Do You Feed At The Same Time Every Day?

[Kyra]

Our lot generally get fed around the same times everyday, they couldn't care less if they aren't, though.

We are night shift workers so our dogs get their breakfast at about 12pm and dinner around 2am

Edited May 8, 2009 by Kyra

[pebbles]

My guys get fed once a day, later in the summer than the winter. When I start to prepare my tea I feed the dogs, they have their meal in their pens and stay there until I've had my meal. If we are away for the day then feed time is whatever time we get home, could be midnight. Sort of a routine but they don't worry if it's changed as long as food arrives!

[OSoSwift]

My dogs get fed when it happens. I have seen some dogs get very distessed and cause themselves injury as a result of having a very fixed feeding time and then it not happening one night. I have fallen asleep on the lounge and the dogs have been fed at 3 am! Sometimes it's 7pm. They get fed once a day, except sometimes if they have a bone they might get put in the dog runs with that anywhere in the day(Rommi cannot relax to eat a bone if not in the dog run, I think she thinks aliens are going to come and steal it!)

[caffiend42]

My guys get fed twice a day - usually around 7ish, both am and pm. But if we have a sleep in or a walk on the beach in the morning it's later, and same again if we're not home yet in the evening. Although Indy gives nose bumps to us when he thinks it's time for dinner

One thing I've never figured out though are the calls to ensure you eat before your dogs to enforce pack hierarchy. The usual practice in disciplining a dog for some indiscretion is to tell it off immediately, because any longer and the dog won't associate the punishment with the crime. Same for feeding - if you've fed the dog first, and then feed yourself say 10 minutes later - the dog will think it's alpha? I don't buy it. How is it dumb enough not to associate discipline with a transgression after a short delay in the negative feedback, but smart enough to think it's alpha to you if it's been fed first?

[Kirty]

They get fed when I remember. Between 5-10pm. They never expect their meal which is nice. My grandparents used to feed their dog at a set time every day. We could be out for the day, and they'd rush home to feed Max. LOL!

[rijbiz]

Mornings are fairly routine, I feed them when I get back from taking the kids to school and they know it. Going beserk the minute the car pulls in the drive way and very put out if I make myself a coffee first

At night they get fed when I get around to it, always after we've eaten and it can be anytime from 7pm to 11pm. God help them if they disturb me in the middle of Greys Anatomy but they don't fuss at night so obviously having "no routine" is better for me

[Mim]

We are on a routine. Get fed around 5 everyday unless I can't until later, then it's no later than 7. The dogs can certainly tell when it's time for dinner and start coming to me or mum and whining and barking and wagging their tails. They don't like daylight saving because it means their body clocks are telling them it's dinner time but it's not.

[Stitch]

I feed at roughly the same time every day except when we go out of an evening.

I do this because it suits me this way, and I can get all my jobs done before dark.

I know that police dogs usually don't get fed at the same time every day and they can also miss a day.

I forget the thinking behind this but I was told by a police handler at one time.