How many times a day should I feed a Maltipoo puppy?

Three to four small meals a day is typical up to around three or four months old, reducing to two or three meals through to six months, and settling at two meals a day as an adult. Small breeds are more prone to low blood sugar between meals, which is why frequent feeding matters more early on.

How much should a Maltipoo puppy eat at 12 weeks?

This depends on the specific food's calorie density and your puppy's individual size, so the feeding guide on the packet is the right starting point, adjusted against how your puppy's weight is tracking. Maltipoos vary more in adult size than a purebred dog, which makes a general figure less reliable here.

When should a Maltipoo move from puppy to adult food?

Generally once growth has largely levelled off, which for a small breed like a Maltipoo is often somewhere around nine to twelve months, though this varies between individual dogs. Ask your vet for advice based on your puppy's own development rather than switching on a fixed date.

Why does my Maltipoo puppy seem hungry all the time?

Puppies going through a growth spurt can seem hungrier than usual, but persistent excessive hunger is also worth mentioning to your vet, since it can occasionally point to something needing attention rather than simply appetite. Checking body condition alongside appetite gives a fuller picture than hunger alone.

Maltipoo puppy feeding chart

A Maltipoo puppy, being a small crossbreed, generally needs several small meals a day early on, reducing in frequency as it grows, with the actual amount judged against its own weight and body condition rather than a single fixed figure for the breed. The method below — start frequent and small, then reduce meals and increase portion size gradually — matters more than any specific number, since Maltipoos vary noticeably in adult size depending on the parentage.

How often to feed a Maltipoo puppy

Small-breed puppies, including Maltipoos, typically do best on three to four small meals a day up to around three or four months old, dropping to two to three meals as they approach six months, and settling into two meals a day as an adult. Small dogs are more prone to low blood sugar between meals than large breeds, so frequent smaller meals matter more here than they would for a big dog.

The specific feeding guide on the puppy food you choose is the right starting point for portion size at each stage, since recipes vary in calorie density. Treat the guide as a starting point to adjust from, not a fixed rule, based on how your individual puppy's weight and energy track over time.

Judging the right amount

Because Maltipoos are a crossbreed, adult size varies more than it does in a standard breed, which makes weight charts less reliable here than for a purebred dog. A better approach is tracking your own puppy's weight gain against the feeding guide on its food, and adjusting the amount if it seems to be gaining too quickly or too slowly compared with a steady curve.

Being able to feel your puppy's ribs with light pressure, without them being visibly prominent, is a simple check most owners can do at home between vet visits. If you are ever unsure whether your puppy's weight is on track, your vet can check its body condition properly.

Wet, dry or a mix

Small-breed dry kibble is the easiest to portion accurately for a small dog, since even a small measuring error matters more with a small daily total than it would for a large breed. A little wet food mixed in can help with palatability for a fussy puppy, factored into the day's total amount rather than added on top.

Moving from puppy to adult food is generally suggested once growth has largely levelled off, which for a small breed like a Maltipoo tends to be earlier than for a large dog, often somewhere in the region of nine to twelve months. Your vet can advise on the right timing for your individual puppy.

Feeding kit

Things we stock that owners commonly reach for here. Nothing on this page depends on you buying one.

Beaphar Lactol Milk Replacer for Puppies

A milk replacer for newborn and orphaned puppies, and for nursing or recovering dogs

From£20.23

Choose options

Nutriment Dog Weaning Paste

A 500g frozen weaning paste for puppies, single-ingredient British chicken

£2.99

Alpha Sensitive Salmon & Rice

Alpha Sensitive Salmon & Rice is listed in our dry dog food range for dogs. The page brings together the available option labels and the product facts that can be checked, so unsupported claims are left out.

£49.00

Alpha Working Dog Maintenance Chicken

Alpha Working Dog Maintenance Chicken is listed in our dry dog food range for dogs. The page brings together the available option labels and the product facts that can be checked, so unsupported claims are left out.

£29.00

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Common questions

How many times a day should I feed a Maltipoo puppy?: Three to four small meals a day is typical up to around three or four months old, reducing to two or three meals through to six months, and settling at two meals a day as an adult. Small breeds are more prone to low blood sugar between meals, which is why frequent feeding matters more early on.
How much should a Maltipoo puppy eat at 12 weeks?: This depends on the specific food's calorie density and your puppy's individual size, so the feeding guide on the packet is the right starting point, adjusted against how your puppy's weight is tracking. Maltipoos vary more in adult size than a purebred dog, which makes a general figure less reliable here.
When should a Maltipoo move from puppy to adult food?: Generally once growth has largely levelled off, which for a small breed like a Maltipoo is often somewhere around nine to twelve months, though this varies between individual dogs. Ask your vet for advice based on your puppy's own development rather than switching on a fixed date.
Why does my Maltipoo puppy seem hungry all the time?: Puppies going through a growth spurt can seem hungrier than usual, but persistent excessive hunger is also worth mentioning to your vet, since it can occasionally point to something needing attention rather than simply appetite. Checking body condition alongside appetite gives a fuller picture than hunger alone.

Sources

Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.