Five Puppies and One Enormous Bowl: Dinner Was Chaos
Dinner has been served, and five black and white Havanese puppies are not wasting time. They have piled up next to an enormous bowl of kibble, some pushing in for a bite and others watching with silky ears dragging on the tiles. Little pieces of food are scattered around the bowl, and a basket of towels sits in the corner of the room, waiting for the mess to end.
Havanese are small dogs with long, silky coats, and they are the national dog of Cuba. As puppies, they tend to be sociable and energetic, and mealtimes are often a happy event. A feeding routine matters for a growing pup, and the right amount depends on age, size and food type. Your vet can help you choose a diet and portion size, and can tell you when to move from puppy food to adult food.
With a big group, it helps to make sure everybody gets a fair share. Feeding puppies in separate bowls, or giving the shy ones some space, prevents the fastest eater from taking over. Fresh water should always be available, and mealtimes are a good chance to practice manners, like waiting for a signal before digging in.
Of course, a plan like that is hard to follow when five hungry puppies are all hurrying at the same time. For now, the bowl is the center of the universe, and nobody is leaving until it's empty.
