As much as all trainers said not to, I do "free-feed" Sampson. They told me if he didn't eat in 10 minutes to pick it up, & he has to wait until dinner. My vet didn't like that idea.
He gets 3-4 cups of dry in the morning. At dinner, I top-it-off or refill depending upon what he's eaten during the day. If he hasn't touched it during the day at all, I mix in some soft food just to make it interesting. He had dropped almost 12 lbs, & the vet said to make sure he eats at least one meal a day. Now he's back to where he should be weight-wise.
Before Sam, I had a rottie. He had skin/allergy problems too. I can't remember which food he ate - it was something simple like Iams - I know I bought it at Petsmart. I remember going through 5-6 brands until I found one that didn't irritate him. I also used to spray his coat with a conditioner regularly in the winter which helped tremendously & it smelled good!
BTW- How'd the bed building go? Any luck?