Explore our Puppy Growth Program

In the blink of an eye, your puppy seems to transform from a helpless newborn, dependent on their mother, to a clumsy dog exploring every nook and cranny and, finally, into canine adulthood. That rapid growth period requires special nutritional support to lay a solid foundation for your dog’s health as an adult.

Understanding each phase of a growing puppy’s development will help you to optimize your pet's health throughout the process. Puppy growth charts are a great tool. They can give you a heads-up on when to expect those puppy growth spurts. A healthy puppy should be provided with all the essential nutrients and nutrition. This will allow their rapidly developing body to have a better chance of becoming a healthy adult dog.

Your puppy goes through several growth stages as they transition from puppyhood to adulthood. Small breeds reach adult size in their first year whereas certain larger breeds can take up to 18-24 months to grow into their adult size. Each major stage of your puppy’s life requires different nutrients to support physical and cognitive development. For example, a newborn puppy needs different nutritional support than an eight-week-old or 24-week-old puppy.

Follow your puppy’s development week by week to see what’s happening inside their rambunctious body. Learn what you need to take into consideration when selecting the foods that provide your puppy's nutritional support at each life stage.

Each stage of your puppy’s journey has different growth and behavior milestones. Here’s an overview of what to expect at each key stage of your dog’s puppyhood.

Our products are designed to support your puppy’s growth, providing them with significant benefits thanks to specifically chosen nutrients for each stage of life.

Immune system

• While their body grows rapidly, a puppy’s immune system develops at a much slower rate. It is your responsibility to ensure that their diet includes the correct nutritional support for their evolving immune system.
  
  

Microbiome support

• A puppy’s digestive system is sensitive. The microbiota—microorganisms found in environments like the digestive system—in your puppy’s gut play an important role in their overall health. To support their developing digestive system, your puppy needs a diet that encourages the good bacteria and keeps the bad bacteria away.
  
  

Brain development

• Your puppy’s brain is developing at an incredible pace. As a pet parent, make sure that your puppy has access to food made just for them. During this rapid and complex phase, your puppy needs proper nutrients to support their evolving brain, vision, and nervous system.
  
  

Weight management

• Good eating habits are key to weight management. Your puppy’s diet should satisfy their appetite and provide the proper nutrients and energy they need for growth without excess calories. A puppy with a healthy weight has a better chance of maintaining their weight as an adult dog.

Mixed feeding means providing both dry food and wet food and is beneficial to dogs at any age. Puppies start on their mother’s milk or ROYAL CANIN® Babydog Milk before transitioning to softer babydog food. As their digestive systems are delicate at this early stage, they need food that breaks down easily.

• Variety in each bowl. A combination of wet and dry foods offers more variety. You have a growing puppy on your hands after all, so why not make feeding time an exciting experience for their nose and taste buds


• Best of both worlds. A combination of wet and dry foods also offers the best of both nutritional worlds. Wet food will help make sure that your puppy stays hydrated as it ups their water consumption. Dry food plays a role in helping to keep your puppy’s teeth clean


• Fussy eater? If you happen to have a fussy canine on your hands, mixed feeding can help with persuading them to eat what they need at mealtimes

Royal Canin puppy foods include both wet and dry formulas that are tailored to your pet’s nutritional needs at each growth stage.