Timed Feeding Once a Day or Twice?

[JessW]

For those that are doing timed feeding, do you feed once a day or twice? Why?

[1vizsla]

Twice a day (two small meals).I was told it was better for the dog especially deep chested or dogs prone to bloat. Of course nothing is proven or guaranteed but it is still something we do.

Carla

[nj gsp]

twice a day, on a regular schedule.

Why? Well, we eat more than once a day, right? So it won't hurt the dogs to eat less more often as well.

Also, for bloat prevention as Carla said. We've been through that twice, it's not fun and costs mucho $$.

The exception to this is when bird dog goes hunting, she gets about 1/4 her normal ration -provided there is at least an hour of wait time before we hunt. Otherwise, she gets nothing until we're done and she cools off.

[JessW]

I have 5 dogs. A westie that is free-fed. A Setter that is fed about 1 1/2 cups twice a day on a schedule. She rarely eats her morning offering but always eats at 5:00.

I have 3 GSPs that are fed 2 cups in the morning and then 2 cups again at 5:00.

The two youngest just left to go to the trainer's and he will only be feeding them once a day in the evening. I was wondering what, if anything, the benefit to this would be. My husband was thinking about moving all the dogs to a once a day feeding schedule since the setter and the westie would not be effected and the girls will probably be used to it by the time they get home.

That just leaves one dog to re-train if we decided to go that route.....he is such a food monger, though, I am afraid it might be kind of traumatic for him.

Don't want to worry or mess with it if there is not a strong argument for it.

[IANative]

My research has suggested that, as an adult, one evening feeding per day is optimal. Forgive me for being able to cite my source, but the logic was as follows...

Hitorically/genetically/anthropologically (pick your adjective) dogs in the wild would hunt, make a kill, feed, lay up for a day(s) to digest/rest, hunt again. When hunting, they'd burn stored energy from their previous feeding(s).

Fast forward to today's domesticated (but genetically similar, so the argument goes) hunting companions. The reasoning given was that due to a dog's higher metabolic rate and "hotter furnace," or higher internal body temps, feeding in the morning- especially on working days- is dangerous due to the possibility of overheating. Premium dog food is formulate to be digested slowly, and a dog's internal workings heat up from digestion alone, so working a dog who's also trying to digest his last meal can lead to an overheating situation.

Much like his wild forebearers, the argument was to best accomdate a million years of genetics, feed your dog his full ration of kibble in the evening, let him rest/digest overnight, and work off his stored energy the following day.

I'd be interested to hear some educated, informed feedback on this theory.

[ohiogsp]

I feed once a day in the evening about 5-6 o'clock.

[nitrex]

1x per day aroung 5:00pm.

Nitrex

[nj gsp]

My research has suggested that, as an adult, one evening feeding per day is optimal. Forgive me for being able to cite my source, but the logic was as follows...

Hitorically/genetically/anthropologically (pick your adjective) dogs in the wild would hunt, make a kill, feed, lay up for a day(s) to digest/rest, hunt again. When hunting, they'd burn stored energy from their previous feeding(s).

Fast forward to today's domesticated (but genetically similar, so the argument goes) hunting companions. The reasoning given was that due to a dog's higher metabolic rate and "hotter furnace," or higher internal body temps, feeding in the morning- especially on working days- is dangerous due to the possibility of overheating. Premium dog food is formulate to be digested slowly, and a dog's internal workings heat up from digestion alone, so working a dog who's also trying to digest his last meal can lead to an overheating situation.

Much like his wild forebearers, the argument was to best accomdate a million years of genetics, feed your dog his full ration of kibble in the evening, let him rest/digest overnight, and work off his stored energy the following day.

I'd be interested to hear some educated, informed feedback on this theory.

Generally speaking, dogs (Canis domesticus) never existed or had to survive in the wild. Wolves did, and all dogs today are descended from wolves.

I don't think it is necessarily appropriate to compare nutritional or feeding needs of domestic dogs with wolves:

"Wolves require at least 3.7 pounds of meat per day for minimum maintenance. Reproducing and growing wolves may need 2-3 times this much. It has been estimated that wolves consume around 10 pounds of meat per day, on average. However, wolves don't actually eat everyday. Instead, they live a feast or famine lifestyle; they may go several days without a meal and then gorge on over 20 pounds of meat when a kill is made." ( http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/basic/ ... te_dep.asp )

While there may be many reasons for feeding a dog either once or twice a day, what it probably really amounts to is personal preference. I know I wouldn't want to feed our dogs like wolves!

Some of our dogs obsess enough on food as it is; experience has proven to us it is worse if they are only fed once per day. There is nothing wrong with feeding your dog once per day; some vets recommend it, some don't.

[original mngsp]

I always love the connection theory of our dogs going back to the wolves. I know this is where they all came from but I have seen in my own pack an interesting development.

My old GWP I'm convinced I could take up into the some remote area, say the BWCA, and she would survive and revert more to the "wolfish" state.

On the otherhand the GSP I have owned I'm pretty certain would starve to death in 2-3 weeks.

Not sure if this observation has any scientific backing or merit.

Btw, I feed 2 times daily. 7 AM and 5 PM.

[ezzy333]

I jusr read the other day that the zoo feeds their wolf pack once a week. I think you will find either will work but once a day is plenty if thats the way it works best for yu. And yes, I think the night feeding is better.

Ezzy

[AZ Brittany Guy]

I feed once a day usually around 3PM when there training is done in the morning. At trials if they run in the afternoon, I try to wait about 2 hours before feeding. One thing I notice is they have a routine of taking a 1 hour nap after eating.

[nj gsp]

I jusr read the other day that the zoo feeds their wolf pack once a week. I think you will find either will work but once a day is plenty if thats the way it works best for yu. And yes, I think the night feeding is better.

Ezzy

There is a wolf preserve in NJ ( http://www.lakotawolf.com/index.htm ), I think they have 27 wolves. They feed them 3-5 pounds of deer meat every day. They say the reason for this is it keeps them happy, there is less competition and fighting between them, and they are able to maintain each wolf in good health more easily.

They take donated and road kill deer, gut them out, freeze them, then cut them into 3-5 pound chunks with a band saw; hair, bone and all. The only part of a deer a wolf won't eat are the antlers and teeth.

[IANative]

"The only part of a deer a wolf won't eat are the antlers and teeth."

Sounds like a lab I used to have...

[Maverick]

I only feed puppies more then once a day, after they hit a year old I start them on a once a day feeding. We feed around 6 every day.

Mav......

[earlthepearl]

I feed all of my dogs 2 times a day. 6AM and 5PM. On days that I am working with them I dont feed them until after we are done.

[Yawallac]

"The only part of a deer a wolf won't eat are the antlers and teeth."

Sounds like a lab I used to have...

Sounds like a wife I used to have...

Sorry, once a day around 5:00PM.

[WildRose]

Once daily always in the evening. The exception to this is that on extended trips away where we're hunting the dogs hard every day I'll give them a few bites in the morning and a snack at midday as well.

Normal routine work and hunting though once daily keeps them in very good shape. CR

[nj gsp]

"The only part of a deer a wolf won't eat are the antlers and teeth."

Sounds like a lab I used to have...

Sounds like a wife I used to have...

Now that's funny right there; I don't care who you are!

[JessW]

...except maybe the wife!

[3Britts]

I feed once a day at 4pm.
Why? Have you ever seen a dog at trial after it has been fed? Put it this way. You eat a full meal and start running for 30 to 60 minutes.
I will say that if it is really cold and the dogs are not going anywhere that day, I will give them a bit extra food in the morning.

[Kiki's Mom]

Once in the evenings. The pups get fed 2x a day...

Dogs running/training on a full stomach are sluggish and lack luster in their performance. Better performance and overall sparkle with evening feedings.

[grousehunter08]

I feed twice a day 5am and 6pm 2cups at each feeding

[bnjburgess]

I feed 1 X day in the morning about 7am unless it's a hunt or trial day, then they just get a bite and are fed after their workout. I used to feed in the PM but I have problems with my dogs eating their feces during the day. feeding in the am helps this problem.

[BoJack]

Once a day.

[raptor5618]

very interesting. It has been a while since I had a dog but the preferred method then was to just have food available all the time. I have a 6 month old pup so I feed it twice a day. Seems like once a day feeing is prefered.

[ezzy333]

You can feed a dog anyway you like that he does well on. Once or twice a day will both work. And self feeding will work for some dogs but the handfeeding is better because it helps you keep tract of how much he is eating everyday.

Ezzy

[BoJack]

Once

[gozz21]

twice a day, 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.

[AZ Brittany Guy]

You can feed a dog anyway you like that he does well on. Once or twice a day will both work. And self feeding will work for some dogs but the handfeeding is better because it helps you keep tract of how much he is eating everyday.

Ezzy

Ezzy, To add to your self feeding comment, when you hand feed, you support your leadership position in the pack according to Rick and Ronnie Smith.

[Killer Instinct]

Twice - 6 am & 2 pm.....

[megschristina]

I feed once a day. Don't really have a reason other than that is the guaranteed time I will be there EVERY day. I am in college, so my schedule is pretty crazy.

[phermes1]

Twice a day, 7 am and 7 pm.

3 of our dogs would probably be fine with once a day, but with Patriot, he seems to maintain his weight much better when fed twice a day.

[JasonW77]

Normally twice a day, once around 6am and 6pm. But she usually only eats once

[perezalf]

I feed my dogs once a day 7:00am. I would do two times a day but the birds would eat the second serving. And with once a day feeding they finish all the food.

[ceadmin]

Puppy - morning and night feed, 6am/6pm
9 months+ - one evening feed at 6pm

I have 2 brits: the older 6.5 yr old gets 1 evening feed or when she succeeds in stealing food from the pup in the morning. However, the pup is about 10 months old now and I switched her over to once a day now, in the evening.

[cheetome]

Twice a day. I tried once a day for a while but the dogs seemed to be starving by the time I feed to them the next day. I also heard as posted earlier that deep chested dogs should be fed more than 1 time a day due to bloat. I feed around 7am and again around 7pm accept when I plan on hunting the next day then I only feed the night before I do give a little more food at that feeding as well.