POLL- How many times a day do you feed?

[juliepoudrier]

Oops, Mark reminded me that I also feed my maremma twice a day, but that's mainly because she was a rescue who was very people shy and feeding her twice a day keeps her coming up to me so I can check on her, etc.

 

J.

[Chesney's Girl]

Both of mine get fed once in the evening.

[Lana]

We feed the collies and the LGD once a day. LGD are feed in am when i check sheep, and Border Collies at night. Pups are feed 2-3 times a day. If dogs are working that day i don't like them to work on a full stomach. I do give malto/energy edge a few times during the day if it is all day work.

 

Lana

[Laura L]

The Border Collies are fed twice a day and the LGDs are fed once a day.

 

Laura

[SoloRiver]

Mine eat twice a day unless I forget to feed them breakfast (I am not such a stickler about schedules) and the morning meal is usually small. They get fed "whenever" and the time of day that they eat is not all that consistent, but I usually try to provide the evening meal around 7 PM. They generally go out for the last time between 10 and midnight, and are good until the next morning.

[stockdogranch]

Once a day in the evening; the exceptions are pups and those who need to put weight on,

A

[Shetlander]

Twice

[Eileen Stein]

Twice, except that I may skip a morning meal if I know that dog is going to be working fairly hard over the next couple of hours.

[sweet_ceana]

Mine are fed once in the evening. They do get "breakfast" every once in while when I feel like preparing extra eggs or we buy them cottage cheese etc... They don't get breakfast more than twice a week though. Puppies get fed twice a day, one evening meal and a decent sized training session with a meal that is worked for. All get snacks throughout the day with training and games. Poke has toys with food in them becuse he didn't like to eat, until recently.

 

Oh, and dinner rotates time because Mr. Poke is far too good at telling time. He has been known to go and get a bowl, pick it up and repeatedly slam it onto the floor when dinner time becomes consistent.

[geonni banner]

Twice. Dry kibble 9:00 AM & 4:00 PM. Raw beef w/ 4 PM kibble. Extras as they occur.

[kelpiegirl]

'Tis true then, everyone has their own "plan" I feed twice day, even though growing up, we always fed the dogs once a day- at night.

 

I have two dogs who get acid reflux, or some such issue if I don't feed twice a day. I have one old boy who is big, and I can't imagine giving him just one meal (it would be near 4 cups at a time), and the youngsters, well, they would just DIE if I only fed once per day. Would be nice though....

[Carson Crazies]

Twice here too. I often fast them one evening meal per week excepting ones that need to gain weight.

[NorthfieldNick]

Twice a day generally. Usually kibble am and raw pm. If Nick is getting something big like a half-rack of lamb ribs, I won't feed him the next morning, or very little. He's on meds, but they don't require food to take. At the end, I was feeding Lu anytime she wanted to eat, and whatever she she wanted to eat, but that was a special case.

[Rave]

Once around 9-10pm for adults, twice for puppy (times vary).

[Alaska]

When we are backpacking for more than a couple of days at a stretch, the dogs get two equal (kibble) meals morning and evening. In between those meals they are exercising steadily and have unlimited access to relieve themselves.

 

When I am at work (going to the office to work, that is), the dogs get one (raw) meal in the evening, a pattern set when they had to be crated for long periods while I was working. I didn't feel it was fair to fill their bellies when they had no way to relieve themselves. They now have free access to a fenced yard all day, but I still feed only in the evening. Our morning time together is reserved for a short but intense Chuckit workout, and just as I would not eat right after a workout, I don't feed my dogs a meal while their metabolisms are still cooling down (they do get a small treat before I leave).

 

Also, I often vary the evening mealtime by several hours or more. Sometimes the dogs eat before the humans and sometimes after. Sometimes the evening walk comes before the meal, but occasionally it doesn't. I feel that letting mealtimes and their associated rituals vary helps dogs avoid becoming dependent on a certain routine, which is important for our itinerant lifestyle. It seems to work. My dogs are enthusiastic eaters, but they give no sign of anticipating a meal until I actually begin the preparation.

[bcnewe2]

Twice

am 1/2 cup kibble, pm big bowl of raw whatever.

LGD just went down to once a day. She isn't hungry in the am.

I'm a feeder and I try hard not to overfeed. I was home for the holiday and I realize it's a family thing. My parents are the biggest "feeders" I've ever seen. My pants are tight!

[mum24dog]

I feel that letting mealtimes and their associated rituals vary helps dogs avoid becoming dependent on a certain routine, which is important for our itinerant lifestyle.

 

I think it's important whatever one's lifestyle - especially for a breed that so easily gets obsessive about routine.

 

Pam

[jrid]

During warm months my Border Collies eat once a day in the evening. During cold months I feed morning and evening because my dogs are outside in their runs during the day and I figure they need some calories to stay warm. My Rat Terriers are generally on the same schedule as the Border Collies.

[bskeeter]

Twice a day.

[geezer bird]

i feed raw and they get fed about 5 days in every 7 at whatever time.

just so you dont think i starve them, if they have chicken today they will have a whole chicken each, and really dont want anything the next day or 2.

i feed when they are hungry, they are good at knowing when they need food.

works for us!