# How often do you feed your Chi?



## Thor (Apr 20, 2012)

So I have been reading that most people feed their dogs once or twice a day. I give my little guy a bottomless bowl. He doesn't ever chow down like he's starving and he is still as lean as the day I got him. I read that giving them a portion however many times a day can cause stress and anxiety. And I certainly don't want him begging or eating anything that he finds. I guess I just wonder why people feed their dogs only certain times a day as opposed to an unlimited amount. 

Can't wait to read what/why everyone feeds their pup the way they do.


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## Jennmay (Dec 31, 2011)

.I have always free fed my dogs but Zoe is the only one that packed on pounds from it. My dogs do not eat all the food I put out they graze. I fill a small bowl for them each but Zoe is eating Holly's puppy food more than her own so it is making her gain weight. I am going to switch them to an all life stage food though over a gradual period so maybe she will loose a couple pounds. But I think most do the x a day do that so they do not put on to much weight.


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

I free fed until Toby was 6 months old. Then he went to three times a day. Now we are transitioning to 2 times a day. I'll feed him twice a day and some nutrical or a treat at lunch time.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

I feed Gemma 3 times a day at 14.5 weeks old. I have found that withholding the food until meal times makes her actually want to eat more, which is good because I've had problems with her since day 1 eating enough. I also moisten her kibble with water and add a little nutrical to the water so it gets the flavor from it that she loves. I don't like to leave old wet kibble down all day so I make it fresh for her three times a day and she usually eats it all. If she walks away and doesn't come back within 15 minutes to finish what she has left, I toss it and she has to wait until next meal time. I've tried leaving a plate of plain dry kibble down all day and she doesn't really go for it. She prefers it moistened.

It's also easier for me to know when to expect her to need to poop by having her eat on a schedule. If I know she's had a full meal and hasn't pooped yet, I am extra watchful with her to make sure she goes potty on her pad.

Edit: And she eats Acana grain-free kibble in the Grasslands flavor, if you were interested in knowing.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

It's also easier for me to keep track of how much she's eating by monitoring her meals so I make sure she is eating enough.


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## EmberLuvu (Oct 24, 2011)

We feed Ember once a day.


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## okchic (May 4, 2012)

Carlos never would eat out of a bowl, so I give him a little of his kibble in the early am.He won't eat much then. I leave a couple of treats in his Kong toy. He eats well in the evening when I get home from work. He has never been a big eater..


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## LaceyGirl (Jan 10, 2012)

Lacey gets a meal in the morning and a meal at night. If she's particularly hungry-looking midday, she'll get a small snack. I only feed 3 full meals if I notice she is losing weight.


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Whether it comes to my own dogs who are raw fed, or my rescues who are 
on Acana, all are fed twice per day, morning and evening. It helps avoid overeating 
since the amounts are carefully calculated to meet the needs of each dog. It
also helps create structure, all of the dogs eat at the same time as the others,
all are told to sit before they get their meal. And this type of feeding increases
bonding with the owner, especially with certain rescues we get it is important
for them to learn to respect and obey the one who provides the food. It is also
an excellent way to help monitor your dog's health, it gives you a way to monitor 
their appetite, which comes in handy when they are ill. And in a case of a puppy, 
scheduled, portioned meals help tremendously with potty training.


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## thatrandomgirl (Mar 4, 2012)

I feed twice a day, but now I'm intrigued. I've always heard that it's best to feed on a schedule rather than free feed. Does it really improve with things like begging and scavenging? My girl is a little shark around food.


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

We feed Odie twice a day (in the morning and at dinner time). She would be totally find being free fed because she doesn't overeat, but we add water and wet food to the mix and it obviously gets mushy and gross after awhile so she gets a fresh meal for dinner. When she was a new puppy we always had watered kibble available to her, and she would eat a couple of kibble every couple of hours, and then gradually moved to three feedings a day all on her own. She also decided on her own to move to two meals a day. We also feed a raw meal a few times a week as a treat and enrichment, and obviously we need to be around for that, so a scheduled time is great. She sleeps with us, and we keep a tiny bowl of dry kibble on the foot board of our bed so she can have a snack during the night if she needs to (she gets an upset tummy if she doesn't keep snacking throughout the day). 

She doesn't eat all of her meal at once, but kind of goes back to it here and there. We always put a little too much in the bowl, because we don't want to underfeed. She has a muscular, athletic build but is a skinny minny. 

I think it really depends on the dog. Some dogs are probably fine being free fed, but I really do believe in adding water to kibble.


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## chili (May 27, 2011)

Chili (20 weeks old) I give him 1/4 cup of dry in the morning and it takes him till afternoon to eat that, then if it is gone by dinner time I put another 1/4 cup down. that sometimes lasts all night and sometimes he has it gone by bed time. If he gets to where he eats his meals fast I will still just feed in the morning and the evening. Him eating so slow makes it harder for me to bring him to work with me because he will get hungy while we are there and there are other dogs at my job.


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