Once Or Twice A Day?

[pie]

Half his meal in the morning and half in the evening.

[Norskgra]

Ours get fed twice a day....and the same amount at each fed.

The only time they are not fed is if we are going to a show...then the show dogs dont get the morning feed.

If we go to obedience or show training, they dont get fed until we return.

We do exactly the same.

[Asalei]

We feed half a cup in the morning and half at night.

[puggy_puggy]

Once a day in the evening. If it's bone day they will get that in the morning and then their meal in the evening.

[kelpiesrule]

I feed my adults once a day, usually at night. They are usually out longer in the afternoon than in the morning.. I usually feed them when I get home so that they have plenty of time to eliminate it at that time if they want to.. If I have dogs that are out during then day then I would feed in the morning.. But at this point in time, my dogs are put away while Im not home to keep them quiet. My dogs are usually fed at all different times at night, as 1: I dont want them dictating to me when they get fed and 2: as I train most nights and show on weekends, I can never feed them at the same time.

There are some interesting schools of thought on feeding at night, some friends feed their dogs their meal and then it is straight to bed, they were told by a friend that a dog that goes to bed on a full belly will be quieter and sleep better. Personally I prefer for my dogs to have a chance to empty out after a meal. I hate going to bed on a full tummy, so I dont see why my dogs should. Has anyone else heard about this?

[ShellyBeggs]

I use food to train but find it helps to give them a small meal a few hours beforehand if possible so they are not too hungry.

Otherwise their brains go to another planet when the bait bag comes out.

My dogs are fed twice a day.

meat in the morning and chicken frames or bones at night......so I can keep an eye on them.

They get these in their crate at their bedtime and don't go out until morning.

[rivergem]

I feed my adults once a day and my 8 month old twice a day, sometimes they will get another snacky item or food treats for training as well. I feed a raw diet - a variety of lamb necks, lamb trim, lamb breast, whole chickens, beef trim, beef heart, beef necks, sardines and anything else meat (pref on the bone) that I can find that's suitable. I also feed small amounts of organs - liver, kidneys, brain.

I am under the impression that dogs stomachs are intended to stretch out for large meals and this aids the digestion process - and that bloat isn't necessarily connected with once a day feedings... saying that I am still learning so if anyone has any information that states otherwise please point me in the right direction.

Jess

[MalteseLuna]

I free feed my dog - the vet advised me to because she is small and wasn't eating enough with set meal times. The vet was also of the opinion that if I free fed she wouldn't scavenge as much or be a glutton i.e. she only eats when she is hungry. That being said I don't see free feeding working for most people i.e. my parents pug but it works great for my dog

Free feed means I fill up her food bowl when it gets empty (about once a day) and she can eat over the whole day

[wagsalot]

Twice a day.

I give Riley biscuits in the morning. Sometimes he'll scoff them down straight away, and othertimes he won't touch until I get home from work.

Then he gets his main meal at night.

[kamuzz]

Ours get fed twice a day....and the same amount at each fed.

Ours too. We started this because of the number of foster dogs we had that needed two meals to pick up condition. It is easier to feed my two both meals and then they don't have to watch another dog eating.

[mixy]

The young ones get fed twice, but the older girl would look like a barrel if I fed her twice! The young guys burn off so much energy during the day they need to be fed twice or they start losing weight.

[rudie]

Ours get fed twice a day....and the same amount at each fed.

The only time they are not fed is if we are going to a show...then the show dogs dont get the morning feed.

If we go to obedience or show training, they dont get fed until we return.

We do exactly the same.

Same here!!

[TANYAGSD]

After nearly losing my german shepherd to bloat last year i feed my dogs twice a day now - morning and night.

[The Spotted Devil]

In the morning, I train Zig with steamed chicken/boiled egg/salmon/healthy commercial treats etc.

Main meal of either kibble (in puzzle cube/ball) or RMB is in the evening. The main reason is that the latest research for Dalmatians indicates that feeding one meal per day in the evening may reduce the incidence of breed specific urinary stone formation. Otherwise I would feed twice a day.

[JENCOL]

Currently my lot are getting fed twice a day, I am getting them ready for some shows so their exercise regime has increased alot so to maintain their body fat levels they get the 2 meals otherwise they would look like rakes. When they are over the big shows planned, then I will drop off their work regime and their meals will again drop to once a day. The big plus is I will again have the time and energy to do something other then work the dogs!