How Much To Feed Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy

Bernese Mountain Dog puppy is a large breed and intelligent dog. During their lifetime, their overall behavior and health status depend on how you feed them and the type of food they eat.

As puppies, you must feed them food that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids needed for optimal growth.

It is crucial a good foundation is set for your Berner puppy by providing a healthy feeding routine.

This article will give you information on how much to feed a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, when to switch to adult food, the amount of water they need, and many more.

How Much Should A Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Eat?

As your puppy grows, the quantity of food they need also increases. Therefore, knowing how much to feed a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy is crucial.

When you adopt your puppy, it is recommended that you give them the same type of food they were having at the breeder’s place.

Normally, a healthy puppy who is between the ages of 8 and 10 weeks eats ¾ to 1 cup of food per meal, and they eat four times a day. Between the ages of 2 months and 6 months, you can feed them three times a day.

How much you feed your Berner puppy depends on their activity level and age. Consult with your vet if you are not sure how much to feed your puppy.

Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Feeding Chart

A Berner puppy feeding chart shows the quantity of food your puppy needs according to his weight and age.

You can calculate the number of calories your puppy needs by finding out their RER (Resting Energy Requirement) and multiplying it by two. RER can be calculated by multiplying the puppy’s weight in kilograms to the power of 0.75 by 70.

For example, if your Berner puppy weighs 15kg their RER will be 70(15kg)3/4 = 535 calories per day. Their total calories for the day will then be around 1,070. Below is a detailed Bernese Mountain Dog puppy feeding chart:

2-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy

At two weeks, a Berner puppy should still be with its mother. They should be depending on the mother’s milk for their entire nutritional requirement. At this age, the puppy is starting to open its eyes but will not go anywhere.

For larger litter, ensure that all the puppies are gaining and growing well. If some puppies are not getting enough milk, you should give them puppy formula so that they gain a healthy weight.

4-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy

At 4 weeks, your Berner puppy will start to be curious and want to explore the world. Therefore, it is time to introduce a small amount of puppy food such as dry kibble to them and see if they are interested or not.

Ensure that the ratio is ¼ puppy food and ¾ water because their stomach is still small, and they cannot eat much food. They still depend on their mother’s milk for their nutrition.

6-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy

At 6 weeks, your puppy is ready to be weaned and moved towards a diet of puppy food. You should do this gradually by increasing the ratio of the food to water formula. The ratio should be 50/50, half water, and half food.

Once your puppy has gotten used to the food, you can add little water until they can only eat the food. During this age, a Berner puppy should be exploring away from its mother.

8-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy

If you have not yet weaned your puppy, this is the time to introduce puppy food to them. This is also the time for the Berner puppy to move to their new home.

Give them food four times per day, but do not leave the food in the bowl after feeding them. This is to create a solid feeding schedule for their meals.

You can feed them ¾ to 1 cup of food per meal.

10-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy

At this age, your Berner puppy begins to get hungrier, but still maintain feeding them four times per day and 1 cup per meal for consistency. Your puppy will start experiencing a rapid growth spurt.

Ensure that your puppy is maintaining a healthy weight by avoiding feeding them more than they need.

12-Week-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy

At 12 weeks, you will still be feeding your Berner puppy 1 cup of food per meal but three times a day. You can increase the quantity of food depending on your puppy’s activity level.

You may notice that some days your puppy eats less food and some days they eat more food because they are adapting to their new adult body.

Best Puppy Food For Bernese Mountain Dogs

Editor’s Choice

#1. Purina ONE SmartBlend Dry Dog Food

Help your Berner puppy grow up to be strong and big with Purina SmartBlend Dry food. This dog food is specifically made for large breed puppies including Berners and has zero fillers and wholesome ingredients.

With chicken as the first ingredient, this dry food also has digestible ingredients such as rice and a blend of antioxidants such as zinc, vitamin A and E, and selenium.

This puppy dry food has added minerals, vitamins, and nutrients to give your Berner 100% balanced and complete nutrition.

Pros

Supports healthy growth of muscles.
Supports healthy skin and a shiny coat.
Helps in vision and brain development.
No artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.

Cons

Some customers have reported that their batches were bad.

Runner-Up

#2. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food

The Hill’s Science Dry Dog food provides your Bernese Mountain puppy with the nutrition they need for a healthy lifestyle. This dry food will support the needs of your puppy because it is made with wholesome ingredients such as oats and savory chicken.

This formula has a blend of antioxidants and vitamin C and E as well as chondroitin and glucosamine to provide your puppy a lifetime of happiness and health.

Pros

Calcium supports the healthy growth of your puppy’s bones.
Help support joint health and strong muscles.
Helps support the immunity system of your puppy.
No artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.

Cons

Not suitable for picky eaters.

#3. Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food

For your Berner puppy to grow large and strong, they need proper nutrition to support their growing and active bodies. Eukanuba puppy dry food provides balanced and complete nutrition to fuel your puppy’s developing mind and body.

This puppy food contains high-quality animal protein, required amounts of phosphorous and calcium, DHA, as well as optimized carbohydrates and fats. It also has prebiotics, natural fiber, and vitamin E.

Pros

Supports healthy growth of muscles and bones.
Helps with healthy brain development.
Helps support the immune system of your puppy.
Supports the digestive system.

Cons

The kibbles can hard for some puppies to chew.

#4. American Journey Large Breed Puppy Dog Food

Growing puppies need nutrients specifically selected for them to set off on a good path toward big adventures.

The first ingredient of this American journey Grain-Free Dry food is deboned chicken. It also has phosphorus, calcium, omega fatty acids, DHA, and ARA.

Every meal provides your Berner puppy with balanced and complete nutrition with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.

It also contains ingredients that are nutrient-dense such as blueberries, sweet potatoes, and carrots. This dry dog food does not have any wheat, grains, soy or corn, or chicken by-products.

Pros

Supports healthy growth and development for your puppy.
Helps support the healthy growth of muscles and strong bones.
Supports healthy vision and brain development.
Supports healthy skin and coat.

Cons

Not suitable if your puppy is a picky eater.

#5. Puppy Chow Large Breed Dog Food

Puppy Chow Formula Dry Food provides complete nutrition for large breeds including Bernese Mountain Dog puppies.

Every bowl of Puppy Chow Dry food contains all the essential nutrients needed by your puppy. It is specifically formulated for puppies who are less than one year old. Contains DHA, calcium, minerals, and vitamins.

Pros

Helps support brain development.
The protein content helps in the growth of lean muscle.
The calcium ensures the healthy growth of strong bones and teeth.
Supports the immune system of your puppy.

Cons

Some puppies may not like the flavor.

Understanding Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Nutritional Needs

The diet of your Bernese Mountain Dog puppy should have quality animal protein such as poultry, meat, and fish because they have all the 10 essential amino acids that their body needs for protein-building and synthesis of hormones.

Protein is needed for the development of healthy and strong muscles.

Fat is the second nutrient that your Berner needs as it is a concentrated source of energy and helps in supporting healthy skin and shiny skin.

Animal fats such as salmon oil and chicken fat are a good source of fat. Plant oils like canola and flaxseed oil can be supplemental sources that provide a balance of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids.

Your puppy needs dietary fiber which should be more than 5% of their diet because more of it can cause digestion problems. They also need vitamins and minerals which can be given to them as supplements.

Kibble vs Wet Food for Bernese Mountain Dog Puppies

If you are a busy person, feeding your Berner commercial food is a good option. There are two choices available either wet food or kibble. Whether you choose kibble or wet food for your puppy, it does not matter because the right food is the one that works for your puppy.

Some owners mix the two foods while others alternate them. Check with your vet before changing your Berner’s food. The food choice you make should be convenient, affordable, and supports your puppy’s body weight and healthy skin.

It is also essential to source the food from reputable brands to ensure that your puppy is getting all the nutrients they need for healthy growth.

2-Month-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Weight

At two months, your Berner puppy should weigh between 6kg and 10kg. During this age, your puppy may be slightly smaller than other Berners of the same age, but there is no need to worry because your puppy is still growing.

At this age, your Berner puppy is not eating much food yet because his stomach is still small.

3-Month-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Weight

A Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy who is three months old should weigh between 11kg and 17kg. The three-month mark is important for Bernese Mountain Dog puppies because most of them double their weight easily during this period.

Their appetite increases because they need more calories to support and sustain their body’s growing demands. Their activity level also increases during this period needing more food.

This is also the time to take them to the vet for their first vaccine and general health check-up.

4-Month-Old Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Weight

A 4-month-old Berner puppy weighs between 15kg and 26kg. During this period, your puppy’s appetite still increases but his growth rate slightly slows down. At this age, most puppies start losing their puppy face and begin to show their adult faces.

If you have not yet trained your puppy, this is the time to start on house training, potty training, bite training, and other forms of training.

How Much Do Bernese Mountain Dogs Grow Each Week?

The growth of a Berner puppy depends on certain factors including age, activity level, diet, and health. If you are feeding your puppy a well-balanced and healthy diet, they will achieve their optimal growth and maintain a healthy weight throughout their lives.

On average, the weight of a Berner puppy increases by 1.5 kg each week from when they are 1 month old to 6 months old. Their growth rate then gradually decreases to less than 1kg per week, until reaching their adult weight between 2 to 3 years.

Switching From Puppy Food To Adult Food

When your Berner puppy turns 6 months old, it is time to switch their puppy food for adult food and reducing the number of meals to two times per day. This is also the time to switch brands or wet foods to real meat or dry foods to wet foods.

Switching from puppy food to adult food should be done slowly and gradually to avoid upsetting your puppy’s stomach.

The process should take about 1 week by slowly introducing small amounts of the adult food to the puppy food and increasing the amounts until the bowl is only adult food.

What If My Berner Won’t Eat?

You need to be concerned if your Berner is refusing to eat their food. One of the main reasons why your Berner puppy will not eat their food is because their stomach does not agree with the kibble you are feeding them.

If your puppy has a sensitive stomach, they may be allergic to the ingredients in the food you are giving them.

Other reasons why your puppy is not eating their food include: they are bored with their food; they are not receiving enough exercise, or they have underlying health conditions. If you are not sure why your Berner puppy is not eating, take them to the vet for examination.

Can You Freefeed A Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy?

Free feeding your Berner means that they have constant access to an unlimited amount of food throughout the day. You can still control the portion that you give your puppy, but they eat how much they want when they need the food.

Free feeding can be convenient and easy for you but can affect the health of your Berner. Allowing your puppy to eat their food whenever they want can make them develop bad eating habits and add unnecessary weight because you are not monitoring them.

Free feeding means leaving food in the bowls all day and if you are feeding your puppy wet food, it can go bad quickly which can cause stomach issues for your Berner.

Should You Feed A Berner Puppy Supplements?

Feeding your Berner puppy the right diet that is complete and balanced should provide them with all the essential minerals and vitamins they need to keep them strong and away from health conditions.

Dietary supplementation can take your puppy’s nutrition to the next level. Supplements act as a complement to your puppy’s food and should be given to them following the vet’s recommendation.

Sometimes, vets recommend that you give your puppy supplements to help minimize the severity and mitigate against certain health conditions related to Berners.

How Much Water Should A Berner Puppy Drink?

A Bernese Mountain dog puppy should drink one ounce of water per pound of their body weight per day. For example, if your puppy weighs 22 pounds, he should drink 22 ounces of water distributed throughout the day.

However, if your puppy is more active or the weather is too hot, give them more water so that they are not dehydrated. Avoid giving your Berner excess water than they need because it can affect their overall health.

How Much Exercise Does A Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Need a Day?

Bernese Mountain Dog puppies have high energy levels by nature; therefore, they need to be stimulated both physically and mentally.

Bernese Mountain Dog puppy requires at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. If you do not exercise your puppy, they may chew shoes, dig holes, bark a lot, or not sleep at night.

As your puppy grows older, they may need more exercise of up to 1 to 2 hours in a day. You can split the time into two or more exercise periods of walking and vigorous exercise, depending on what your puppy likes to do.

Exercising your Berner will maintain their body’s metabolism and burn calories which enables them to develop a healthy appetite.