# Need help. When to feed??



## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

I get up at 4:30 am every day, and the dogs get up with me. They eat twice a day, but I have left Kibble down all day also. I recently stopped putting it down(too much poopLOL) how far apart should I feed them, since we have such a long day??Should I do three smaller meals? None of them are over weight and I only really see Hardy snacking on the free Kibble now and then, but he's a big boy!!We go to bed at 10:00.


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## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

Deborah, we feed our boys at 6 a.m.. They get a mix of canned and kibble. Their kibble is also the treats we feed as Chase has so many issues. They eat again around 3 p.m. and then just have treats (kibble) on and off the rest of the day and evening. Is someone home during the day to give treats or another feeding? I know that small dogs need some kind of food so they don't get low blood sugar.


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

We get up at 5:30am and we eat before the girls.. I feed them at about 6-6:15...and then at 5pm and I do not leave food out..they do get a few treats during the day..


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Good to know, I have been feeding the big dogs at 7:00am and again at 5:30. Dewey eats at 6::30 and again at 5:00, but I do give him a little Kibble in between. I am home all day, so I can give maybe some fruits or veggies or Kibble for a treat during the day. My hubby was worried that they'd get too hungry with no Kibble down all day, but I assured him that they wouldn't go hungry. Thanks for the info.


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

We get up around 6:30-7:00 AM and that is when all four of our Pets eat. They all get fed again 5 PM for their supper. Snuggles and Chrissy get some Cheerios after breakfast too.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

When they eat their meals, they act like they're starved to death, but I know that they are getting enough! Mine aren't the least bit picky!


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

My girls get fed when we first get up - 4:30 during the week and later on weekends or days off (like today) . They get dinner 12 - 14 hours later, depending on our schedule for the day. 

I don't free feed, but they do get a generous helping of treats before I walk out the door for work, usually around 6:30 am.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I just free feed kibble and then give them Dr. Harvey's for dinner around 5pm....well anywhere from 4 - 6 really. 

No one seems to pig out on the kibble, but with 6 of them, they do like it and go through it pretty quickly. Tink snacks on it all day, but he's so hyper while he's on guard duty, he needs it. :blink: He'll take a mouthfull and drop it at the front door and snack while he's keeping a sharp eye on the street. :wacko1:


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## nicolen412 (Jun 8, 2012)

I have been told by my vet, nutrionist and Arthur's trainer that it is not necessary for dog's to have a feeding schedule. However, for my sake (and to remember to feed him to be honest) I feed Arthur when I wake up at 10.30am, again at 2pm and then finally at 7pm. 

He gets some treats during the day but hardly any!


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

Hmm I usually feed the boys when I get up in the morning around 7 am and then I feed them about 5:30 am after work.

I also give them a little snack at noonish, right now it's one of those little pumpkin cookies I made.


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

Sassy is such a brat and eats 3 small meals a day. She eats whenever we eat. Hummm, no wonder she thinks she is human. Being retired we don't have a set time for getting up in the morning. We just get up when we wake up. So our morning meal isn't at any set time. Sassy doesn't seem to mind. Her two most favorite things in the whole world are eating and sleeping. I told dh a couple of days ago that if she could have her breakfast in bed she would be on cloud 9. :wub: Somewhere along the line I think we created a brat....dh says he thinks I have taught her everything I know. :innocent: There is no such thing as a spoiled maltese.....life is good.....very good! :wub:


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## italianna82 (Aug 17, 2012)

I am wondering the same thing. Since I work during the day, I was thinking of just leaving kibble out for her so she'll always have food. But then I worry that if I want to go away with her and we're out for the day (when she's older) I won't have a schedule or know if she has eaten or when to feed her. Any advice??


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

It really depends on your dogs---some dogs can graze & some would eat the entire bowl of dry kibble left on their own, in one sitting! 
I think scheduling is good, but we have a flexible schedule---breckie anytime after we get up (varies) and dinner anytime after 5:00 (varies) up until around 7-8:00 if we are going to be eating late (Greeks start eating at 10:00). I do try to give a tsp. of greek yogi at noon-1:00 ish. If I am doing veggies, they get a raw carrot. If they go out they might get a little treat. They are ALWAYS hungry, not picky and would eat any & everything we gave them.


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## Maizy Moo's Mum (Jul 4, 2012)

On my days off i wake up with maizy either stood on my back, or her face right in front of mine and this is because she wants her breakfast!! :innocent: She knows that when we get up she goes out for a wee and then has her food! 

She has it at 9am on a day im not working and 7am when i am and has her dinner at 5-5.30pm, she eats it so quick and looks at me for more but thats just because she loves it so much and is a greedy little girl :wub:

Oh and she normally gets left treats before we leave the house too to keep her happy!!


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

Bailey gets his morning meal at around 7:30 - 8 am, and his dinner sometime between 6 and 7 pm. It varies a bit based on my work schedule, but he does fine with this. If I'm home, he gets several treats during the day (usually just a bit of whatever I'm eating - fruit, veggies, yogurt, etc)


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## italianna82 (Aug 17, 2012)

So, if I feed her at like 8am and then wait until about 7pm, she won't starve??? Is this different if she's a puppy???


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

italianna82 said:


> So, if I feed her at like 8am and then wait until about 7pm, she won't starve??? Is this different if she's a puppy???


Yes, it's *very different for puppies*. They need more meals or they risk hypoglycemia. I think most people feed little puppies either 3 or 4 times a day.

Boy -- so many of you get up REALLY early. I'm not a morning person so sleep in when I can. I'm so spoiled with Tyler. He'll eat when I wake up which is rarely before 7:30am but if I have no work and am at home he'll eat around 9:30am. Then he'll have dinner around 7 or 8pm. He's not a really hearty eater so I found that this spacing works for him. Seems by then he's a little hungry. I'll often give him a little Greek yogurt midday and a few treats.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

italianna82 said:


> So, if I feed her at like 8am and then wait until about 7pm, she won't starve??? Is this different if she's a puppy???


Dewey was eating three times a day when we got him at 12 weeks. He is 5 months now and eats twice a day(morning and eve.) but some dry Kibble in between meals.


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## italianna82 (Aug 17, 2012)

So, is it best to free feed her until she's a little older? Since I work during the day?? That was what I planned to do, but I would eventually like to get her on a schedule. That way, as I said, there won't be any issues if we spend the day out in the future.


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## ladodd (Jan 8, 2012)

For those that are feeding Greek Yogurt. Do you feed plain, or can you feed with fruit? And is the Greek kind better than regular for our pups. I don't care for Greek yogurt, but love the regular kind.


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

ladodd said:


> For those that are feeding Greek Yogurt. Do you feed plain, or can you feed with fruit? And is the Greek kind better than regular for our pups. I don't care for Greek yogurt, but love the regular kind.


 I am not a hugh yogurt fan, but have found that the Oikos fat free Greek with the fruit on the botton is very good. I like the consistancy and the flavor. I always share with Sassy and she also loves it.


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## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

I give Milo his food at around 8am and again at 6pm but he usually doesn't eat until he wants to and sometimes just eats a little and comes back later for the rest.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

I prefer doing a full meal in the morning and evening, with a few little snacks in the middle of the day.

My husband feeds them between 6am and 7am, and I feed them dinner between 3pm and 4pm. They usually get a small treat or little tidbits of fresh veggies around lunch time, and sometimes a few pieces of kibble (as treats) sometime after their dinner but well before bedtime. We usually go to bed around 10pm.

I feel guilty if I don't give them something around lunch time because I assume they get hungry just like we do!


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

ladodd said:


> For those that are feeding Greek Yogurt. Do you feed plain, or can you feed with fruit? And is the Greek kind better than regular for our pups. I don't care for Greek yogurt, but love the regular kind.


Plain nonfat greek yogurt is the best because it has tons of protein in it with very little sugar. I eat plain greek yogurt myself, but I add cinnamon & dice up a fresh apple to mix in.  Fage and Kirkland Greek Yogurt are my favorites. Chobani is also good. Some of the other greek yogurts don't have as high of protein as these others...they should have 20+ grams of protein per serving (talking about for humans...for your pup, that isn't relevent really).

The greek yogurt with the fruit is NOT very good for them (or you, either, really) because it is sweetened. It isn't the same as adding fresh fruit to the yogurt -- it's full of sugar. I would just opt for the plain greek yogurt and slice up your own fruit for it.

I don't particularly love the taste of greek yogurt...it tastes like sour cream (I actually use it in place of sour cream on baked potatoes) to me. My favorite regular yogurt is Stonyfield Organic Low-Fat Vanilla...I love that regular yogurt! But, I make myself eat the greek yogurt because of the high protein and low sugar.


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## LoveLucy (Mar 18, 2012)

Well, you definitely lost ME at "I get up at 4:30 a.m." Yikes!


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

italianna82 said:


> I am wondering the same thing. Since I work during the day, I was thinking of just leaving kibble out for her so she'll always have food. But then I worry that if I want to go away with her and we're out for the day (when she's older) I won't have a schedule or know if she has eaten or when to feed her. Any advice??


Anna...I would leave food out for your puppy all day since you have to be at work..then when it is time for her to go down to twice a day ( around 6 mos) you can feed her before you leave in the morning and then feed her dinner when you get home..she will adapt..:thumbsup:


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## italianna82 (Aug 17, 2012)

aprilb said:


> Anna...I would leave food out for your puppy all day since you have to be at work..then when it is time for her to go down to twice a day ( around 6 mos) you can feed her before you leave in the morning and then feed her dinner when you get home..she will adapt..:thumbsup:


That's what I figured I would do. Glad you agreed with that plan. Now I am set :thumbsup:


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## babycake7 (Jan 30, 2012)

I get up at 5:30 and immediately take each of the dogs out one by one. First Rocket (toy Aussie) is walked and fed and then Cooper (golden service dog)...he eats first and then does his one and only poop of the day. I know...TMI...but I am always amazed that he only poops once per day. He is so efficient. LOL. Lastly, Bella is walked and then I put her food out...about 6 a.m. She gets Blue Freedom (grain free) dry kibble. She eats most all of it. By 7 a.m., I take her out one more time. She either goes to the office with me or stays home. When I come home around 2:30 she goes out again and gets about 1/4 cup more kibble. She never eats it all. I pick any she has left around 3:30. She gets an evening snack around 7 with a trip outside. The last trip outside is about 9. She is good for the night.


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