Feeding time

Tia · 12-11-2012, 06:27 AM

Hi all

I was just wondering what everyone's thoughts and own experiences were in relation to feeding.

At what age do you cut from 3 feeds a day to 2? And I you do this... What age from 2 to 1? What meal time do you stick to and does this help with regularity of no 2's.

I am feeding Doug at the same times each day but noticing his toilet routine is quite random. He usually does 2 or 3 a day but timings are random. He will normally go in the morning when he wakes, sometimes after breakfast but other days not until around 6pm and then again after dinner. Sometimes straight after dinner other times just before bed. Hard to know!!

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krandall · 12-11-2012, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tia

Hi all

I was just wondering what everyone's thoughts and own experiences were in relation to feeding.

At what age do you cut from 3 feeds a day to 2? And I you do this... What age from 2 to 1? What meal time do you stick to and does this help with regularity of no 2's.

I am feeding Doug at the same times each day but noticing his toilet routine is quite random. He usually does 2 or 3 a day but timings are random. He will normally go in the morning when he wakes, sometimes after breakfast but other days not until around 6pm and then again after dinner. Sometimes straight after dinner other times just before bed. Hard to know!!

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We cut out Kodi's mid-day feeding when he started pretty consistently skipping it on his own. I don't remember his exact age, but I want to say around 5 months? He has always continued to eat twice a day. A few dogs choose, at some point, not to eat a second meal, and that is fine. But for most dogs who are not in regular, consistent training, Meals are one of the high points of their day. I wouldn't take another one away unless they lost interest themselves.

As far as consistent potty times are concerned, your guy is still VERY young. It will take a while for his body to develop its own rhythm. Kodi poops after breakfast, and (usually) again in the late afternoon, though occasionally he'll wait until after supper. Once in a great while, he won't have a second poop at all. Even less frequently, he'll have an extra one some time during the day. Once they are reliably potty trained, the "poop schedule" matters less. He tells us when he needs to go, and we go out and take care of it. If we can't take him out, he resorts to his litter box. (though he is reluctant to do that)

misstray · 12-11-2012, 10:02 AM

Brody will be 2 in February and he has never reliably wanted to give up one specific meal. He eats anywhere from 1-3 times a day depending on the day. For a while I thought he was going to give up the mid-day meal, but then he started wanting that again and now he's more liable to not eat his dinner time meal. When the weather first turned cold this year he was back to wolfing down 3 meals again.

In the end, I just give him the option to have his 3 meals and don't worry about it. Since I feed kibble, it's not a big deal as no food gets wasted.

Tia · 12-11-2012, 03:09 PM

Ok thanks. Good to know. We have been sticking with the three meals a day and sometimes he will eat every last bit and sometimes doesn't seem interested at all. I think it depends on what's going on around him.

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TilliesMom · 12-11-2012, 04:04 PM

we got Tillie at 14 weeks, so she was already eating 2 meals a day. She'll always have 2 meals a day because she is so little, her tummy just can't fit enough to last her all day.

spiffylike · 12-11-2012, 06:43 PM

Freddie has eaten two meals a day from the time I got him. I was concerned for a while that he wasn't eating at times, but lately he scarfs down everything I put in front of him. He's going to be a little piggie and I'm going to have to watch his intake at some point lol.

Tia · 12-11-2012, 10:57 PM

haha thats good he is eating plenty lol I think Doug gets distracted too eaisly so once he stops eating he wont go back and eat and we dont leave his food around for too long anyway as we don't want him thinking its all in his own time lol

BennyBoy · 12-12-2012, 06:00 AM

Benny was always too busy to eat, so cutting down from 3 to 2 was very easy... he never noticed. I don't have any plans to go down to one meal a day, I don't know why I think this, but I think smaller dogs need to eat twice a day.

As for pooping, Benny usually goes first thing in the morning when I let him out to pee (around 6:30), if not then, then after breakfast. He will go once or twice more later in the day, but since he is out in the yard with the kids so much, I don't really notice. All I know is he never goes in the house and there is a lot of poop in my yard, so he's certainly going!

BennyBoy · 12-12-2012, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tia

haha thats good he is eating plenty lol I think Doug gets distracted too eaisly so once he stops eating he wont go back and eat and we dont leave his food around for too long anyway as we don't want him thinking its all in his own time lol

I used to feed Benny in his crate so he wouldn't get distracted.. worked well

Tia · 12-13-2012, 05:21 PM

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences. He has been going really good the past few days with his toilet training! He seems to take himself off through the doggy door and comes back in when he is done. I am just worried about Christmas as my husband is going away to his granparents and taking Doug with him - minus a doggy door I am not sure how he will go as we don't know what his signal is for asking "please take me outside" probably a downfall of the doggy door.