basically, if you don't recognise it as good, it's worth a quick Google. Changing your dog's food too quickly will wreak havoc on your dog's digestive system leading to an upset stomach or diarrhoea. You may even find your dog has less interest in it. Instead, you will want to change it gradually over a few days slowly increasing the amount of the new food. This is not the case for raw food diets. You can switch your Cockapoo to a raw diet instantly without any of these steps. A barf diet is packed with natural ingredients like vegetables and raw meats. It is really easy to just grab your dog's food bowl and dunk it into the bag and take a stab in the dark at the amount. Unfortunately, this is a really easy way to over or underfeed your dog. Get an actual cup to use for measuring food instead. This is the best way to maintain your dog's weight and nutrition. When measuring your dog's food out don't forget that any little dog treats will count towards their daily food allowance. Only this part won't even have the nutritional benefits that their actual dog food has. This even counts towards things like dental sticks which would appear to be a good idea on the face of it. In fact, a single Pedigree Dentastick has 78 calories! That is either 16% to 22% of your Cockapoo's daily allowance depending on the type you have! And those are percentages for adult dogs. Imagine how that would look if you have a Cockapoo puppy. So, how much should you feed a Cockapoo? Well, that depends on quite a few factors including the type, age, and lifestyle of your dog. No matter where you sit on this hopefully this actionable article has taught you all you need to know to offer your Cocker Spaniel mixed breed a nutritionally balanced diet. It is not only how much you feed your Cockapoo that matters but also what. Find premium Cockapoo food that is packed full of quality ingredients. It can make your dog's life longer. If you fancy something different you could even consider raw feeding. It does require a bit more work but many owners stand by it for being natural and its health benefits. And remember, try to lay off the treats a little, it is far too easy to overshoot the target calorie intake impacting your dog's weight and health.How Much to Feed a Cockapoo?
Amount of Food by Type of Cockapoo
Amount of Food by Cockapoo Life Stage
Amount of Food by Lifestyle
Cockapoo Feeding Chart
Type Cups per day Teacup 1/2 Toy 1 Miniature 1 & 1/2 Maxi/Standard 2 How Many Calories Does a Cockapoo Need a Day?
Tips for Feeding your Cockapoo
Stick to a Schedule
Feed High-Quality Dog Food
Don't Change to a New Food Instantly
Don't Guess the Amount of Food
Treats Count
Conclusion
Hi, my name is Allan! I am the owner of Spaniel Advisor and I've got over seven years experience of owning Spaniels.
I hope this article was helpful for you!