# Am I the only one who free feeds?



## Madeleinesmommy (Nov 30, 2012)

I saw Ashley's post about switching her pup's feeding schedule and I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong by free feeding our dogs? The reason I free feed Maddie is because she is a very small eater. She'll take a bite and then leave the food dish. When she was a puppy, she would wake up in the middle of the night whining for food so now I keep food and water on the floor at night.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

I free feed my dogs. Well, one doesn't but that's because I have her on a diet


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

I used to free feed years ago. Now I never do. I have found that the cons far outweigh the pros to free-feeding. 

First off, many dogs that free-feed become obese. Even if that is not an issue now, it often will become one when dogs hit middle age. 

If a dog is a finicky eater it can actually be more difficult to encourage them to eat when they know it is out all the time. If they know that the food is out on scheduled times then they usually will adjust to eating on those schedules. 

Knowing if a dog is eating is much easier if they have scheduled meal times. Free feeding you may not see right away when the appetite has gone off which is the first indication when something has gone wrong health-wise. For those of us with multiple dogs, free feeding is especially tricky since you can not monitor which dogs are eating the food as easily. If you ever plan to add another dog to your house, this would require some consideration. 

If you ever want to train your dogs, free fed dogs tend to be less motivated by food rewards (as the food is always available). Also, while your dog may be beyond this issue, free feeding makes potty training accidents more likely during the training phase because it is harder to keep track of a potty schedule. 

One of my biggest concerns is that leaving food out all time is an invitation to bacteria, insects and other pests. 

If you want to have something down for your girl all the time, I would encourage you to set meal times, and have a puzzle treat dispensing toy out at other times.


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

I used to free feed Obi because he's more of a grazer but it's always a set amount each day. i would put out breakfast and he'd take all day to eat it. Then, I'll put out dinner and he'll slowly finish that too. Once the food is gone, it's gone. I wouldn't replenish the bowl. BUT, since we got our second dog, Owen, I put them more on a twice/day schedule and pick up the food if it's not eaten. Obi actually eats better this way now that he sees Owen eatin-- Owen is a little piggy who will eat Obi's food if not watched. I think the biggest concern of free-feeding without portion control is Obesity. If it's a set amount of food and you only have one dog, then it should be okay.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

I used to free feed, but as I got more dogs, it was hard to monitor who ate what. I think that Hardy was eating all the time, and the others were not eating enough. I feed twice a day, and I can see who eats what and how much.


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## luvmybabe (Dec 30, 2012)

I free feed Yoshie cuz he is so picky/finicky and most times won't eat when it is put down for him. There is always a handful of dry dog food on my living room floor for him to eat as he pleases but he doesn't always eat it.


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

CloudClan said:


> I used to free feed years ago. Now I never do. I have found that the cons far outweigh the pros to free-feeding.
> 
> First off, many dogs that free-feed become obese. Even if that is not an issue now, it often will become one when dogs hit middle age.
> 
> ...


:goodpost:Amen!


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

When I got my third Maltese, I left food out for her only until she could go down to two meals a day...while it is more work, I agree with Carina that food should not be left out...I measure the food.... two of mine have health conditions that require special diets, and the oldest has a tendency to put on weight..so all 3 eat something different..:smilie_tischkante: :wub:


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I have five dogs and free feed their kibble. Seems to work for us.

They do get a nice dinner though...and I watch them and make sure they each get their own dinners.


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## IzzysBellasMom (Jan 16, 2013)

hoaloha said:


> I used to free feed Obi because he's more of a grazer but it's always a set amount each day. i would put out breakfast and he'd take all day to eat it. Then, I'll put out dinner and he'll slowly finish that too. Once the food is gone, it's gone. I wouldn't replenish the bowl. BUT, since we got our second dog, Owen, I put them more on a twice/day schedule and pick up the food if it's not eaten. Obi actually eats better this way now that he sees Owen eatin-- Owen is a little piggy who will eat Obi's food if not watched. I think the biggest concern of free-feeding without portion control is Obesity. If it's a set amount of food and you only have one dog, then it should be okay.


This is what I got into also. With just Jojo, I would let him free feed. He will often skip eating for a meal or 2. But when we got Izzy, any time you put food in the bowl she eats it up. So I had to start feeding them only twice a day and picking it up if Jojo didn't eat all of his, because she will quickly finish it for him.


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## maltese manica (Nov 6, 2012)

I free feed my three, they are not big eaters!!


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

I used to free feed my Bichon. Never a problem, she maintained perfect weight and because that food was boring and always there she still begged and wanted treats. I think it is a lot dependent on each dog. I started free feeding with Lola too and she was doing just fine, but she doesn't do too well on kibble so as all my girls food is now wet it is two meals a day.


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## Daisy's Mommie (Sep 24, 2012)

Since I am gone all day, I have been free-feeding but Laci Jo is getting a little on the chubby side. I think that this week-end, I will go to 2 meals a day. It will take some getting used to on all our parts, but from reading all these posts, I know it's what needs to be done. Wish us luck!!


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

CloudClan said:


> I used to free feed years ago. Now I never do. I have found that the cons far outweigh the pros to free-feeding.
> 
> First off, many dogs that free-feed become obese. Even if that is not an issue now, it often will become one when dogs hit middle age.
> 
> ...


:goodpost:


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## babycake7 (Jan 30, 2012)

No free feeding in my house. First of all, I have different dogs on different foods. Second, I like to know who is eating and how much and more importantly, if there is one who is not eating like they usually do = red flag. Third, feeding set amounts and set times also helps, IMO, with potty training. Fourth, I am very anti-overweight dogs and so is my vet. In fact, the first two years that I had my service dog, the organization that placed him with me retained the right to take him back if I allowed him to become overweight. And lastly, we live in the country. Any food left out is an invitation for mice and other pests. ICK.


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## Cyndilou (Jan 24, 2013)

I have a small amount of kibble left out but Ace isn't a very big eater. It's less than he can have for his age and size and he never eats it all. He doesn't get many treats either and all of his treats are really healthy.


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## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

We free feed.

I used to be a scheduled feeder. But when Grace got sick and became so hit or miss with eating, I just started leaving something out all day.

Gus won't eat off her plate anymore.... I use white plates for Grace, ones with designs for Gus... he's learned he eats off his and not to touch her's.

Usually something like rice and chickpeas with veggies stay down for Grace. If she doesn't eat it by the next "meal" I pick it up and get her new food. But I never know when she will get an appetite... and she will go days without eating if I do try to do schedule only feeds... I think the mornings she is nauseous. Because she doesn't get hungry usually until the afternoon... and nights are her best feeding time.

But we occasionally have mornings when she will eat great, and then not again all day.

Normally I advocate scheduled feeding... it has a ton of benefits.

But when you have a sick dog, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do....


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

I feed twice a day. Tucker is not so much a concern but Rocky, like his mommy, loves to eat, and I'm sure he'd be pretty obese if I left food out all day.


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## Madeleinesmommy (Nov 30, 2012)

I'm sure when I move out I'll go to a schedule feeding but right now it's easier to leave it out. A funny story for you all so I had Maddie at the her old vet a few months when she hurt her back and I was telling him about how she wasn't eating because she couldn't walk and I had to head feed her and he asked how many times a day do you normally feed her? And I paused and was like once or when the bowl is empty. He was horrified and thought I wanted her to eat ONE meal a day! He thought I was not feeding her consistently until I told him I free feed her.


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## beckybc03 (Jul 6, 2006)

We free feed Lilly and always have. She is a grazer and doesn't overeat. Some days she doesn't eat anything other days she eats two bowls full. We just fill it up when it's empty. Her weight is completely fine so I have never felt the need to monitor or limit the amount she eats. Seems to work for us!


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

I free feed. In the morning I put down half of the recommended allowance. They gooble it up and want more...more...more. If I allowed any one of my three to eat to their hearts content they would surely be forty pound dogs who couldn't walk. One needs to adapt. I feel pretty sure that with competition dogs will gooble up everything they can get. I have never had a picky eater. At first Ray ate very slowly. But once MiMi came into the picture, he wasted no time snarfing up his food. MiMi would eat until she burst.

It is a matter of the dynamics of the household. 

On the other hand, I do trick training. MiMi and Ray are so in tune. They work really hard to do every command as fast as they can for just a tiny treat. I doubt that they would play dead and wait, roll over, sit, stay, down, twirl or dance on command if they had a bowl of kibble sitting on the kitchen floor. I am a bit of a megalomaniac...I like being the source of all joy, contentment and pleasure for my little ones. Free feeding equals free food. We humans have learned to work for what we have, and to take pride in doing so....our pups deserve to feels the same sense of accomplishment.


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## coconoly (Sep 9, 2013)

I free feed too! because my dog is sooo picky! I serve breakfast and she eats it in 2 a.m.
she's not much of an eater but she always begs us to give her our lunch
she is too skinny so ppl think we don't feed her
she was on schedule and it worked great! she ate more, she is going back on schedule tomorrow again because her pickiness is making her skinny


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## my4jewels (Jul 8, 2013)

Tegan eats 3 scheduled meals a day, 7 a.m., 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. She was getting picky right before her spay a couple of weeks ago, so we tried going to 2 meals a day thinking she'd be hungrier. It seems that fasting before her spay kind of reset her appetite. She eats ravenously at mealtimes, and seems to like 3 meals a day. Of course, she gets some healthy treats in between as well. She's a little piggy. If I didn't control her meals, she'd have her whole daily total finished for breakfast. We are all doing well on this plan.


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## Jamiemarie (Jul 6, 2013)

I free feed. I tried the schedule but she eats so little at a time. I do portion out the food so I know how much she's eating. Many times she won't touch it until 3:00pm.


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## dragonsdawn (Jul 23, 2012)

I free feed. Zoey seems too have days when she don't eat at all.then others where I feel like I don't feed her at all. I don't leave out more food then the vet told monde to feed her thou. One half a cup but she can take her time eating it.

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