Puppy or Junior Large Breed food

You are standing in front of the puppy food shelf, trying to choose the right food for your little four-legged friend. Grain-free or low-grain? 100% natural food, yes or no? Food with only one protein source or food with multiple protein sources? The choice in dog food is huge… Once you have finally chosen a brand, you face the next question: should you give your pup puppy food or junior large breed food?

It is useful to know that the choice between puppy food or junior large breed food has nothing to do with your puppy’s age. You might wonder what it does depend on. It depends on the adult weight of your puppy:

Puppies with an adult weight of 1 – 24 kg receive puppy food;

puppies with an adult weight of 25 kg or more receive junior large breed food.

Note: every pup receives puppy food until the age of 3 months. After three months, pups of large dog breeds may switch to junior large breed food.

What is the difference between puppy food and junior large breed food?

The exact differences between the two types depend naturally on the brand. Some brands have more differences between puppy food and junior large breed food than others. However, in general, there are four differences to mention between puppy and junior large breed food:

1. Fats
Generally, pups of large dog breeds have a growth spurt between 8 to 14 months, but even before this period, they experience significant growth. It is important that large breed pups do not grow too fast during this time, as this can cause osteochondrosis (growth pain). To prevent large breed puppies from growing too fast, it is important to feed them food with balanced amounts of proteins and fats. This is the first difference between puppy and junior large breed food: the energy value/metabolizable energy.

Puppies get the energy they need to grow from their food. When large breed pups receive too much energy through their food, for example by eating regular puppy food or too much food, they can grow too fast. Therefore, for large breed puppies, it is best to choose junior large breed food, which contains balanced amounts of proteins and fats to support steady and optimal growth, reducing the risk of osteochondrosis.

2. Calcium
Another difference between puppy food and junior large breed food is the amount of calcium. The calcium nutritional requirement differs between large breed puppies and smaller breed puppies.

Large breed puppies are more sensitive to skeletal problems; their bones grow extremely fast, leaving more room for ‘errors.’ The puppy’s body is not yet able to excrete excess calcium. When a large breed puppy receives too much calcium, it negatively affects the formation and growth of the skeleton. Excess calcium intake can result in malformed bones.

Therefore, it is very important that the food contains a balanced amount of calcium. Often, the calcium percentage (based on 100 grams of dry matter) is lower in junior large breed food than in puppy food; this helps support optimal skeletal development.*