FEEDING ROUTINES

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What is a good feeding routine?

Ideally, dogs of all sizes should be fed twice a day.  Their behaviour at feeding time should be:  sit, stay while you put the bowl down, wait for your direction to go ahead, and then eat all the food from the bowl with enthusiasm.  Food should *NEVER* be left on the floor for the dog to finish throughout the day.

Why is a good feeding routine important?

A good feeding routine is the foundation of the owner/dog relationship.  When the dog understands that food (his most valued resource) is under the control of the owner, it tells him in a very clear way who he should look to for direction.

Another reason for a twice-a-day feeding routine is that it is *not boring.*  Remember that dogs in the wild are evolved to work very hard for their daily food.  It is an instinctually programmed trait.  Food is supposed to be an event!  Dogs that are fed free-choice lack the excitement and pleasure that could be had from their meals.  Owners that free-feed their dogs are missing out on an opportunity to add more fun to their dog's day.

When a dog is fed properly, they are more interested in the treats that you use for training.  A good feeding routine will allow true portion control, unlike a free-choice routine where it is difficult to know how much the dog is eating.

A good feeding routine will allow the first symptoms of many illnesses (lack of appetite and changes in stool habits) to be noticed earlier, and will keep your dog at a healthier weight.  Nearly all dogs that are fed free-choice become overweight.

Here's how to get your dog from free-feeding to the ideal. 

No More Buffet!

The first order of business is to pick up that food bowl.  The water dish can stay down all the time, but the food bowl comes UP.  Make sure that the dog has no other access to food such as cat food, other dog's food, etc.

1. Place food portion in bowl.  Do not call dog or try to get his attention when you are doing so.  Place food bowl on floor, again without any special recognition of the dog.  Set your egg timer for 10 minutes.

2. If the dog goes to food, gets a few bites, then leaves, pick up food bowl immediately.

3. If dog does not approach food bowl (this is the more likely to happen), pick up food bowl after 10 minutes.

4. Next opportunity for eating is at the next meal.  Period.

Your dog will likely miss 3-4 meals (that's two to three days total).  You must not give in and feed the dog, attempt to get the dog to eat, try to hand-feed the dog, or let anyone else tell you that what you are doing is a sin!  Soon your dog will realize that the buffet is closed and will become more interested in his food.  Keep following the rules above until your dog is eating up his whole portion as soon as you put it down.  You may have to play with amounts to discover how much food your dog actually needs.  In general, you should not follow the portion advice on the dog food bag...they want to sell dog food and consistently tell you to feed too much.

After your dog is eating his whole portion, you will begin asking the dog for a sit/stay while you put the food bowl down.  Then, stand up and wait for your dog to make eye contact with you.  Quickly then tell the dog to go eat.  Do not allow the dog to "break" to his food. 

What about "people food?"

Contrary to what you may have heard or what your vet might tell you, allowing your dog to enjoy leftovers is *not* a bad thing, under the right circumstances.  Fresh, healthy food is *good* for your dog.  When a dog is fed kibble and only kibble, they lack the flora and fauna in their intestines to be able to digest other foods.  This means that if they do get into something different, they will probably have a digestive upset. Just like in humans, some variation in the diet is good.  The staple diet of kibble should not be changed unless there is trouble with it (do not buy a different brand every time, for example).  Stick with the same brand of kibble, and supplement. 

Some things to consider when giving "people food":

• Chocolate is toxic to dogs.  Even if you have given it before with no noticeable reaction, your dog's system can build up toxicity, meaning that at some future date there *could* be a reaction.

• Potatoes with skins can be toxic to dogs.

• Dark green vegetables are very good for dogs but must be well-mashed for the dog to be able to digest the nutrients--their short digestive tracts will just pass them through otherwise.

• Meat and meat juices are of course a lovely addition, but be careful not to give so much that the dog's system is overwhelmed by the rich fats and proteins.

• DO NOT give cooked bones (the t-bone from a steak, etc).  Cooked bones splinter easily and you risk death of the dog or possibly a $2000.00 abdominal surgery.  Raw bones are fine as long as they are large enough that the dog has to gnaw on them and cannot swallow large chunks.

• Yoghurt adds beneficial bacteria to their gut, allowing dogs to digest food better.  A couple of tablespoons of good plain yoghurt mixed with dry kibble is an excellent daily routine.

• Stay away from sugary items as they aren't good for them (just like us!)

• If you are supplementing with larger amounts of fresh food, reduce the kibble portion for that day.

• Use fresh food to stuff KONGS (see below for instructions)

Fun with Kongs 

After your dog is doing well with this, you can begin doing the same thing with stuffed Kongs instead of his food bowl.  Try to give at least 1 Kong per day for a few weeks, then taper it off to randomly.  Stuffed Kongs allow the dog to work for his food, which provides much-needed mental stimulation.   Want to know how to stuff a Kong?  See the Kong-Stuffing article.

What About Puppies?

Puppies under the age of 7 weeks should be fed more often.  From 7 weeks to around 12 weeks, use routine as above except three times a day instead of two.  If you have a toy breed, consult with your breeder or veterinarian on proper feeding routines for puppies as some tiny breeds can have blood sugar problems at young ages.