Discover our Puppy Growth Program

Puppies are a bundle of fun -  even though they seem boisterous and playful, they are at a delicate stage in their life. They’re discovering a lot, learning about the world and their little bodies are experiencing big changes as their bones harden and their brain rapidly develops. 

They start their life being completely dependent on mum, but within a year, they’ll develop into confident, independent young dogs. That’s why they need specific support to grow to be healthy.

Socialisation Phase

This represents a period of intense growth. As puppies become more social and energetic, they need higher levels of nutrients and more calories. This generally occurs at 4 weeks, where puppies begin to wean from their mother, consuming a mixed diet of milk and the introduced solid food. ROYAL CANIN® Starter Mother & Babydog rehydratable kibble and ROYAL CANIN® BabyDog Mousse are both designed to be a puppy’s first experience of solid food. They are energy-dense and full of the nutrients they need for all that exploring and socialisation. They are also both a softer texture that your puppy can manage as their first teeth erupt.

At around two months of age, your puppy will need a visit to the veterinarian for their puppy vaccinations - this will help your puppy build its own immunity as the maternal antibodies continue to wane. This is a good time to transition from ROYAL CANIN® Starter Mother & Babydog to ROYAL CANIN® Puppy – this diet is rich in beta carotene and beta glucans that help to support your puppy’s developing immune system.  

This is also the period when puppies begin to move away from their mother and into new homes. It’s important to ensure the diet remains the same, to avoid any tummy upsets and help support their immune system during this period of change.

By Stage 4, your puppy is well on their way to adulthood, they’re still a growing puppy. Even if they’re a big puppy, they’re not old enough to eat like an adult dog just yet. They still have unique puppy nutritional needs and it’s important to stick to their ROYAL CANIN® Puppy diet until they reach adulthood, which varies depending on the breed or size. In smaller breed dogs, they can reach adult size by 10 months of age, and can take up to 2 years in giant breed dogs! 

As your puppy grows, their smell and taste are also developing. By offering them a variety of sensorial experiences you can make their feeding time even more stimulating. Each type of food, dry and wet, comes with their own set of benefits. Providing both wet and dry diet options to your puppy enables them to experience a wide range of textures in their food. Wet food also has the added benefit of increasing their water intake, which is especially important for younger puppies.