9 replies to this topic

[priscilla]

Born and reared with dogs (though they were lowly Laborador retrievers), and our dogs were always fed once a day. Seems like all border collie folks I hear feed their dogs twice a day. What's best -- and why?

[mbc1963]

I feed my dog twice a day. Not sure why - I guess we always fed our dogs twice a day when I was a kid. After I first got Buddy, he would vomit foamy bile during our afternoon walks (empty stomach), so I started feeding him before we went out. So, it's once early in the a.m. (about 5) and once again when I get home from work, between 3 and 5.

Mary

[SecretBC]

It's not a breed thing, it's more of a "this is how I was raised" thing.

Personally, I would never dream of feeding only one meal a day. It is not an inconvenience to me to feed my dogs twice a day. Puppies get fed three times a day.

My dogs eat on my schedule. Breakfast can be anywhere from 3:30 a.m. (if we are driving to an away trial) to 8:00 a.m. and dinner can be as early as 4:30 or as late as 10:00 p.m. They deal.

[Gideon's girl]

Gideon won't eat more than a biscuit in the morning, but I offer him food anyway. Micah (17 wks) eats three times a day, but I think he is thinking about going to two. At his age, if he stops eating a noon meal, I will give him a piece of meat or something I know he won't refuse so he has something on his stomach. Angel would eat 24/7 and happily explode, if we would let her.
Some people have been told that feeding once a day is how your supposed to feed dogs, because wolves didn't eat every day. I know a number of people who fast their dogs once a week for this reason. We don't allow our dogs to gorge themselves because wolves did it.

[Maralynn]

I feed once a day, usually close to bedtime. It's simple for me and the dogs do fine on it. But they often get training treats (usually kibble) here and there during the day.

When I just had one dog, I free fed kibble and she only ate every day and a half or so. I'd just fill the dish when it was empty and she always stayed the same healthy weight.

[KrisK]

I also feed once a day about 2 hours before bedtime...they seem fine with it. The puppy is getting fed 3 times daily. I think it's more a matter of what works for you rather than a breed issue.

[Aidan]

Aidan likes to eat late. We leave out kibble in a bowl for him to snack on anytime but rarely does he show much interest till just before or after we go to bed. Then it is the sound of crunch, crunch, crunch we nod off to.

[arf2184]

Mom and Dad our dogs as kids once a day (or they free fed) and it worked fine.

My dogs eat their daily meal a couple hours before dark. They snack on fruit/vegetable pulp from the juicer, grass, training treats, and leftovers throughout the day so really they eat several small portions during the day and one big portion in the evening.

[rudy s]

i like to feed in the evening then walk the dogs so they clean out then walk in the am they are ready to work

[WildFlower]

I feed twice a day but generally fast them one meal on Monday nights due to my schedule.

I really think that it is a personal preference coupled with how it works for your dogs.