Author Topic: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???  (Read 25875 times)

Offline pndlake

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #15 on: May 20, 2005, 01:38:33 pm »
I tried free feeding but after awhile Niki gained too much weight.  I think how you feed depends on what you want to accomplish.  I like to keep her a little hungry during the day.  She works and gets treats during the day (I use a variety of doggie treats).  If she isn't  hungry, she works VERY slowly. She is fed at night.  Everybody's dog and what they are doing, is different thus feeding methods are different.  I do not like being a big know-it-all so I remain open to other ideas.   :-*
Peggy

Luvmydanes

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #16 on: May 20, 2005, 01:44:51 pm »
We schedule feed Dane. Morning and night. He usually is always done after 10 minutes or so. Jasmine eats very very slow as it is, so we have been leaving what we give her down, and thats all she gets all day. I hope I never have to experience bloat, it scares the daylights out of me.

Kandi

Offline pndlake

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #17 on: May 20, 2005, 01:52:37 pm »
I have experienced bloat but never with a dog.  I lost a ewe (sheep)
to it last year.  I have saved them from it too but it required an all nighter walking the barn.  I suppose a Great Dane is like that too - not fun.   :(
Peggy

GYPSY JAZMINE

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #18 on: May 26, 2005, 06:12:59 pm »
Samson gets a measured amount of food everyday & i used to leave it out all day long...He never really touched it until evening though which is what his breeder said he did when he was there too...So now he gets the same measured amount but I don't put it out until supper time...He never wolfs it down...It usually takes him until sometime during the night to finish...When he finishes I don't know because it is after I am sleeping for the night.

Offline fcsantos

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #19 on: July 02, 2005, 12:24:42 am »
We never free feed. Our dog trainer said it creates bad habits the main one being that we can't predict when she will go to the bathroom. So we feed our baby three times a day about 2 cups of food and she is very happy with it and so are we, at this crucial potty training stage we need to control her eating.

Offline DCMastiffs

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #20 on: July 02, 2005, 04:57:23 am »
2 if my dogs actaully stayed a bit too thin when I free fed.  I now feed 2X/day, with a little water and tiny bit of satin balls mixed in.  With free feeding, I look at it this way...say you're on a diet, and don't want to overeat.  You eat a piece of toast for breakfast, an apple mid-morning, a small lucnh, snack mid afternoon, small dinner, small snack in the evening.  You never really get hungry, so you never really eat a lot.  When I free fed, it was the same with my droolies.  They'd get a mouthful here or there, and never really eat a full meal.  I fed less then, because they all (well, 3 of them) ate less overall.  Would've been fine, except that I show, and had scrawny looking Mastiffs.  I like to keep them on the lean side anyways, but not that much.  Everyone's at a perfect weight now, and I KNOW if someone's not feeling up to par immediately, just by monitoring their bowls everyday.

Offline TwoNewfies

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #21 on: July 02, 2005, 09:44:12 am »
We don't free fed. I measure out their food every day and they eat in morning and late afternoon.  Of course Rocco would eat all day if there was food out for him, he tries to eat Bella's food so I really have to watch.  When we had our last dog, a golden, we began free feeding him and didnt realize how much he was consuming daily.  He became a bit overweight and we were told we had to measure out his food by the vet, because he was too heavy, and coild develop health problems.  That was years ago and we've stayed in the habit of measuring the food.  It helps me to know too how much both are eating, so I'm not guessing.
Gina

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Offline button-kite

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #22 on: September 19, 2005, 07:51:40 am »
Well if a female is pregnant or nurseing you should free feed since it takes more than normal to give the nutrients they need. Also depends on what type of dog food you use. Some are better than others. Also by feeding more than once or keeping food avaliable can cut the chances down of them  getting bloat especially on big dogs.

Offline RedyreRottweilers

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #23 on: September 19, 2005, 08:20:45 am »
NO.

NO NO NO NO NO.

Free feeding is NOT natural for dogs. Dogs are genetically designed and programmed, like all canids, to eat when food is available. This is a survival instinct for wild animals. They MUST eat when food is available, and most will gorge themselves.

When you free feed, you dampen this instinct, and you can create a dog who will NOT eat properly when it needs to.

In addition, you cannot accuately judge how much your dog is eating. Healthy dogs eat vigourously with good appetite. Not eating well or being off food is one of the main signs of illness or distress in your dog. With free fed dogs, you may lose valuable early detection of a problem.

I never ever recommend free feeding.
Redyre Rottweilers
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GYPSY JAZMINE

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #24 on: September 20, 2005, 07:48:02 am »
I've taken to giving my guys a measured amount of food each day & just leaving it out...I put some in in the morning & give them the rest of their allowed amount of food in the evening...I don't take it up anymore though...My guys tend to graze...I'd say only 2 days of the weeks they actually finish everything in their bowl by morning...If I add some yummies they are more apt to finish but not always.

Offline Kirsten

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #25 on: September 20, 2005, 01:16:03 pm »
I've taken to giving my guys a measured amount of food each day & just leaving it out...I put some in in the morning & give them the rest of their allowed amount of food in the evening...I don't take it up anymore though...My guys tend to graze...I'd say only 2 days of the weeks they actually finish everything in their bowl by morning...If I add some yummies they are more apt to finish but not always.

that is word for word what we do with shakespeare.  Occasionally when he does finish all his food for the day early, and seems real hungry still, he gets extra, then wakes up taller all of the sudden.

Kiahpyr

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #26 on: September 20, 2005, 01:17:33 pm »
I free feed Kiah because if I don't she eats to fast and throws it back up. I do keep a close eye on her weight.

Offline Kirsten

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #27 on: September 20, 2005, 01:27:12 pm »
yeah, it is crazy how fast they can grow sometimes.

Offline Tulsas' Dad

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #28 on: September 20, 2005, 01:55:43 pm »
Tulsa is a grazer.
I put out her 2 cups in the morning, and 2 cups in the early evening.
She finishes everthing by the next morning.
Of course she gets treats.
The weight watchers Salisbury Steak is her fave. I have never seen a dog who would eat green beans before the meat!
And I adjust to that.
I want to hold her at 90 Lbs.
And she looks good!
John
The scientific name for an animal that doesn't either run from or fight its enemies, is Lunch.--Michael Friedman

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: FREE FEEDING OR NOT???
« Reply #29 on: September 20, 2005, 05:50:08 pm »
Keiko used to be a free feeder, until we got Gunther.  Then she got afraid he would eat her food, so she chowed down on it right away. 

The pros?  I have them both on a schedule and don't have to worry about her eating too much.

The cons?  B/c Keiko is no longer free feeding, her metabolism has slowed down b/c she eats it all at once (fed twice a day) instead of throughout the day.  She gained 5 lbs pretty much right after we got Gunther and has yet to lose it.