How to Select the Best Dog Food for Boxer Puppies
The charming Boxer puppy is full of spunk, adventure, and fun. A mischievous little pup, the Boxer is sure to bring a smile to its family face with its silly ways. A dog breed that traces its roots to Germany, the Boxer takes its unique name from its play style, which is reminiscent of boxing or batting arms against its playmate.
A dog breed with energy to spare, the Boxer puppy needs to live in a home where the family enjoys an active lifestyle. Because of the breed’s natural athleticism and high activity level, the Boxer puppy is unlikely to become overweight. However, free feeding this pup is still strongly discouraged.
The Boxer puppy enjoys a very long puppyhood, not reaching full maturity until the pooch is nearly three years of age. To fuel this dog’s development, the Boxer puppy should be fed a large breed puppy formulation until the dog reaches one year of age or 75 percent of its adult size. In addition to this, it is vitally important that the best dog food for Boxer puppies contain the correct amount of calcium to phosphorus to ensure its growth occurs at a healthy rate. The best dog foods for Boxer puppies should contain a minimum of 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat. Likewise, the proper proportion of calcium to phosphorus to look for in a food is 1.2 parts of calcium for each included part of phosphorus.
Boxer puppies are typically very healthy. However, they can be prone to allergies. These can be environmental or related to food. For pups that have expressed a sensitivity to grains, a grain-free diet may be preferable. It is also a good idea to avoid diets that contain soy, corn, or wheat as these are common food allergens for many pups.
Another problem which can befall the Boxer puppy is bloat. This life threatening problem is a bit of a mystery with experts unsure of what causes it. It is generally believed that eating too much or too rapidly may contribute to developing this condition. For this reason, a large breed puppy formulation is recommended for the Boxer pup as its kibble pieces are designed to encourage careful, thoughtful eating.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Boxer Puppies
Since Boxer puppies are highly active, they require an exceptional quality diet to fuel their energy levels. The best dog foods for Boxer puppies provide suggested serving sizes on their packaging. Owners can use these as a starting point, making adjustments to reflect their dog’s age, weight, activity level, and appetite until the proper portion is determined.
To help keep hunger at bay, the Boxer puppy should be fed 3-4 mini meals throughout the day as opposed to larger servings morning and night. It is also an excellent idea to measure all food and monitor all intake to ensure a healthy body condition.
Dietary Requirements for Boxer Puppy Foods
Boxer puppies thrive on a diet that is based on lean meat. The best dog foods for Boxer puppies list a whole meat or meat meal as their primary ingredient. By-products and plant-based proteins such as corn, wheat, and soy are common allergens for many dogs and are best avoided. Other ingredients which can negatively affect the Boxer puppy include chemicals, additives, preservatives, fillers, artificial flavors, and colors.
Carbohydrates may come from whole grains, fruits, or vegetables. These ingredients help the Boxer puppy to achieve good digestion and a healthy immune system. Dogs that have expressed sensitivities to grains in the past may do best on a diet that is grain-free.
Healthy fats help the Boxer puppy to have the support it needs for brain and eye development. In addition to this, these essential oils fuel strong energy levels and encourage coat and skin health. These are best taken from animal sources including such foods as chicken fat or oily fish. Plant-based oils such as canola, coconut, and safflower are also excellent options for ample amounts of essential fatty acids.
Supplements help a diet to work its most effectively. The most beneficial supplements for Boxer puppies include glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
It is very important that Boxer puppies be fed a high quality puppy food until they reach a full year of age or 75 percent of their adult size. Adult foods do not contain the correct nutrition to support a healthy rate of growth and optimal wellness in the Boxer puppy.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for Boxer Puppies
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best dog food for a Boxer puppy:
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Lean meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
The best dog foods for Boxer puppies prioritize a meat-based protein in their formula. The ideal options for the foundation of a great diet are whole meats or meat meals.
Foods containing by-products, soy, corn, or wheat, should be avoided.
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Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, fillers, artificial flavorings and colorings, and mystery ingredients provide no nutritional benefit to a growing Boxer puppy. Diets which include any of these items should be left on the shelf.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
Supplements can be a great help to puppies as they grow. The best supplements to look for in a food for the Boxer puppy are glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the Boxer puppy should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.