Feeding

The puppies have been on PawTree's turkey/sweet potato recipe.
 
Doodles can sometimes have sensitive tummies ... you will NOT want to change to a different brand of feed. Leaving GVD and litter mates will be a stressful change for a pup. Changing up his feed will exacerbate that stress and you will have a mess to deal with. Here's the link to preorder, so your puppy's food will be on hand before pup comes home.
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All of our clients always ask, “How much and how often should I feed?” Since the whole litter eats together, I can’t answer the “how much” question. Here’s what I suggest: offer a bowl of kibble twice a day: early, 7am. When puppy loses interest in the
food, remove the bowl. Likewise, if pup scarfs it down, augment. Offer the feed again late afternoon, around 3pm. Same thing - let puppy focus on eating and remove bowl when she loses interest. Feeding times should be quiet, without distraction, so puppy can focus on the task at hand instead of what’s going on around him.
 
There are a couple of reasons behind this method. One, it will let you gauge how much is enough, and give you an idea of how much to feed at one sitting. Two, what goes in must come out. This method gives you more control over potty training. You will have a guaranteed poop within 5-20 minutes of a meal. Three, it teaches puppy to eat when it’s offered, rather than playing when they should be eating. And last, the first sign of a dog who is ill is ignoring meals. If feed is left out for grazing, you might not realize they aren’t eating.
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Don't be concerned if puppy doesn't eat much. This food is very dense, packed with proper nutrition instead of useless fillers. It takes less to quell an appetite since it isn't full of junk. And the bonus is in the poop! Well formed, compact poops are easier to pick up/clean up .... and there is noticeably less odor. Hooray for good turds!
 
They are pretty excited to get to their food bowls at feeding time and will knock them over in a heartbeat. I like the bowls that are tip proof, and skid proof. I use the stainless steel type with a rubber ring around the bottom to keep them from sliding. Not the prettiest ones out there by any means, but they are effective (less mess) and the stainless is easy to sanitize.
 
Feeding time is also a great opportunity for training. I like to have my puppies sit and wait before they are allowed to eat. I use those words (commands “sit”, “wait”) and start them waiting for just a few seconds, by holding their collar. When they’ve learned the commands and the routine, you can gradually lengthen the “wait” time. To release them from the “wait”, I use the command “okay!” or “take it”. You’ll be grateful for this when they weigh 50 pounds and aren’t jumping all over you while you fill their bowls, knocking food all over the place. This method also teaches them patience and good manners.