Q:  We have just added a Great Dane puppy to our family. I am very concerned about her special dietary needs. I know she will be extremely large and needs to grow very slowly. We currently feed our adult Dane your Large Breed food. I do not see a large breed puppy food listed. What do you suggest for optimal health in our puppy?

A:  First, congratulations on getting a new pup! The main concept in feeding large breed puppies is not so much to slow growth down, but to not encourage too rapid of growth. To accomplish this you need to feed a food that has the proper ingredient proportions, that is, balanced calcium to phosphorous ratios and appropriate levels of protein and fat. Our German Dog Diet and the Large Breed Dog Diet that you are feeding your adult dog have been traditionally what I recommend for giant breed dogs. Both will work just fine for your dog as they contain the appropriate ingredient proportions for large breed puppies. Actually, almost all of our diets would work fine. The only exception is our Working Dog Diet, which might be a little “hot” for fast growing pups…if you are not careful. If the balance of ingredients is correct then it is just a matter of adjusting the quantity of food that you will feed. Puppies eat more per pound of dog than adults and get enough nutrients simply by eating more. There may be more stool production as they typically eat about twice as much per pound than an adult. A couple other things to remember when it comes to your puppy’s growth: (i) he should always be fed on a schedule and preferably more than once a day; (ii) never feed him free choice; (iii) and last and most importantly, adjust the amount you feed him based on condition…not weight and the feeding directions on the back of the bag. Examine him weekly, that way you will never over- or under-feed him, although it is much better for a large breed puppy, or any puppy for that matter, to be on the lean side versus the heavier side. This will also help in preventing too rapid of growth. I can not guarantee that doing all this stuff will prevent him from having growth issues as some pups, regardless of what you do, are genetically prone to having such issues, but these items should help minimize the risk.  Thank you very much for feeding Best Breed dog food.