How Much To Feed A Great Pyrenees Puppy

Great Pyrenees are a beautiful breed of dog to own and adopting one of their puppies is simply adorable.

But, when it comes to these giant breeds, it is really important that you know how much to feed a Great Pyrenees puppy before you adopt one.

Before taking on one of these large dogs, you should know what you are getting into and know what kind of food that you should feed your giant baby.

You will also need to know how to read a Great Pyrenees puppy feeding chart, which includes how much food you should be feeding your puppy and how often.

How Much Should A Great Pyrenees Puppy Eat?

Since Great Pyrenees is a giant breed of dog, he will definitely need more food than other dog breeds out there. Between the ages of 8 weeks and 3 months of age, your Great Pyrenees puppy should be fed four times a day.

Between 4 months and 9 months, you can reduce that amount down to three times a day and at 9 months, you can go down to just twice a day.

Even though Great Pyrenees are a large dog breed, they do have delicate immune systems, so you cannot mess around with how much you feed them or the type of food.

Great Pyrenees Puppy Feeding Chart

The amount of calories that your puppy takes in to maintain a healthy weight should correspond to their resting energy requirement (RER).

The RER is the amount of energy a body needs to run essential bodily functions like the heart, brain, and even breathing. This is calculated by multiplying the animals’ body weight in kilograms to the three-fourths power by 70. So a 22 pound (10 kilograms) dog will need about 400 calories a day.

This needs to be adjusted by the dog’s age. Puppies from birth to 4 months need three times the amount of their RER while puppies from 4 months to adulthood need twice their RER.

2 Week Old Great Pyrenees Puppy

At 2 weeks old, your Great Pyrenees puppy should not be receiving any cups of food. He should still be with his mother at this age and solely reliant on his mother’s milk for his nutrition.

He will be feeding on demand and maybe wrestling with littermates to ensure that he is getting all of the food that he wants.

Puppies should be growing fast after this point, though they will not be mobile before 2 weeks of age. If he is not with his mother for some reason, your vet will likely prescribe a puppy formula to administer with very specific instructions.

4 Week Old Great Pyrenees Puppy

When your Great Pyrenees puppy is 4 weeks old, he should still be living with his mother as well and not yet weaned. The primary food source for puppies at this age is still their mother’s milk.

Some puppies do become interested in other food sources early and you may offer a puppy ¼ cup of food to see if he is interested in taking it, but do not be surprised if the puppy has no interest at all at this point.

They are a giant breed, however, so they might want to have some extra calories, but do not allow them to eat too much or you will have sick dogs on your hands.

6 Week Old Great Pyrenees Puppy

At 6 weeks of age, it is ok to begin to routinely offer puppies puppy food. They might be weaned or starting to wean at this point, with their mother leaving them for longer and longer periods of time.

The mother also might not be willing to nurse the puppies anymore at this point, but it will depend on the dog. The puppies should be fed 5 to 6 times a day, but with very little quantities each time.

Do not allow the puppies to free feed, but dole out a quarter of a cup of food at a time and see how quickly your pup gobbles it up.

8 Week Old Great Pyrenees Puppy

8 weeks is the time that puppies can begin to be rehomed. If you are not a breeder, then this is the point that you would adopt your Great Pyrenees puppy and bring him home.

Because they are such a large dog breed, it will take some fine-tuning to work out exactly how much food that your puppy should get a day. Start out by giving him 1 to 2 cups of food a day, split into 4 meals.

If this does not seem like enough, you can gradually increase the quantity until it seems like you find a balance.

10 Week Old Great Pyrenees Puppy

When your Great Pyrenees puppy is 10 weeks old, you will likely need to feed him between 2 and 3 cups of food a day, depending on the dog.

Look for signs that your dog is too skinny or too chunky based on his waist, which should be starting to become visible by this age. You should still aim to feed your dog four meals a day, all in equal quantities.

He should be gaining weight rapidly and will need to have frequent meals to keep his energy up.

12 Week Old Great Pyrenees Puppy

When your puppy has reached 12 weeks of age, he will still be eating four meals a day. The quantity might vary dramatically between Great Pyrenees puppies, but it should be somewhere around 3 cups of food in total a day.

If this isn’t enough for your dog, you will be able to adjust as needed. Watch out for weight changes in your puppy. If he becomes overweight, it is much harder for giant breeds to lose the extra pounds.

Make sure that he is growing as well and if you have any concerns about his weight, it is time to contact your vet for help.

Best Puppy Food For Great Pyrenees

Editor’s Choice

#1. Purina Pro Plan Puppy Large Breed

Our top choice for the best food for a Great Pyrenees puppy is the Purina Pro Plan Puppy Large Breed formula.

This dog food is made specifically for large breeds, like the Great Pyrenees. It is a high-protein formula, which will help with muscle growth and it also has plenty for DHA to help with brain and vision development.

While the food does have a lot of grains, including corn and rice, it also has live probiotics for gut health.

Pros

Has probiotics
Made for large breeds
High in protein
Contains DHA
Made with good flavoring

Cons

Has a lot of grains

Runner-Up

#2. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed

Our second favorite choice for Great Pyrenees puppy food is the Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed formula.

Like the Purina Pro, this dog food was made with large breeds specifically in mind, with all of their nutritional needs. This means that the food comes with glucosamine and chondroitin, both of which are essential for joint health and growth.

Pros

Made for large and giant breeds
Antioxidants and Vitamins present
High in protein
Calcium for bone growth
Glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health

Cons

The first ingredient is chicken meal, not a full meat

#3. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Puppy

Another great choice of food for a Great Pyrenees puppy is the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Puppy formula.

Like the previous two dog foods that we looked at, this one was made with large breeds specifically in mind. The first ingredient of this dog food is deboned chicken, showing that it does have real meat in the formula.

Pros

No grains
DHA and ARA for healthy brain development
High in vitamins and Minerals
Made for large breeds
Omega 3 and 6s for healthy skin and coat

Cons

None found

#4. Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy

The Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy formula is another great choice for Great Pyrenees puppies. This food is made with non-GMO ingredients and does not contain any of the common allergens, including chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat, or soy.

It is loaded with healthy nutrients that will ensure that your puppy grows as well as he should, including glucosamine, DHA, and calcium, all of which will help with bone and brain health.

Pros

No corn, wheat, or soy
High-quality ingredients
Calcium for bone growth
Omega 3 fatty acids
Glucosamine and chondroitin

Cons

Still contains other grains and meat meals

#5.Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy

The final food that we are going to recommend for Great Pyrenees puppies is the Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy formula.

This is a natural dry dog food that has been specifically formulated to provide whole-body nutritional support.

The food has been made without the use of preservatives or meat by-products to help ensure that your puppy is getting the best combination of nutrition possible for his growing body.

Pros

Formulated for large and giant dog breeds
No meat by-products
No preservatives
Omega Fatty Acids
Deboned chicken is the first ingredient

Cons

We didn’t find any

Understanding Great Pyrenees Puppy Nutritional Needs

It is essential to understand what the puppy nutritional needs are for a Great Pyrenees because it is not going to be the same as other breeds. Since it is a giant breed, you will want to keep your dog on the lighter side to prevent his joints from succumbing to too much pressure.

His food should be made up of at least 30% protein and somewhere around 10% fat. The diet should have a high amount of calcium, comprising around 1.5% of his food and about 1% phosphorus as well to help with his bone and joint growth.

Kibble vs Wet Food For Great Pyrenees Puppies

Ideally, you should feed your Great Pyrenees puppy dry food. It is good for a puppy’s teeth and it does not have the same amount of fatty calories than wet food has.

Wet food can easily cause weight gain, which is the last thing that you will want for your Great Pyrenees puppy.

Some kibbles do not have a nice flavor, however, and you will want to mix a little bit of wet food in with the dry food if he is refusing to eat. Be careful, however. Too much wet food might make him refuse all kibble in the future.

2-Month-Old Great Pyrenees Puppy Weight

Remembering that the Great Pyrenees is a giant dog breed, you should not be surprised that your puppy can easily weigh between 20 and 25 pounds when he is 2 months old.

The weight might be a little bit more or less depending on the size of the dog’s parents, but in general, around 20 pounds is normal for 2 months of age. Prepare for the appetite that is about to build, however. They do grow quickly.

3-Month-Old Great Pyrenees Puppy Weight

At 3 months of age, a Great Pyrenees puppy can weigh anywhere from 30 to 40 pounds. The variation will depend not only on the dog’s parentage, but sex will become a factor in the dog’s growth.

Female Great Pyrenees are smaller in size and weight than the male Great Pyrenees will be. It is at this age that the weights will become more obviously different and the gap will continue to increase as they age.

4-Month-Old Great Pyrenees Puppy Weight

When your Great Pyrenees puppy has reached 4 months old, he will likely weigh somewhere between 38 to 55 pounds, continuing his steady growth as he shows off what a large breed of dog really looks like.

This is when his appetite will also really begin to show itself and his need for food is going to become completely ravenous. The lower weights are generally reserved for the females of the breed as well.

How Much Do Great Pyrenees Grow Each Week?

The amount of weight that your puppy will gain each week will depend solely on the size of dog that he will wind up being. The larger Great Pyrenees will gain more weight a week than smaller Great Pyrenees will.

That said, in general, you can expect your puppy to gain somewhere between 3 and 4 pounds a week, depending on where he is at in his growth, the sex of the dog, and the genetic predisposition.

Switching From Puppy Food To Adult Food

When your puppy reaches two years of age, it is time to switch him from puppy food to adult food. This is because most of his growth will have already happened and he does not require the same quantity of calories that he was receiving as a puppy.

To do this, you will want to change the foods gradually over the course of several days. You will slowly add in the adult food while taking away more of the puppy food. Don’t rush the process or you will wind up with a puppy with a bellyache.

What If My Great Pyrenees Won’t Eat?

This is a tricky question to answer straight away. The reason is that it is very circumstantial about what you should know if your puppy isn’t eating.

The first question is: are you in the process of changing out his foods? If you are changing his foods out, then he will naturally be less eager to try out the new food. Be patient and give him time.

Otherwise, you should call your vet if your puppy isn’t eating. Puppies are usually ravenous and will eat just about anything, so if your dog isn’t, it is time to figure out if there is a problem.

Can You Freefeed A Great Pyrenees Puppy?

The idea of free-feeding is nice. It refers to being able to leave a dog’s daily allotment of food out for him to eat at his own pace, leisurely throughout the day. While this is good in concept, the reality does not work out.

If you already know how much to feed your Great Pyrenees puppy and give it all to him at the beginning of the day, you are guaranteed to have your puppy eat his entire allotment of food in one meal.

Puppies are not logical thinking creatures. They think with their stomachs, not with their brains, which means they will be starving the rest of the day and seeking out other things to eat.

Should You Feed A Great Pyrenees Puppy Supplements?

With the availability of supplements, it is very tempting to give your dog supports to ensure that he is receiving all of the nutrients that he needs to be healthy. Your urge might tell you this is ok, but it is not.

Supplements are meant to support a body if it is lacking in something. Many types of puppy food are loaded with nutrients and you can actually wind up overdosing your puppy rather than keeping your puppy healthy. If you want to give a supplement ask your vet first.

How Much Water Should A Great Pyrenees Puppy Drink?

While we suggest against free feeding your Great Pyrenees, the same does not apply to water. Your puppy should have open access to water to drink as much as he feels that he needs.

Puppies should be drinking about a half of a cup of water every 2 hours during the day. You can measure the amount of water that he is drinking based on the bowl that you are using to make sure that he is drinking plenty.

How Much Exercise Does A Great Pyrenees Puppy Need A Day?

Even though this is a giant dog breed, they do not require an intense amount of exercise daily. They do not have a high amount of energy to burn off like other dogs but still will need to prevent too much weight gain through adequate exercise.

A Great Pyrenees puppy needs about 20 to 40 minutes of exercise in total a day. This can include walking if your puppy is not as interested in chasing sticks or balls.