Feeding time vs. leaving food out

[sparklemom]

I've noticed that just about everybody on this board feeds their dogs at a specific time and for a specific length of time. I have been just leaving Sparkle's food out at all times for her. I started this when I first got her just because she was so skinny and ill from spay/hernia surgery. I wanted her to be able to eat whenever she wanted to. It also seems to make more sense to me that it would be healthier to "nibble" all through the day rather than wolf everything down in a 10-minute interval. Can anybody give me the pros/cons of feeding times, versus leaving food out?

[austin]

It helps to establish you as the leader of the pack if you control when the dog is fed, how much and for how long. My dog is very food motivated, so I have to control the food in order to train her. Plus, she would all day, non-stop, and quickly become obese if I let her free feed. She loves food.

[Judi W]

It also regulates the elimination times. If the stomach is always full it can certainly be a bit difficult to motivate for working and a dog should not be road worked or jumped on a full stomach.

[spidey]

I agree with what's been said. I'll also point out that feeding two meals a day (which is what most people recommend), means that the dog won't wolf the food down, doesn't have to consume a day's worth of calories in 15 minutes, and allows you to regulate how much, and when, the dog is eating. Given that dogs are opportunistic feeders, it's rare that a dog who is free fed (has access to food at all times) won't eventually start overeating. I agree with your concerns when it comes to feeding one meal a day, but two meals a day seems perfect. I'll also mention that, while herbivorous animals like horses are grazers so constant access to food (like hay or grass) is desirable for normal body function, dogs normally eat large amounts of food at intervals, they don't naturally "nibble", so there's no biological reason to free feed.

[sparklemom]

Sparkle hardly ever eats, that's the problem. I decided one day I would leave her food out for 20 minutes then pick it up again since I had read about the alpha-dog behavior, but she doesn't go near it when I first put it down. When I come home from work, it looks untouched. A few times during the evening, I'll hear her munching for a few seconds, but that's it. There is always food in the bowl, she never empties it, I just add more peiodically. I think in order to get her to immediately eat when I put the food down, I would have to starve her first. She has put on weight, so I suppose she's eating enough, but she seems to prefer to nibble every now and then. I thought this was a good thing, especially since Rotts can get Bloat.

[whitney greenway]

I am a firm believer in not leaving food out.

Mine is fed twice a day, once in the early am, and once in the late afternoon.

I have never left food out for mine. It works very well for us. I can pretty much determine how many poops a day she will have.

The open feeding just would not work for me.

Good luck.
Whitney

[Jamie & Odin]

Sparklemom, put the food down for 20 minutes the first night and leave her be. Take it away after the 20 minutes is up. Don't give her anything until the next feeding time. Put it down for 20 minutes and if she doesn't eat it, take it away. I'll bet you just about anything that by the third day, she'll eat when you put the food out ;) And no, as long as she's healthy and has access to water, a few days of food deprivation will not hurt her. Dogs are opportunistic and their metabolism is designed to withstand a few days of not eating.

This is especially beneficial if you have more than one dog. Every feeding time becomes a reinforcement of who makes the decisions in the house.

I do have a question about feeding times though, after reading the previous couple posts; I only feed once a day. My reasoning is that the dogs are not able to go outside while I am at work, and I thought it would be more uncomfortable for them if I fed them in the morning, since their need to eliminate during the day would probably be increased.

So, are their any real problems with a once a day feeding? Or is it just preferable? My concern was that the risk of bloat might be increased, but Odin gets his walk/play/rough housing out of the way before he eats. And he's nice and hungry when I get home, which works well for training time.

[mmgy]

I would think the risk of bloat would decrease with 2 feedings. Less food at a time to stress the system. My dogs get at least an hour crate nap after meals.

We have an old dog that is a lifelong sufferer of many anxieties. Fortunately my wise vet recognized this early on, and advised us to feed him at least twice a day, as his hunger could trigger some of his bad behaviors. The change was amazing! I'd be pretty grouchy myself if I only ate once a day.

Back to Sparkle, do you have any idea how much she eats every day? Another important thing about specific feeding is that you will know if something is wrong. Often the first sign of illness is lack of appetite, and if my dog typically eats a cup of food twice a day, but starts leaving some, then I know to pay attention to his health.

M2

[Judi W]

Of course she is only going to nibble and not eat a proper meal - she doesn't have to do any differently as the buffet is always open.

[sparklemom]

But why is nibbling bad? I can see mmgy's point about monitoring intake and I know about the alpha-dog thing. But otherwise, is there any health benefit/detriment? Her stools are regular and I know how many to expect, etc. I don't "work" her, per se, so I'm not concerned about that. I kind of feel like "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Am I totally wrong?

[spidey]

But why is nibbling bad?

IMO the main reason is because it doesn't give you any real way to monitor her appetite and food intake, which can be very important from a health standpoint (change in appetite is often the first sign of illness, so knowing what's normal for your dog is crucial). Also because leaving kibble out for long periods often ends up with a lot of wastage (or should, anyway, good quality kibble will start to spoil if left out for too long). When you say you don't work her, do you mean you don't do obedience training with her?

[sparklemom]

Judi W had commented on road working or jumping on a full stomach. I'm assuming these are the types of training for showing dogs. Sparkle is just a family pet. She is trained in so far as a dog needs to be, but doesn't "jump" or anything like that.

Now I'm worried about the food going bad. I feed Eukanuba large breed right now (planning on switching to Canidae). It's a huge bag and I just leave it open and grab food when needed. Should I be keeping it in some sort of resealable container?

[spidey]

Do you do daily training work with her? Even a family pet needs this kind of one-on-one attention. :)

Yes, your food should be in a resealable container (big lidded garbage cans work well), to stop the oils in it from going rancid. Eukanuba has a fair amount of preservative in it, but even so, it should be kept in a reasonably air-tight container to maintain the smell and flavour.

[sparklemom]

Yes, we do daily training, but it's just typical "sit, stay, come" type things. Nothing fancy. I don't think I could get that stubborn girl to jump no matter how hard I tried. :)

Thanks for the tip about the food. I'll go buy a container. Geez, I guess the cats need one too. Poor things have probably been eating rotten food for 8 years...

[Judi W]

A fit dog, whether in competition or not should be in good physical condition and that means physical activity - sometimes vigorous especially for a youngster. It is the muscle that supports the skeletal system. Perhaps running from the living room to the food bowl is adequate exercise for a Pom, but not for a large breed dog.

Anyway, questions asked and answered. Do what you are going to do. I'm sure she is not going to die from nibbling all day. It is certainly not optimal either physically or mentally.................