How do I calculate appropriate portion size when feeding my puppy?

Find a good quality food. Some have nothing but fillers in them and don't provide enough nutrients.

http://www.oes.org/page2/11965~Choosing_the_Right_...

That site has some good tips on choosing a food. Also, only feed the recommended amount listed on the bag. Limit treats or get Weight control treats if you get worried about weight.

Exercise him daily so he isn't just laying around. Talk to a vet if you are concerned, but don't worry too much about it while he is a pup. As long as you don't feed him a lot of treats, give him the food he needs, exercise him, and don't feed him table scraps he should be fine.

Feed the dog the recommended daily portion divided between two meals and watch the treats. We give our dogs hard biscuits or homemade biscuits and we supplement their meals with some fresh meats and add occasional things to their diet like lowfat plain yogurt.

When we ADD, we add balanced foods for canine and SUBTRACT the amount of dog food so they are not over eating. Dogs often feel hungrier when they eat only one time a day.

Also, avoid setting up cravings and don't feed left overs. We do occasionally give our dogs select meats from something we've cooked for ourselves, usually prepared without spices or seasoning (like when cooking chicken to use in chicken saad- boiled skinless boneless unseasoned chicken goes in their food, the chicken salad has spices and other things dogs often don't tolerate well, added for us.)

Get a high quality food like Orijen or Wellness. These have blends for puppies and adults. The first one is grainless. The second blend has grains or sweet potato, depending upon blend, but is a healthy well made dog food. The foods will indicate recommended daily amounts. Your Vet can recommend if your pup needs more or not.

Some people swear by Canidae. The main factors will be what your dog tolerates well and then dividing the daily portion into two meals.

That and plenty of exercise for a mix with high energy. Besides yard play or park play, try adding at least one, pref. two long walks a day.

When you buy pet food, they always have an outline on the bag for how much you should feed your puppy. This outline goes by weight and age, but it also says you should factor in activity level.

If your puppy is very active, up the portion size and if it's not very active, just follow the outline to make sure that he's getting the proper nutrition during his first year.

yes, both breeds are prone to overeating and bloat... but just read the back of the dog food. OH, one thing....these breeds you mentioned, along with large working breeds who take a long time to mature.. they DONT require Puppy chow! In fact it has too much fat for them, and it is best to feed them adult dog food as puppies.... so they dont balloon up. Read up on this, I think you will find this is true. If you are already feeding him adult food.... just go by the bag or simply searching

"Puppy recommended daily food amounts" into a yahoo search can give you websites that will calculate or show you a table.

Congrats on adopting! Oh, and I added you to my contacts because I LOVE your profile. I myself am an avid fan of english and yet got my BS in Biology instead and am also not "afraid to call myself a nerd" lol.

The recommended feeding is on the bag of puppy food. It is based on the weight of your dog. Also keep in mind that the cups measurments is an 8 oz cup (ie a mearsuring cup) not a drinking cup (ie a disposable plasitc cup) as people are prone to use to measure. However keep in mind this is just a guide you may need to lower or raise the amount to keep your puppy in good weight. If you think she may be over or under weight talk to your vet about increase or decreasing food as needed.

Use the back of the bag of food as a guide. Unfortunatly, there is no right answer. Just like people, every dog is different. You should eyeball it. If he looks skinny, give him a little more, and vice versa...

You want to be able to feel your dog's ribs when you run your hands down his sides. YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO EASILY SEE THEM. Good luck and ask your vet all of your questions.

Read the directions on the bag.