Puppies: food, portions & bags
Before your puppy arrives, have ORIJEN Puppy, a crate, food and water bowls, a potty tray and a kitchen scale ready. GSD puppies need Puppy Large.
- Up to 6 months: our plan requires 100% ORIJEN Puppy, in 4 small meals a day.
- After 6 months: 2 meals a day. Keep Puppy/Puppy Large or ask your vet about Original suitable for growing dogs.
- Toy & Mini: we strongly recommend 100% ORIJEN for life.
| Puppy · weight at 4 months | Food · expected adult weight | Food amount | Bag · lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toy · ≈2.5 kg | Puppy · ≈4 kg adult | ≈21 g/meal | 6 kg bag · lasts ≈71 days |
| Mini · ≈3.5 kg | Puppy · ≈6 kg adult | ≈23 g/meal | 6 kg bag · lasts ≈67 days |
| Standard · ≈10 kg | Puppy · ≈20 kg adult | ≈49 g/meal | 11.4 kg bag · lasts ≈58 days |
| GSD · ≈15 kg | Puppy Large · ≈30 kg adult | ≈79 g/meal | 11.4 kg bag · lasts ≈36 days |
4-month examples only. Check your ORIJEN bag using actual weight and expected adult size; in-between amounts are estimated. Reweigh every 2–4 weeks. Growth changes portions and bag days. After 6 months: update the daily amount, split into 2 meals. Younger puppies: use the handover portion.
Adults: 100% ORIJEN
ORIJEN Original · 2 meals a day. We strongly recommend this plan for Toy and Mini Poodles.
| Breed · adult weight | Adult / meal | Adult bag · lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Toy Poodle · 4 kg | ≈37 g · 2.2 kg/month | 6 kg bag · lasts ≈81 days |
| Miniature Poodle · 6 kg | 51 g · 3.06 kg/month | 6 kg bag · lasts ≈59 days |
| Standard Poodle · ≈20 kg | 120 g · 7.2 kg/month | 17 kg bag · lasts ≈71 days |
| German Shepherd · ≈30 kg | 165 g · 9.9 kg/month | 17 kg bag · lasts ≈52 days |
Check the feeding chart on your ORIJEN bag. Bag choice: up to 90 days of food for one adult. Once opened, ORIJEN recommends finishing the bag within 6–8 weeks for best freshness. Always leave fresh water available.
Larger dogs: ORIJEN + home food
After 6 months, Standard Poodles and German Shepherds can stay on 100% ORIJEN or use a balanced mix. This example is for adults: buy one 17 kg bag of ORIJEN Original per dog for about 3 months. Feed the rest as balanced home food.
| Adult weight | Meal 1 · ORIJEN | Meal 2 · home food | Bag · lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard · 20 kg | ≈189 g | ≈200 kcal | 17 kg bag · lasts ≈90 days |
| GSD · 30 kg | ≈189 g | ≈540 kcal | 17 kg bag · lasts ≈90 days |
Meal 1: ORIJEN once a day. Meal 2: the remaining daily calories as home food. Check your ORIJEN bag for actual weight and activity. Use a veterinary nutritionist’s home-food recipe, including its supplements. Calories alone do not make a balanced meal. Growing puppies need a plan made for growth. Unsure about the home meal? Stay with 100% ORIJEN. If your dog refuses food, contact your vet.
Vaccines, month by month
Take the handover health record to each visit. Your vet confirms the vaccines, brands, dates and which can be given together.
| Visit # | When | Vaccine | Proposed product | Health checks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 weeks · ≈1½ months old | Combination 1: distemper, hepatitis/adenovirus, parvovirus, parainfluenza + leptospirosis. | Vanguard DAPP-L4 | Puppy health examination. |
| 2 | 9 weeks · ≈2 months old | Combination 2 + Rabies 1, only if your vet approves early rabies. | Vanguard DAPP-L4 + early Nobivac Rabies if approved | Deworming, health check + fitness check for road travel. |
| 3 | 3 calendar months old* | Combination 3 + Rabies 2* if early Nobivac was given. | Local vet’s combination + Nobivac Rabies* | Check-up with your local vet. |
| 4 | 16 weeks · ≈4 months old | Combination 4: include a core vaccine dose at 16 weeks or older. | Vanguard DAPP-L4 or local vet’s selected combination | As advised by the vet. |
| Annual | Target: 3 months after each birthday† | Rabies booster. | Defensor 1 or Nobivac Rabies | Deworming + annual health examination. |
| Annual | Target: 4 months after each birthday† | Leptospirosis booster; full combination only if advised. | Vanguard DAPP-L4 or vet-selected product | As advised by the vet. |
*Early Nobivac Rabies must be repeated at 3 calendar months. Defensor 1 starts at 12 weeks, not week 9. †Birthday dates are reminders: use the actual vaccination record, vaccine instructions and local rules to set due dates. Ask your vet about the later core booster or an antibody blood test. Do not add extra leptospirosis shots if already included. Kennel cough is excluded from our plan.
Your everyday rhythm
| When | Do this |
|---|---|
| Adults · morning & evening | Feed → gentle play → potty in the tray or during a walk → rest. |
| Young puppies · 4 meals | Feed → gentle indoor play → potty tray → rest. |
| Wake up & bedtime | Offer a potty break. Water, company and comfortable sleep. |
Keep play gentle after food. Wait at least 1 hour before running or energetic exercise. Adults: two 30-minute activity sessions. Puppies: short indoor play.
Toilet: tray or outside
- Puppies: use a potty tray. We recommend no outdoor walks until 6 months; then get your vet’s approval.
- Offer the tray after waking, meals and play. Sniffing or circling? Take them to the tray straight away.
- Reward them as soon as they use the right spot. Clean accidents with a pet enzyme cleaner. Never punish.
Crate training is essential
- Start with the door open and treats inside. Close it briefly once they are comfortable. Build up slowly.
- Choose a crate with room to stand, turn and stretch. Keep it airy, with water available.
- Never use the crate as punishment or leave a puppy inside for a whole workday. Arrange care while you are away.
Basic training is essential
- Teach their name, come, sit, wait, leave it, drop and settle. Teach walking without pulling.
- Practise for 3–5 minutes at a time, a few times a day. Reward good choices; avoid force.
Coat care, every day
- Poodles: gently comb all the way to the skin every day. For easier care, ask a groomer for a short pet clip (“zero cut”). Avoid shaving to bare skin.
- German Shepherds: brush out loose fur. Do not shave their coat as a shortcut.
- Check skin, ears and nails. Brush teeth with dog toothpaste.
Make time for your dog
- Give them daily play, gentle handling and quiet time with you.
- Introduce visitors, new sounds and safe outings while carrying them. Start early. Teach alone time a few minutes at a time.
Worms & ticks
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Puppies | Usual deworming plan: every 2 weeks from age 2 weeks until 2 weeks after stopping mother’s milk, then monthly to 6 months. Continue from the handover record. |
| After 6 months | Ask your vet for a deworming and stool-test plan based on weight and local risk. |
| Ticks | Use regular tick protection approved for your dog’s age and weight. Follow its label. Check the coat after outings and keep bedding clean. |
Our handover standard: no visible ticks. Ticks can come from the surroundings; finding one later does not tell you where it came from. Weakness, fever, pale gums or repeated vomiting need urgent vet care.
Six quick answers
How many meals each day?
Our plan is 4 small meals up to 6 months, then 2 meals a day. Use puppy portions while they are still growing. Ask your vet before changing from Puppy/Puppy Large to Original. Toy/Mini: we strongly recommend 100% ORIJEN for life.
How much Original after 6 months?
Check the puppy instructions on your Original bag. The chart used here gives puppies aged 6–11 months 1¼ times the adult daily amount for their current weight. Split that into 2 meals. Ask your vet to confirm the recipe is suitable for growth.
Which feeding chart should I use?
Use the chart on your exact bag. Different recipes and pack versions can need different amounts. Our examples use the ORIJEN UK charts linked below.
How were the 4-month examples estimated?
The weights are planning examples for puppies expected to reach 4/6/20/30 kg as adults, not measured kennel averages or growth targets. Food amounts between pack-chart weights are interpolated and rounded. The Toy uses the smallest published adult-size column, 5 kg. Use your actual bag and handover plan first.
What if my adult dog weighs more or less?
Use today’s weight and activity level on the bag chart. The table gives a starting estimate.
Do vaccine dates change if we start later?
Yes. Your vet adjusts the dates using the vaccine and health record. Include a core dose at 16 weeks or older. Early Nobivac Rabies needs a repeat at 3 calendar months. Follow recorded due dates for yearly boosters.
When can we walk outside?
Our recommendation is a potty tray and indoor play until 6 months, then walks with your vet’s approval. Introduce people, sounds and safe carried outings earlier.
What should be ready before homecoming?
Have ORIJEN Puppy (Puppy Large for GSD), kitchen scale, bowls, crate or pen, potty tray, harness, lead, comb and the health record ready before your puppy arrives.
Want to see our sources?Breed clubs, veterinary guidance and feeding references used for this guide
- Tracking puppy growthWALTHAM Petcare Science Institute
- Puppy pack chartORIJEN UK
- Puppy Large pack chartORIJEN UK
- Puppy bag sizes in IndiaORIJEN India
- Puppy Large bag sizes in IndiaORIJEN India
- When to switch from puppy foodORIJEN UK
- Meal frequency through growthVCA Animal Hospitals
- Original pack chartORIJEN UK
- Original bag sizes in IndiaORIJEN India
- Opened-bag freshnessORIJEN UK
- Balanced home-prepared dietsAAHA
- Transitioning foodORIJEN India
- Feeding frequencyVCA Animal Hospitals
- Global vaccination guidelines 2024WSAVA
- Vaccine schedules and booster intervalsAAHA
- Nobivac Rabies Indian product guidanceMSD Animal Health India
- Vanguard DAPP-L4 product insertZoetis
- Defensor 1 product insertZoetis
- Toilet trainingRSPCA
- Gentle crate trainingRSPCA
- Humane training and socialisationAVSAB
- Poodle groomingAmerican Kennel Club
- Double-coat careAmerican Kennel Club
- Diet and exercisePDSA
- Deworming frameworkESCCAP UK & Ireland
- Ticks and preventionRSPCA