Nothing is more pleasant than having small cute puppies at home. Their affectionate and innocent face, brings so much of happiness in our lives, that within a short span of time we get very attach to them and start considering them as members of our family. With this feeling it's no surprise that we want to give them the best, right from their resting place to the food. Since puppies grow very fast, they require a special diet that can aid to their physical development. Because puppies are in their growing age and they need extra calories, energy and proteins. And so the best dog food should be a diet rich in proteins, minerals and nutrients.

A specially formulated diet comprising necessary nutritional requirements is recommended to be given to the puppies at evenly spaced intervals, without over stretching their small stomachs. For the initial 8-9 weeks, when the puppies are born, they should be fed with their mother's milk, as the milk provides them with essential nutrients and antibiotics they will require for becoming healthy dogs. But later, until the age of four months, they can be given four meals a day, and once they are six months old, food intervals can be increased by making it three meals a day. There are many different healthy and nutritious feeding regimes for puppies like: dry complete diets, semi-moist or tinned food with or without biscuit mixer, and even homemade food.

Dry Complete Foods
As you walk down any pet food aisle, in almost every store, you will come across hundreds of brands and varieties of dry complete dog food. But to get the best out of your puppy's development, select a food especially designed for puppies and the one which you can afford too. The dry puppy foods should have the best quality ingredients like chicken, rice or corn, that work easy on the pet's stomach. However, some puppies are not comfortable having complete dry foods right after weaning, so you can feed them by soaking the food in a little warm water to soften it, or combine a little tinned puppy food. Although dry complete foods appear more expensive to buy, with the amount of health benefits these foods offer, it's worth investing.

Semi-moist and Tinned Foods
Just like complete dry foods, tinned and semi-moist foods also come in wide varieties that one can actually get confused while deciding over the best dog food. Here again you should choose dog foods, which are enriched in nutrients and easily digestible by the puppies. Make sure that the food you choose for the puppies, is well concentrated with nutrients and is able to meet their metabolic needs.

Homemade Foods
Although homemade dog food works extremely well for adult dogs, it may not be the same with the puppies. Since a slight imbalance in the diet can harm their growth and development, one has to very careful before feeding them homemade food. Especially, if puppies are allergic to specific food items, try making homemade dog food for allergies, in order to avoid any dog health complications. However, homemade food comprising cook brown rice, ground meat, vegetables, water and small amount of brewers yeast can be given to the puppies, but only under a veterinarian's supervision.

The choice for the best dog food for puppies depends on the type of the breed and their dietary requirements, so be careful before choosing the type, amount and even brand of the dog food for your puppies. While feeding, avoid feeding them different variety of foods, as it may havoc their digestion and growth, especially if they have a sensitive stomach. Hence, the owner should avoid making sudden or abrupt changes in their puppies dietary habits and if necessary should go for best dog food for sensitive stomach. However, once they are a year old they can eventually be switched to adult dog food and can be given other dietary supplements, but only under a veterinarian's supervision.