How much to feed?

Q: I have a male maltese born on 5\3 he weighs a little over 2 lbs. How much and how often should I feed him?

A: If he has been eating well and doing well for at least a couple of weeks you could go with 3 feedings during your awake hours. Overnight feeding is no longer necessary at 11 weeks of age. The quantity of each meal would vary depending on what type and quality of food you use. It is usually better to think in terms of letting the puppy decide on the amount of food necessary at each meal, just like us appetite will vary during the day and day to day. A pretty good plan is to allow your puppy to eat what it wants in about 10 minutes then put it away until next feeding. Bag label feeding guides are a rough estimate but really should not be thought of as exact instructions. Also once your puppy reaches adult size allowing the dog to regulate quantity can result in overeating and unwanted weight gain.