Although it should be fairly obvious, a puppy which will come to be a full grown dog very quickly, another mouth to feed. A big dog will cost between $500 to $1000 + yearly just to feed. And then there will be other bills, vets, training, spaying/neutering, vaccinations, vitamins, etc. This is not to meant discourage you from bringing a puppy home, but just a sobering reminder of your responsibilities. On the other hand, you won't have to put your dog through college.

Your puppies diet is very important. As these four legged youngsters develop they need special foods. Certain dog breeds may need even more specialized foods as well as you catering to their inherent eating habits. For instance Border Collies generally do not like to eat too much food at one sitting and like to pick at their food all day. This presents problems like food getting too soggy and undesirable to eat, or just losing flavor from sitting out all day.

Here are a few basic guidelines:

Don't give a new puppy too much water, they will often drink as much as you offer them. At the start, try to limit then to no more than a cup of water at a time and gradually allow them to increase their intake. Keep an eye out for what their stool look like. If its appears to be very soft, cut back on the water, if very hard, increase their water. If you are going to be gone all day and are leaving your puppy in a crate make sure they have enough water for the day.

Around three months of age, you should be able to leave the water out and not worry about them to much. Still, its always a good idea too keep an eye on what their stool looks like.

Make sure to water and feed your puppy the first thing in the morning before you leave. It is also a good idea to let them relieve themselves by following through with whatever method you have started them on for house training. This can help to eliminate accidents during the time you are away.

As for food, find out what their caretaker has been feeding them before you got them. You should continue with this program for about a week before you start changing their foods. And always do it gradually whenever you make alterations to their diet. Give their systems and taste buds time to adjust.

Puppies are generally introduced to more solid kinds of food around 3 weeks of age. This helps to take the burden off the mother. Slowly their diet is changed.

Always speak to your vet, but a rule of thumb is to choose a high-quality puppy food with around 30% protein content on its label.

It is important to avoid overfeeding, you want a healthy dog, not an overweight one. So barring instructions from your vet, follow the directions on the food label. Over feeding can create many health problems, so be sure to keep an eye on their weight. That being said, it is also important not to over supplement your dog with vitamins and minerals. This can also lead to health problems. Read the label carefully and buy food according to their age, weight, activity level, size, etc. But understand that even this is an estimate and should be adjusted to the actual needs of your doggie.

Generally you can feed your puppy 3 to 4 times a day in small amounts until around 6 months of age. They can usually keep eating puppy type food until they are 12 to 18 months of age. It all depends upon the breed of your dog.

Purchase puppy food designed especially for their particular breed. The better food companies scientifically design food specifically for to help their health and growth.

An absolute no-no is feeding them chocolate and/or onions. Chocolate is very toxic to your dog. This could happen very easily if you are feeding them directly from your kitchen table at dinner time. In fact, it is best not to get into the habit of feeding your doggie from the table, save any scraps and place them into their doggie dish later.

Starting them off with the right foods and quantities, will insure a lifetime of good eating habits. Later when they are older, you can find recipes for making your dog homemade foods which will allow you greater control over what is going into their bodies.

Please keep in mind that this info just contains some general guidelines. Seek professional help immediately if you begin to notice any problems.