When to Stop Feeding Your Dog Puppy Food

cannot easily feel the ribs your dog may be overweight.
Look at your dog from the side. You should be able to see the upward tuck of the belly. An overweight dog will have very little or no tuck.
View your dog from above. There should be some narrowing at the waist just past the ribcage. A straight or bulging line from the ribcage to the hips indicates an overweight dog.
Very prominent ribs and a very small waist may mean your dog is underweight. Visit your vet for an exam to be sure.
If your dog is less than a year old and seems to be gaining weight you may need to simply reduce the portion size or frequency of meals before you switch to adult food. Vets recommend feeding young puppies three times per day. However most puppies can go down to meals a day when they are approaching adulthood.
How to Make the Diet Change
Any diet change should be done gradually to avoid gastrointestinal upset. This process can take a week or two depending on how you do it.
It may take some time and research to choose the right food for your nowadult dog. You may wish to stick with the same brand of food but switch to an adult formula. Of course your vet can help you find an appropriate diet.
Once you have chosen the adult dog food determine the portion size of adult food you will eventually need to feed based on your dogs current weight. Then add a small percentage of adult food to the puppy food increasing it a little at each meal. For simplicity you may want to work out a schedule so you are not trying to remember how much of each to feed. Many veterinary professionals recommend the 3 by 3 approach when switching diets
Days

13 Feed 13 portion of adult food and 23 portion of puppy food
Days 46 Feed 12 portion of adult food and 12 portion of puppy food
Days 79 Feed 23 portion of adult food and 13 portion of puppy food
Day 10 and on Feed full portion of adult food
During the switch watch your dogs appetite and bowel movements. Slow the transition if your dog experiences diarrhea or vomiting. If GI upset continues you may need to choose a different adult diet and restart the transition. Contact your vet if your dog has vomiting or diarrhea for more than a day.
Watch your
dogs weight over the coming months to make sure you dont need to adjust portion times. Also be sure to keep up with annual or biannual veterinary wellness checkups as recommended by your vet.