Discover our Puppy Growth Program

Puppies are a bundle of fun -  even though they seem boisterous and playful, they are at a delicate stage in their life. They’re discovering a lot, learning about the world and their little bodies are experiencing big changes as their bones harden and their brain rapidly develops. 
They start their life being completely dependent on mum, but within a year, they’ll develop into confident, independent young dogs. That’s why they need specific support to grow to be healthy.

Dachshund puppies Royal Canin puppy growth program

ROYAL CANIN® Puppy Growth Program: meeting their needs at every stage of growth

Puppies are a bundle of fun -  even though they seem boisterous and playful, they are at a delicate stage in their life. They’re discovering a lot, learning about the world and their little bodies are experiencing big changes as their bones harden and their brain rapidly develops. 

They start their life being completely dependent on mum, but within a year, they’ll develop into confident, independent young dogs. That’s why they need specific support to grow to be healthy.

From birth to 3 weeks

Neonate Phase 

You might not think there’s much happening at this point because your puppy will spend most of the time sleeping. But behind those snoozing eyes, their development is racing ahead. By the time they’re a couple of weeks old, your puppy’s eyes will open, and they will already be starting to walk, taking tentative steps to explore their new world. As they start to interact with the world around them, their protection from maternal immunity decreases slowly. 


At this stage, a puppy will continue to rely heavily on their mother’s milk to support their immune system and provide them with the key proteins to aid in their development. If their mother’s milk is unavailable to them, that’s where ROYAL CANIN® BabyDog milk can help. It’s formulated to have a similar lactose content as the milk of the bitch, supplemented with protein to help them develop the antibodies they need. As their digestive system is still delicate, the ROYAL CANIN® BabyDog milk is free from starch, which puppies are unable to digest properly at this young age. 

From 3 weeks to 4.5 months

Socialisation Phase

This represents a period of intense growth. As puppies become more social and energetic, they need higher levels of nutrients and more calories. This generally occurs at 4 weeks, where puppies begin to wean from their mother, consuming a mixed diet of milk and the introduced solid food. ROYAL CANIN® Starter Mother & Babydog rehydratable kibble and ROYAL CANIN® BabyDog Mousse are both designed to be a puppy’s first experience of solid food. They are energy-dense and full of the nutrients they need for all that exploring and socialisation. They are also both a softer texture that your puppy can manage as their first teeth erupt.

At around two months of age, your puppy will need a visit to the veterinarian for their puppy vaccinations - this will help your puppy build its own immunity as the maternal antibodies continue to wane. This is a good time to transition from ROYAL CANIN® Starter Mother & Babydog to ROYAL CANIN® Puppy – this diet is rich in beta carotene and beta glucans that help to support your puppy’s developing immune system.  

This is also the period when puppies begin to move away from their mother and into new homes. It’s important to ensure the diet remains the same, to avoid any tummy upsets and help support their immune system during this period of change.

From 4.5 to 6 months

Juvenile Phase

As they continue growing in confidence and physically growing larger, your puppy’s diet remains the same. The precise levels of calcium and phosphorus present in the ROYAL CANIN® Puppy diet help turn each bite into an opportunity to strengthen their bones and teeth. Getting the right nutritional support at this stage is crucial, as your puppy is building bones that within a year, will be four times stronger than concrete! The development of your puppy’s bones and muscles continues will continue for some time and will depend on their breed and expected adult size – for example, larger breed dogs will experience skeletal development for over a year! The ROYAL CANIN® Puppy diet is also higher in calories to support their growth, and their activity levels as they continue to learn, explore and play.

From 6 months to adulthood

Adolescent Phase

By Stage 4, your puppy is well on their way to adulthood, they’re still a growing puppy. Even if they’re a big puppy, they’re not old enough to eat like an adult dog just yet. They still have unique puppy nutritional needs and it’s important to stick to their ROYAL CANIN® Puppy diet until they reach adulthood, which varies depending on the breed or size. In smaller breed dogs, they can reach adult size by 10 months of age, and can take up to 2 years in giant breed dogs! 

Developed by vets
The new formula was designed by veterinarians in our Research & Development centres

Breeder tested
Dozens of breeders gave us feedback, to help ensure excellent nutritional benefits

Puppy approved
884 puppies worldwide tasted and approved some of our new formulas

Brain development

What is at stake:

The first year is an intense and key development time for the maturation of your puppy’s brain, vision, and behavioural systems.

Nutritional answer:

A formula enriched with Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA) to help support brain development.

Immune system support

What is at stake:

After weaning, the maternal antibodies decline over time, and your puppy will need support to build their own strong immunity.

Nutritional answer:

A formula with specific nutrients, including beta glucans, Vitamins E and C to help support the development of their immune system. 

Microbiome support

What is at stake:

Puppies have a delicate digestive system. Their gut microbiota is slowly adapting from maternal or substitute milk to solid food. The development of their digestive enzymes, and their intestines is ongoing. 

Nutritional answer:

A combination of prebiotics (MOS) & highly digestible proteins helps promote healthy digestion and a healthy balance of intestinal microbiota.

Weight management

What is at stake:

Weight issues can start early for puppies and may have a negative impact on their future health and wellbeing. Healthy habits, set early, are key to support your pet for life.

Nutritional answer:

A formula with balanced nutrients and an adapted energy intake to satisfy their appetite while fulfilling their help support the development of their immune system.


The additional benefits of mixed feeding

As your puppy grows, their smell and taste are also developing. By offering them a variety of sensorial experiences you can make their feeding time even more stimulating. Each type of food, dry and wet, comes with their own set of benefits. Providing both wet and dry diet options to your puppy enables them to experience a wide range of textures in their food. Wet food also has the added benefit of increasing their water intake, which is especially important for younger puppies.

A range packed with responsibility

It’s not only our food that we have carefully thought through.

We’re leading the way towards sustainability with our new range of packaging. Discover how we’re working to help ensure that our packaging does not go to waste and learn about our commitment to become certified as carbon neutral by 2025.