How much food for JRT pup?

Bentley is 15 weeks old and we have just changed him to 3 meals a day from 4. We are feeding science plan puppy for small breeds.
The guide on the back recommends 55g a day for a 1kg pup, and 155g a day for 5kg pup.
We have been feeding 100g a day as he weighed 2.2kg 3 weeks ago. He was weighed yesterday and is now 3.4kg (!) so is gaining approx 400g of weight a week.
I am not sure what we should be feeding him as I know smaller breeds do more growing when they are puppies ( I come down every morning and I swear he has got bigger over night!!)
Including treats etc I would say he is getting approx 110-115g a day. Does this sound about right?

feeding, although many would say is a science, i think is an art form. what suits one dogs needs will not suit another. one on my boys thrives on barf, another looks like skin and bone on barf.

i strongly believe in feeding for condition, to feed "x" amount of food per breed and/ or weight will not suit every dog, especially a growing puppy. i have a routine which i follow in order to ensure my dogs each get enough food of a particular type they need. here is a list of a few things to consider:

1. weigh your dog on a regular basis and keep a chart. for a young puppy ie 2-3 months i recommend weighing at least a week, 3-9 months at least a fortnight, for 9months-18 months about every 3 weeks. this way you can ensure weight is put on slowly rather than too fast which causes joint problems.

2. Feed a number of small meals a day. large meals will not only be a waste as large amounts cannot be digested as thoroughly as smaller ones, but can create fussy eaters. big meals can be off putting.

3. feed a good quality food, read the ingredients which are listed in quantitive order. avoid foods with fillers such as maize, avoid additives and preservatives. generally speaking the foods heavily advertised on the tv should be avoided. they are rubbish. it is the equivalent on humans eating junk food, it taste great, but is it doing us any good?

4. score the dog using a scale of 0-10 on a weekly basis based on how fat the dog is 0 being emaciated, 10 being morbidly obese and aim for about 4 or 5 for healthy/ healthy lean type. be hyper critical!

5. i use different topping on dry food to keep the dog interested, boiled chicken. mince, pilchards in tom sauce, tuna in sunflower oil, gravy, mash potato etc.

6. adjust the food intake according to weight, work etc as and when needed. dogs will eat more in winter as they burn energy trying to keep warm and go off food in hot weather, much like people.

HTH a little

Thank you so much! We definitley need to weigh him more regularly and just noticed there is a pet weighing facility on the Wii fit (should be interesting...)
Do you believe Science Plan to be a good brand? I will have to check the ingredients later.
I like the idea of toppings for his food however, I have been advised to avoid any ocean fish from his diet which is strange as I thought all the oils would be a good thing?

Really great reply, thanks so much! ♥

The only time I weigh our puppies is when I dose them with heartworm remedies. How much to feed is a science, and a very easy one. I watch their body condition. Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs.

There is nothing wrong with Science Diet except it may be a little overpriced. As for ingredients, That is 100% hype spread by those wanting to sell higher priced food. I is bolted down by those that feel a high price means quality.

I a dog is kept lean, you never have to add anything to entice a healthy dog to eat what it needs

Hi Tessa good advice from LoweherzLeos.

I am not sure why you have been advised not to feed ocean fish. Fish is a good food to give dogs mine has coley, sardines and salmon also dried fish skin as treats (from Fish4dogs). Many dog foods contain fish too.

I can't comment on the amount of food you are feeding, I would use the manufacturers recommendations as a guide and base the quantity on this. If you are concerned about quantities try contacting the food manufactures, most have a website and a helpline you can contact.

hills is a respected brand of food. i am a breeders club member, i signed up at a champshow which entitles me discount if i buy so many bags per quart. however, after reading the ingredients i decided it wouldnt be suitable for leonbergers. for me it contains too much maize as this causes the biscuits to swell in the gut unless it is soaked before hand. drop a couple of biscuits in to a cup of boiling water and you'll see what i mean. kibble without maize or barley doenst swell as much. the protein levels (IMO) are too high for a giant breed such as the leo.

however i was impressed with the % of meat in the kibble, about 50% i think, which is a good percent to aim for, plus fruit and veg should be about 20% ish, then i like a source of high fibre such as rice, as this helps with peristalsis (sp), aiding better digestion and firmer poops.
i like to add a topper such as mince (high quantity of fat), fish (good source of oil) potato (extra fibre) because also i my breed (prone to bloat) dry biscuits can trigger bloat. i vary the topping according to the dogs needs. potato if dog appears to have piled on a few pounds, as it is bulky but has low nutritional value so wont put on weight but will stop dog feeling hungry which is what would happen if you just cut food down. mince if the dog is looking a bit underweight as it is fatty, pilchards for a dog in good shape, and oils keep the dog bright eyed and bushy tailed!

it also has the bonus of keeping the diet slightly varied. i agree that adding toppings to get a fussy dog to eat isnt the most sensible thing to do.