(a) How often to feed? ... Feed between 2 to 3 times a day ... small portions until pup is about 10months old (or thereabouts) ... After that, for small breeds, you can continue to feed 2 meals a day (they have small stomachs and seem to do better on 2 small meals rather than one big meal) ... for larger dogs - once they hit adulthood, one meal should suffice.
(b) How much to feed? ... This depends from dog to dog and from breed (size) to breed ... Observe their poop, if the poop is soft, reduce food ... if the poop is very hard, increase the amount of food ... (In both cases, increase or reduce gradually ... until the poop is firm to the touch, and can be picked up in one piece) ...
General cautions:
Do not overfeed a pup/dog ... overweight pup/dogs will not be as healthy and can have health problems ... Slight underfeeding (especially with the larger breeds is recommended) ... It is better for a pup to grow slowly with time to build strong bones, then to grow too fast and have skeletal issues later on ... Slightly underfeeding your dog will NOT affect it's eventual size or growth ... The dog will still grow to its genetically determined size, just that it will grow slower and be more healthy.
With pups especially - I would concentrate on quality rather than quantity ... Good nutrition when dogs are young means healthier and stronger adults (just like people) ... Check the threads on nutrition and what is good nutrition.
A healthy pup is active, with bright eyes ... generally alert (but do remember, pups do sleep a lot) ... responsive and playful ... A dog that is sick will generally want to just lie down in a corner and not move so much ...
Cheers !
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