Don't feed adult homemade recipes — including ours — to a puppy. Growing dogs need far more energy per kilo and precisely controlled calcium and phosphorus; getting it wrong during growth can permanently affect the skeleton. Feed a complete commercial puppy food (large-breed formula for large breeds) or a diet formulated for your puppy by a veterinary nutritionist, and bring them to our recipes once they're grown.
I'm Teddy. This is the page where we tell you not to use our recipes — which feels strange for a food brand, but it's the most important honesty on this site. Every recipe here, and the feeding chart, and the calculator, is built for healthy adult dogs at maintenance. Here's why that line is hard, and what to do on the puppy side of it.
Why puppies aren't small adult dogs
The energy is different. A growing puppy can need two to three times the calories per kilo of an adult, and the need changes month by month as growth slows. An adult chart under-feeds a young puppy badly; "just feed more of it" creates the next problem.
The calcium is the dangerous part. Adults tolerate a range of calcium intakes; puppies don't. A growing skeleton needs calcium and phosphorus in a tight ratio and a tight absolute amount — too little causes weak, deformable bones, and (counter-intuitively) too much is also harmful, especially for large breeds, where excess calcium during growth is linked to developmental bone and joint disease. This is why "I'll add extra premix for the puppy" is exactly the wrong move: our premix's calcium level is set for adult maintenance, and growth needs a different formulation, not a bigger scoop.
The protein, fat and DHA targets are higher too — growth profiles differ across the board, which is why AAFCO publishes separate growth and adult-maintenance standards in the first place. A recipe can be properly formulated for one and wrong for the other. Ours are formulated to align with the adult maintenance profile. That's the whole story.
What to feed a puppy instead
Option one (most people): a complete commercial puppy food that states it meets AAFCO (or FEDIAF) growth requirements — and for breeds expected to mature over ~25 kg, specifically a large-breed puppy formula, which controls calcium and energy for slower, safer growth. Option two (committed home cookers): a diet formulated for your individual puppy by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist — puppy home cooking is genuinely possible, but it's bespoke work, re-checked as they grow, not a recipe off a website. (Including this one.) Either way: feed for a lean growth curve — you should always feel ribs on a puppy — because growing fast is not the same as growing well.
When can they start our recipes?
When they're skeletally mature: roughly 10–12 months for small breeds, around 12 months for mediums, and 18–24 months for large and giant breeds — your vet will call it for your dog, and it's worth asking at a checkup rather than guessing. Then switch gradually with the 7-day transition planner, size portions with the adult feeding guide, and welcome to the kitchen. Puppy-specific recipes are in development here — the waitlist hears about them first.
Quick answers
Can I feed my puppy your recipes "just for now"?
No — not even short-term as the main diet. The calcium-phosphorus requirements for growth are different and unforgiving, and the growth window is exactly when it matters most.
Can I add more premix to make it puppy-safe?
No. Excess calcium is itself harmful to growing dogs — particularly large breeds. Growth needs a differently formulated diet, not a larger dose of an adult one.
When is a dog "adult" for feeding purposes?
At skeletal maturity: roughly 10–12 months for small breeds and up to 18–24 months for large and giant breeds. Your vet can confirm for your dog — breeds vary.
What about pregnant or nursing dogs?
Also not these recipes — pregnancy and lactation have their own (much higher) requirements. That's a plan to build with your vet.
For the grown-ups, everything's ready
Once your dog is mature, the five recipes, the feeding chart and the calculator are all free and waiting.
See the adult recipes