How to Feed Your Kelpie
by Adrian Martin
Used throughout Australia to herd livestock, kelpies are energetic dogs that love to run around and play. Kelpies need to get the right balance of nutrients in their diet to fuel their high levels of activity. Whether your kelpie is a working farm dog or a much-loved family pet, use these tips to ensure he eats well.
What to Feed Your Kelpie
A premium dry dog food should form the basis of your kelpie's diet. You can add variety by supplementing this food with fresh meat, bones, cooked eggs, canned wet dog food and even fruits and vegetables, but keep these additions to no more than 10 percent of the dog's daily diet. Premium dog foods are carefully designed to provide all the nutrients that an active dog needs to stay healthy. Some dog experts recommend adding a spoonful of fresh yoghurt to your kelpie's food each day to soften the food and support your dog's overall health.
Feeding Kelpie Puppies
From roughly three weeks of age, you can begin providing solid food to your kelpie pups. However, you should leave the pups with their mother until they are at least seven weeks old. She will gradually reduce the amount of milk she allows them to take, encouraging the pups to start eating solid food instead. Always feed kelpie puppies with a premium-quality puppy food.
How Often to Feed Kelpies
Kelpie puppies need to be fed more often than adult dogs. Up to 12 weeks of age, provide your kelpie pups with four meals in every 24-hour period. Reduce the number of daily meals to three when your kelpie reaches three months old and to two meals when the kelpie reaches six months. Kelpies reach adulthood around their first birthday, from which time they can usually tolerate eating just one meal per day. However, you can continue to split the adult dog's food into two smaller daily meals if you prefer.
Don't Forget Fluids
Kelpies need to drink water regularly during the day, particularly if they are working in the fields. Make sure your dog always has access to clean water.
Avoid Over or Underfeeding
A healthy male kelpie typically weighs 15-20 kg, with females weighing in at 11-16 kg. Check your dog's weight every so often to ensure he's not becoming too fat or too thin. Kelpie farm dogs need slightly more food during periods of heavy work. When your dog becomes elderly and less active, reduce his food intake slightly to prevent him becoming overweight.
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About Me
Welcome to my blog. My name is Daniel, and about ten years ago, I received a call that my grandmother was very ill. At that time, I didn't have a family yet, and my job wasn't something I loved. I dropped everything and went to the old family farm to help. Luckily, my grandma got better, but I stayed because my grandfather was starting to struggle to do many of the things he needed to do as a farmer. I slowly began to take the farm over, something I had always wanted to do, but I also helped my grandfather stay involved for as long as possible. Now, I want to help others by making a blog of the strategies and modifications we used. I hope you like this blog!