Puppies grow like crazy. They shoot up in height and put on muscle until they qualify as adults. And it happens fast. Energy-intensive growth periods come and go, and if your puppy's needs aren't met, problematic behaviors can develop. Let's take a closer look at the puppy's growth phases, how you should meet your puppy's energy needs and how problem behaviors occur.

A white and black dog chewing on a stick outdoors. Tips for managing puppy growth periods and avoiding problem behaviors related to hunger.

Plant sprouts and problematic hunger

Between three to five months of age, puppies grow a lot regardless of whether you have a large or small breed. By the end of this period, large breeds have reached half their body weight, and small breeds, which mature faster, are undergoing their most intensive growth period.

At the end of this period, your puppy enters a growth peak, requiring as much energy and nutrition as your adult dog would! Your puppy will become hungrier and may seem unfillable. Begging around the table may start, rummaging in your pockets after treats, or searching for edibles on walks. It is usually during this time that dog parents have problems with their puppies refusing to let go of food they have found or resource guarding the bowl or chew make a debut. If your puppy's stomach rumbles for nutrition, and she/he fails to find food, inedible things such as pine cones, soil, sticks, socks, or even gravel may be ingested, which of course is a major health risk.

Steadier puppy, more energy in the food

Around six to seven months of age, your puppy's tumbling around is replaced by a more determined gait. Your puppy becomes more stable and set in her/his body, even if the growth zones/joints aren’t entirely sturdy yet. Your puppy moves around more, runs faster, and plays more intensely. At this age, puppies start to challenge their physical abilities and practice coordination, speed, and stamina before building more and heavier muscle mass. The increased amount of movement requires energy, and hunger can increase again.

Many puppies also enter a pre-puberty phase requiring energy due to hormonal development. At the end of this period, your puppy enters her/his second prominent growth peak. If the bowl is empty, and hunger rages, your puppy may try to steal food from the table or start guarding the food bowl or bones. If other people give your puppy treats during this phase, it can lead to intense eagerness around people, which can be challenging to control. These behaviors may indicate that your puppy is hungry and needs more food, or needs more nutritious food.

Small dogs reach adult size, big ones keep growing

When your puppy is around eight to twelve weeks of age, growth slows down in smaller breeds that are starting to reach their adult size. The larger breeds, however, have only begun and continue to grow in height, but mostly in muscle mass. At this stage, joints are increasingly stable, and the dog is proportional. However, the problematic behaviors that may have debuted during the growth peaks can be difficult to solve without the professional help of a dog behavior consultant. If you want to know more about how to deal with these behaviors, the article on The different stages of puppy maturity - essential information for anyone with a puppy may be helpful.

Adaptive eating habits for adult dogs

As an adult dog, your dog's eating habits can change. As an adult, the energy requirement decreases, and your previously hungry puppy can become picky. It may be the dog's way of regulating food intake.

Some adult dogs, in contrast to puppies (who eat small portions now and then), primarily want to eat in the afternoon after a long walk. Adult dogs are programmed to wander, search, and hunt before sitting at the dinner table. An old carnivore custom some dogs cling to. For the same reason, some adult dogs prefer to eat in the evenings after longer walks.

Adapting food to your puppy's specific needs

To reduce the risk of your puppy searching for food outside, sniffing out your food, or guarding his/her own, you must meet your dog's nutrition and energy needs during the growth peaks. Avoid serving the same amount of food throughout puppyhood. If you are unsure about what purchases are needed to prepare your home for your puppy, you can read more in the article Puppy preparation: essential purchases before your puppy comes home.

If you follow the dosage recommendations of the food bag or the raw food package too seriously, this is not adapting the feeding to your dog. If your puppy is slim or skinny and hunger is evident, giving an extra meal, or even two, is perfectly okay.

Avoid overfeeding your puppy

But… you don't want to overfeed your puppy. Your puppy’s growth rate should be kept steady and slow if possible to avoid osteochondrosis and other growth-related illnesses. Your puppy should be kept slim but not skinny. If your puppy seems hungry but has a falling waistline, make sure your dog food isn’t full of carbohydrates which turn into fat, rather than provide nutrition or direct energy. You can also fill out the portions by adding grated carrots and water. Also, let your puppy chew a lot of bones. It's a natural part of a carnivore's food culture.

Choose high-quality and nutritious dog food

You want to give your puppy quality food with a balanced amount of vitamins and minerals, an optimal amount of protein, and relatively low energy and fat content. This gives your puppy an optimal growth curve.

Adjusting the amount of food during growth periods

But… you don't want to overfeed your puppy. Your puppy’s growth rate should be kept steady and slow if possible to avoid osteochondrosis and other growth-related illnesses. Your puppy should be kept slim but not skinny. If your puppy seems hungry but has a falling waistline, make sure your dog food isn’t full of carbohydrates which turn into fat, rather than provide nutrition or direct energy. You can also fill out the portions by adding grated carrots and water. Also, let your puppy chew a lot of bones. It's a natural part of a carnivore's food culture.

Avoid food conflicts through communication

You want to avoid conflicts around food. Drop all thoughts on corrections and harsh handling if your puppies start to guard bones or food. It may block a puppy's frustration for a moment or two, but in the long run, it teaches your puppy to compete for food, and the problem will increase. Instead, practice "Leave it" if your puppy sniffs out things to eat outdoors. When your puppy leaves it, rewards with something tasty away from the prohibited find. Also, practice "Drop it", so your puppy learns to let go on cue in exchange for something else. Interact with your puppy via communication, taught cues, and set routines.

Creating peace of mind for your puppy

A puppy who growls to guard her/his food bowl or bones needs to be left alone. Turn the puppy's fear of losing her/his goodies around by approaching and giving more as you pass by. Toss your little friend an extra chew or treats when you approach the food bowl. But above all, let your puppy eat in peace.

Food intake adapted to physical activity

When your puppy is an adult, you don't need to focus as much on adjusting the dosage according to growth. However, it may be relevant to feed the dog after physical exercise. You still want a slim and well-muscled dog. Extra energy-rich food can be given an hour before a considerable physical effort like a long walk or intense play with other dogs. Other than that, your adult dog's food ration should be relatively similar daily.

Differences between breeds and whether to contact a vet

There is a difference between small and big breeds. Small breeds grow faster and should grow to about 20 times their birth weight. Large breeds will grow to an astonishing 100 times their birth weight. This takes longer, and a large breed is fully grown at around 18-24 months of age.
It is not only bones, joints, and muscles that grow on your puppy, internal organs also develop and grow larger.
Contact your vet if your puppy's appetite increases abruptly and is not satisfied by more food or does not subside when the growth peak is over. There are medical causes you want to rule out, such as worms.

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Puppy Growth Stages and Associated Behavior Problems