What to feed a husky puppy: care features, daily diet, tips

Basic rules for feeding husky puppies

Nutrition for husky puppies must be balanced.
With proper feeding, husky puppies grow and develop very quickly. At two months, the baby should weigh approximately 5.5 kilograms, the dog’s height should be 35 cm. By four months, the weight should reach 11.5 kg, and the height should reach approximately 47 cm. At six months, the dog should weigh at least 16 kg, while height at the withers is 54 cm. These are standard parameters for the normal development of an animal.

It is important to pay attention to the timing of the replacement of baby teeth. By 7 months, the pet should have all its teeth replaced, so it is important to provide the baby with all the necessary minerals and trace elements during childhood.

Attention! With an incorrect diet, between the ages of 1 and 8 months, a dog can develop various abnormalities that cannot be corrected in an adult animal.

Basic Commands

The husky needs to learn basic commands from the age of 4-6 weeks, depending on the degree of development of the animal.

Basic list of priority commands:

• A hunting husky must understand the “search” command. For example, you can use a piece of meat - show it to the puppy, and then hide it, but so that he can see where you put it. Repeat the word “seek” throughout the procedure.
• “Sit” is a key command for the husky.
• The second most important orders are “lie down”, “you can’t”, “nearby”.

The “near” command is taught only when the animal is accustomed to a leash - no earlier than 3 months.

A loose, ill-mannered dog, even one as smart as a husky, will become a real problem for a person and his environment. If you take responsibility, try to ensure that the puppy receives a daily “dose” of education and from an early age is accustomed to such vital indicators as standard commands, respect and trust in the owner, as well as unconditional obedience. But you need to achieve all this by showing love, not physical strength.

Choosing a puppy feeding method

There are three completely different ways to feed a husky puppy. The choice of the most suitable one can be agreed with your veterinarian:

• Use of dry industrial feed. The easiest way is to pour food from a pack into a bowl very easily. However, it is worth remembering that in such a case it is necessary to choose high-quality professional food so that the baby gets enough of all the nutrients and microelements.
• Feeding with natural food. The diet includes proteins in the form of meat and fish, as well as various cereals, vegetables, and dairy products. It is necessary to prepare food daily; you should not feed the puppy old food. Food from the table is also not suitable for feeding a baby.
• Using both options. In this case, many owners combine both power options. At a very young age, they are fed natural food; at an older age, dry food is added to the diet, which is left for the puppy for the full day, and then used as a reward during training.

All methods have both positive and negative sides, so it is important to immediately solve the nutrition problem and choose what will best suit your pet.

There are several different types of dry food - you need to choose the one that suits you best

Selection of ready-made food

At the moment, there are several classes of food: holistic, economy, premium and super-premium. Most of the feed offered on the market are economy-class products containing soy additives. Their price is low, but the nutritional value is not at the highest level. It is best to feed your pet premium, super-premium food or holistic food.

Vitamins and supplements

It often happens that a pet does not receive enough vitamins and minerals from regular foods. To prevent this from happening, there are a number of supplements that you should pay special attention to: fish oil, B vitamins, phosphorus, and always calcium.

In order for the pet to feel good and always be healthy, the owner needs to carefully monitor the nutrition of his four-legged friend, periodically add dietary supplements to the diet and develop it in every possible way.

How to choose the right quality dry food

Currently, quite a lot of dog food is produced. However, not all of them are suitable for husky puppies and will be beneficial for their development and health. First, you should carefully study the assortment so as not to make mistakes with nutrition.

There are four main groups of dog food. The division is based on cost and quality:

• Economy class. The most popular and inexpensive food under well-known brands. Unfortunately, such products contain very few nutrients and vitamins, but are very rich in preservatives and soy. For a puppy, such a diet is very meager and does not give the opportunity to get enough.
• Premium class. Products are of higher quality and contain more meat. However, many brands also contain soy instead of quality protein. Such food must be chosen carefully so that the puppy has enough necessary substances.
• Super premium class. These foods do not contain soy, but contain more nutrients and meat. This is truly high-quality food that contains everything your pet needs.
• Holistics are modern high-quality foods that contain the largest amount of meat compared to all others. To eat such food you will need very little, because it is very filling and nutritious.

Note! The future development of the dog depends on the chosen food, so it is worth carefully studying all the options.

Natural food allows you to provide your dog with all the necessary nutrients.

Laika: how and what to feed representatives of the breed

Laikas are quite hardy dogs that have existed in rather difficult conditions since the breed's inception. Because of this, they are absolutely not capricious and not picky about food, but this does not mean that they can be fed food from the human table.

Feeding your husky correctly

The main feature of dogs of this breed is that hunger is not something terrible and unbearable for them. They can survive without food for 2-3 days, and in order to satisfy their hunger they don’t need much.

Important! The flair, endurance, strength and agility of a dyke when hunting directly depends on what foods the dog eats.

Owners should take note that sociability and omnivorous behavior very often plays a cruel joke on these dogs. firstly, they can easily swallow any poison lying on the asphalt or ground, disguised as food. secondly, they can accept a treat from the hands of any person.

Important! To develop healthy eating behavior in a dog, it must be fed according to a schedule.

Making up a diet

The main types of food needed for a husky are complex carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Also, dogs cannot do without fiber, calcium and sodium.

Dogs should receive about 400 g of protein and carbohydrates per day. Fiber should be from 200 to 300 g, sodium and animal fats should enter the body in a volume of 15-20 g.

Important! The nutrition of young and older dogs should be different. Laikas who are over 8 years old should receive less high-calorie food than young animals, as they have a tendency to become obese.

Natural nutrition

Owners who are going to feed their dog natural food should know that the menu should include:

• chicken, beef, rabbit, boiled game;
• fish without small bones, boiled or dried;
• carrots, cabbage, beets, pumpkin, zucchini and greens, both raw and boiled;
• seasonal berries, apples and pears, raw and pureed;
• barley, buckwheat, rice and oatmeal in the form of porridge;
• vegetable oils - 1 tablespoon each as a dressing for porridge;
• chicken eggs - raw and no more than once a week;
• nuts, hazelnuts, bones and tendons as a treat.

Feeding dry and wet food

To prevent the animal from having problems with digestion and health in general, preference should be given only to premium and super-premium food. Also, as an everyday food and a product for special occasions, you can use holistic food, which is of the highest quality and therefore expensive.

During periods of heavy loads, the husky must be fed dry food labeled “energy”. For dogs that do not have constant physical activity, a product labeled “standard” is suitable.

Important! Dogs that are kept dry must be provided with constant access to clean drinking water.

What not to feed

Likes don't even have to taste:

• sweets and baked goods;
• smoked meats and spices;
• tubular bones;
• pork;
• potatoes and beans.

Important! Fermented milk products are most often classified as “forbidden”, but there are cases in which you cannot do without them.

How many times to feed

Husky puppies are fed 5 to 6 times a day. With age, the number of feedings gradually decreases to 2-3 times. For adult animals that do not experience heavy stress, it is enough to feed them once in the morning and once in the evening. Dogs that participate in competitions or are used for their intended purpose can also be fed during the day.

Important! In summer, huskies require more water than food. The appetite of these dogs noticeably decreases during the warm season and increases as it begins to get colder outside.

Dogs should have vitamin and mineral supplements in their daily diet. Your veterinarian will tell you which complex to choose.

Meal frequency

For adult dogs, as a rule, two meals a day are enough to replenish the required calorie supply. Puppies need to be fed more often, especially at a young age:

• Up to two months, babies are fed up to six to seven times a day.
• At the age of 2 to 4 months, meals should be up to 5 times a day.
• From 4 to 6 months, babies are given food up to 4 times a day.
• Up to a year they are fed three times a day.

From the age of one year, you can switch to a diet for adult dogs. In addition, it is worth remembering that as you age, the portion should increase. It is recommended to give food strictly on schedule so that the dog remembers the time. You need to feed the animal one and a half to two hours before the walk.

Recommended Products

Experts recommend studying in advance all the approved foods that can be given to Siberian husky puppies. There are several groups:

• Meat and fish. These should be low-fat varieties. You can give your kids veal, beef, chicken, and rabbits. The fish should also be lean, and all bones must be removed to avoid injury to the mucous membrane. It is better to boil it and grind it. After some time, you can add offal to the diet - lungs, liver.
• Dairy products must be added to the diet of puppies, because they are a source of calcium, thanks to which the babies will develop their skeleton well. Initially, it is recommended to dilute cow's milk with boiled water, but gradually you can switch to whole milk. It is also useful to give dogs cottage cheese; as a rule, they eat it without any problems.
• Cereals. Milk porridges, which are quite runny, are made from cereals for small dog babies. With age, the thickness of porridges needs to be increased. After a month and a half, you can cook richer porridges in meat broth. It is recommended to add eggs to your food.
• Fruits and vegetables. In their whole form, children do not really like such products, so it is recommended to add them to the diet in the form of purees.

Note! It is important to monitor your baby’s reaction to any innovation and promptly eliminate products that are not suitable for him.

Breed characteristics of huskies

There are many varieties of huskies, each with its own breed standard and exterior differences, but they all have common breed characteristics that determine feeding behavior.

Laika is a strong and hardy working dog, more reminiscent of a wolf than others, with thick fur that can withstand any frost, strong immunity and the absence of serious health problems if properly maintained. This is one of the few dogs that do not have hereditary pathologies.

Laikas, being hunters, shepherds and sled dogs, are representatives of one of the most active breeds in the world, requiring special conditions of keeping and a competent approach to feeding. And although these dogs are unpretentious and for the most part not voracious, a passive lifestyle can affect their character for the worse.

Remember! Huskies leading a sedentary lifestyle develop obesity, weak ligaments, and excessive shedding, so the diet should contain high-quality easily digestible protein, a good source of animal fat, mineral supplements with optimal calcium content and chondroprotectors (substances for the elasticity of joints and cartilage).

Since it is during puppyhood that the foundations of a dog’s eating behavior are laid, it is important to competently approach feeding a husky from birth to one year.

Prohibited foods for Laika puppy

The issue of nutrition for a puppy, regardless of breed, is quite important. When choosing natural food, it is recommended to carefully study all the features. There are a number of foods that should not be present in a dog's diet. These include:

• Pork. This is very fatty meat, which is poorly digested and negatively affects all organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Any pastries, sweets.
• Smoked products.
• Various seasonings.
• Corn, potatoes, peas.
• Sharp tubular bones.

Adult dogs should be given dairy products carefully as they are quite hard on the stomach and intestines.

Meat is a necessary product in the diet, but only lean

Vitamins and supplements

Until the age of one, on an ongoing basis, after a year - in courses, the husky puppy should receive vitamins and supplements. If the puppy receives high-quality industrial food, there is no need for vitamin supplements.

Natural vitamin supplements for husky puppy:

• Meat and bone meal.
• Clean, dried, crushed egg shells.
• Bran.
• Fish, chicken, beef liver.
• Greens, vegetables, fruits.
• Sunflower oil, olive oil.
• Brewer's yeast.

In addition to natural sources of nutrients, it is worth resorting to additional resources.

Pharmacy vitamin supplements for husky puppy:

• Fish fat.
• Feed tricalcium phosphate.
• Omega-3, Omega-6.
• B vitamins.
• Undevit and analogues.

When feeding natural food, veterinarians recommend giving your husky puppy special, industrial vitamin complexes. When choosing a drug, it is better to consult a veterinarian.

Recipes for a husky puppy

A natural diet involves preparing a variety of foods. There are many recipes. The simplest of them are:

• Buckwheat porridge with meat broth. For the broth, you need to take veal or beef, boil it, and then remove it from the water. Pour buckwheat into it and boil until tender - about 25 minutes, you can simply pour the broth over the cereal and leave overnight. Cut the meat into small pieces and add to food.
• Rice porrige. The product is prepared in the same way, only offal can be used instead of meat. After cooking, they are also cut and added to the porridge. You can grate carrots to add nutrients.
• Hercules. To prepare food according to this recipe, you need to boil rolled oats in milk in a ratio of 2:1 (liquid:cereal). After the porridge has cooled, you can add an egg to it.

There are many options for preparing food for black and other puppies, so you can choose the most suitable one yourself. At the same time, you can prepare food for an 8-year-old husky absolutely the same - an adult dog will happily eat such porridges, the main thing is to add more meat to them.

When to introduce complementary foods

Complementary feeding begins to be introduced to puppies from the moment they are one month old. Previously, babies are not yet able to eat other foods other than milk.

Under no circumstances should you feed your dog from the table.

From birth to one month

What to feed your husky if it is still very small? Nutrition from birth to one month consists mainly of mother's milk. In such a case, this is the most useful product. However, it is not always possible to feed one-month-old babies in this way, so you can ask the breeder what he fed them.

You can give dogs warm cow's milk (heat to 20 degrees), add a small amount of honey and raw yolk to it - 1 spoon per liter.

Attention! At this age, it is allowed to give the dog only specialized food and only if there are no other options.

What to feed a husky puppy and an adult dog: making the right diet

Laika is the dog closest to wolves, the distant ancestors of all dogs in the world. This breed is one of the best among hunting ones. It is very important to note that huskies eat less than other dogs and are not at all prone to excessive weight gain.

What you feed your husky plays a big role in its well-being and ability to work. And proper feeding of husky puppies is even more important, because a young growing body needs healthy and nutritious food. Only plant foods are not suitable for dogs, just like food from the human table.

Features of feeding huskies

The serving size is determined by the dog’s lifestyle. If she moves a lot, then she should eat more, and if she spends most of her time in a kennel or enclosure, then she needs to reduce the number of calories in her diet.

Recommended Products

Naturally, a dog should eat meat. Beef and fish are well digestible. Raw meat may contain helminths, so it is better to heat-treat it - boil it or at least scald it with boiling water. You can give uncooked food in small pieces and add bones and cartilage to the diet, but you need to handle them very carefully.

It is better to exclude pork from a dog’s diet altogether: for both puppies and adults.

Cereals include: buckwheat, pearl barley, millet, wheat, rice, oatmeal. Usually adding meat there, otherwise the dog is unlikely to be interested in such food.

It is very important to add raw vegetables or fruits to your diet.

Not recommended products

Buy dry food of the “Premium” class, this will have a beneficial effect on the health of the animal, unlike budget food. It is better not to abuse such food; give dry food occasionally. It is strictly not recommended to switch your animal to a diet consisting only of dry food.

It is better to exclude sausages, sausages, pates from the diet completely, but you can sometimes allow the dog as a treat or reward for good behavior.

It is not recommended to give adult dogs dairy and fermented milk products, although they must be present in the diet of a small puppy.

Features of feeding puppies

Until two months, only his mother knows how to properly feed a husky puppy. Breast milk will be the healthiest food, but it is not always possible to leave the baby with the mother until such a time.

Therefore, the potential owner should think in advance about what to feed the husky puppy. It is worth taking care of complementary foods, supplements and complexes that have a positive effect on the development of the dog.

Feeding regimen and volumes

First, try adding low-fat cottage cheese to your four-legged friend’s diet, and then boiled meat, cut into pieces. After two months, you can cook porridge (preferably oatmeal and pearl barley), and lean fish, and after six months, rice and buckwheat.

Feeding a puppy at 1-3 months

At this age, they begin to feed the animal so that it gains weight and develops quickly. You need to purchase two bowls - one for food, the other for water and make a special stand for them. Babies need to be fed up to 7 times a day. The diet should include soups, minced meat with vegetables, cottage cheese, boiled eggs, and various cereals. As a treat, you can give a small piece of apple, cucumber or cheese.

What to feed a 2 month old Western Husky puppy at home? At this time, the nutrition is similar, but more meat begins to be added to the diet. It is useful to give a large bone with leftover meat so that a two-month-old canine child learns to work with his teeth and tear off the product independently.

Puppies up to a month old need mother's milk

When dogs reach the age of three months, they need to be given milk, meat and fish, a variety of vegetables and cereals. Gradually, with age, the amount of meat products must be increased. It is important to choose ready-made food exactly according to age. It is necessary to carefully study the composition so that the pet has enough of all the necessary elements.

Exterior defects

In the classic description of the Russian-European Laika breed, in addition to the color requirements, the following unacceptable shortcomings and defects are indicated:

• Thinness or fatness.
• The body is too massive.
• Excessively elongated head, too pronounced or flattened stop.
• Upturned muzzle, excessive length or roughness.
• Large ears, low set, motionless.
• Rounded ends of ears.
• Heavy “stilted” step.
• Sloping croup, narrow or flat.
• The tan marks on the head differ from the main color.

We suggest you read: What to feed apistograms

Menu for a puppy aged 6 months to 1 year

For a period of six months or more, it is recommended to reduce the number of feedings, but increase the volume of portions. Milk can be replaced with cottage cheese or yogurt. The amount of meat and dairy products per day should reach approximately half a kilogram. Instead of meat, you can give fish, but not fatty. Cereals and various vegetables also remain important in the diet.

For an adult dog the portion should be much larger