Food. How many times a day?

Comments

• JessicaRabbit

  February 2008 edited November -1

  That is what I do and am planning to do with the puppy.
• Leonberger

  February 2008 edited November -1

  The timed thingy, you mean? Do they like it? I'm slightly worried about the lack of me or Nat associated with food. I know it's not the only time we'll spend bathing them with cuddles and attention and playing, but still, of course i would prefer to feed tem myself. I have to get a winning lottery ticket...
• BradA1878

  February 2008 edited November -1

  
  We feed out puppies (Loa and Kona) three times a day, we feed Hilo and Ahi two times a day and the Shibas are feed once a day.
  

  
  We have come to this plan due to the fact that the Shibas will stop eating if feed to ofter, well Maui will - Kaia will always eat but she it a bit plump so she is on a diet. Hilo is still a puppy but will not eat three times a day if we try so we just feed him twice a day. Ahi has always liked food, so we feed her twice, but really she could eat once and be fine - a lot of the times she will skip breakfast. The puppies are fed three times because they are puppies - we would feed Koan more often but he wouldn't eat that much. These breeds seem to do a good job of maintaining there preferred weight.
  

  
  When we had a puppy and we both worked full-time Jen and I would take turns driving home to feed the puppy at lunch time - so the puppy eat three times a day.
  
• MommyofNiko

  February 2008 edited November -1

  We feed twice.  We used to feed once a day but when Chad is gone I get home so late and felt horrible making them wait all day.  I have no idea how I will be able to do 3x when we get a puppy.  I dont get any breaks....We will have to stick to 2x.
• JessicaRabbit

  February 2008 edited November -1

  
  Not the times plating thing, the times a day thing. I actually have to be with them the whole time they eat because Moto eats faster than Piglet and will then try to steal her food and that is never pretty.
  

  
  I will do three times a day with the pup. I am having my sister come live with us for a couple months so that will make it easier to do the midday meal.
  

  
  Ugh, no kids for me, I have dogs.
  

  
  *sidenote*I did a wedding today. they asked if I had kids since I have been married for over 8 years. I answered "No, I am not a breeder. I leave that up to the pros." The bride actually did a spit take. I got champagne on me. 
  
• Heidi

  February 2008 edited November -1

  I feed mine once a day.  When Tojo was a puppy, his breeder told us to feed him twice a day, so that's what we did until we switched to once when he was an adult.  Now, I read that almost everyone says puppies should be fed 3-4 times a day and I've read a few people say it's cruel to make a dog only eat once a day.  I don't quite get it, though.  It seems to me that dogs shouldn't need to eat very often because in nature, they would gorge themselves occassionally but not actually eat very often.  Does anyone have any scientific information on this?
• brandon_w

  February 2008 edited November -1

  
  Nemo eats twice per day.  He would eat 30 times a day if I kept putting food down.  
  

  
   
  
• dlroberts

  February 2008 edited November -1

  
  Lucy eats twice a day. I have read on a number of Shiba sites (sorry, I'm not going to look up the references again) that puppy Shibas should be fed three times a day and adults twice a day.
  

  
  In general, I have heard that feeding twice a day is part of getting them on a good potty schedule. I don't know how valid that reason is though.
  
• Romi

  February 2008 edited November -1

  
  Jessica - thats hilarious! 
  

  
  Heidi - All the dogs i've ever had, I was always told to feed puppies 2 times a day and adults once a day also.  The breeder I got Portia from told me 2 times a day until she was 2 years old and then I can switch to once a day or keep the same schedule.  Ninja's breeder told me the same.
  

  
  So now im feeding them once in the morning and once at night. 
  

  
  BTW, when did you guys switch your pups from puppy food to adult food?  I was always told at 1 year to switch to adult.
  

  
   
  
• JessicaRabbit

  February 2008 edited November -1

  I switched at about 8 months.