# Free feeding?????



## lynda (Oct 11, 2005)

I am trying to decide whether to free feed my little ones or feed them on a schedule. They were both on different foods so I had to separate them and feed them on a schedule. I fed them three times a day and they ate very well. Now that they are both on the same food I have been free feeding them but I noticed that they pick at the food and I am not sure if they are getting enough. Any one have any recommendations on this subject?

TIA
Lynda


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## Lacie2 (Sep 23, 2005)

> I am trying to decide whether to free feed my little ones or feed them on a schedule. They were both on different foods so I had to separate them and feed them on a schedule. I fed them three times a day and they ate very well. Now that they are both on the same food I have been free feeding them but I noticed that they pick at the food and I am not sure if they are getting enough. Any one have any recommendations on this subject?
> 
> TIA
> Lynda[/B]


I free feed my Maltese and my English Springer Spaniel. I have done this for years without any problems. When I used to feed on a schedual the dogs always acted like they were starving and some would want to fight over food. Now they know it is always there so their is no reason to gobble it down or try and eat more than they should. None of my dogs are over weight.


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

I kind of do a combination. In the mornings while I take a shower I separate the girls and give them half of their food for the day. After I get out of the shower I bring them into the bathroom with me and set both bowls on the floor. They both eat out of the bowls then. They don't get any food while I'm at work. At lunch the girls will sometimes go and eat a little bit of food (if there is any left). In the evening I set out the rest of their food and they will sometimes chow down and sometimes just pick at it. 

If I feel like they haven't been eating good the last few days I will go back to feeding on a schedule. I don't have to do that very often though.


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## sweetypiegirl (Nov 17, 2005)

glad u posted this topic , because i have the same question







I always leave the dry kibbles food all day in her bowl and that is everyday, but she never touch it or eat it unless if i put the food in the floor and she will eat it "it's weird" or if I handfeed her. I'm fed up of handfeeding her, i want her to eat her food in the bowl by herself. her food is always in the bowl all day and the rest are in the floor just to make sure she's eating. She's very picky in dog's food, but she would eat any human food,, ahhh...


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

> glad u posted this topic , because i have the same question
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It might be her food dish. When Lexi was little she didn't like dishes that were deep. She would only eat out of shallow dishes. For a few weeks I had to dump her food on the floor or hand feed her to get her to eat. I then tried the coffee cup plates and that worked. Tried a plastic lid and that also worked. I finally found a shallow steel dish at Petsmart. I think its actually a cat dish but it works. I got the same one for Nikki.


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## Holliberry (Feb 5, 2005)

I always free-fed my last maltese with no problems, and was hoping to do the same this time, but Phoebe is chubby so she is now on a diet\schedule. She loves to eat and thats the problem. It could be crap (yeah she does eat that too), but she will just eat if its out. I dont like it mainly out of convenience, and I always fear what if something happens and I cant get home to feed her (like I'm stranded in a blizzard for days







), but so far its going ok. I got her a new frozen wet food, for twice a day, and I still leave a few kibbles out for her during the day and she eats them too. I thought she wouldnt like the kibbles after moist food, but nope. This girl loves to eat and shes a little butterball to show for it









If you're lucky enough and they are at good weights, then I dont see a problem. Ask the vet to show you how to tell by feel.


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

I think it depends on the dog. I free feed kodie because he is soo picky!! He eats when he feels like it.. and has done that ever since I got him. I know that our last dog was nothing like that... if we left food out.. he would eat it all and want more! He just loved FOOD that dog... haha.. and kodie is totally different. I also have a dish type bowl I bought in NYC but it is available online... it isnt cheep but kodie likes it better because he is so small... this is the dish...


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## Mystify79 (Apr 6, 2004)

My two are little piggies so they get fed on a schedule. I've tried leaving a bowl of food out for them to free feed but they will scarf it all down in one sitting so no more of that. I feed them in the morning and again in the evening and they seem to do great with that schedule. I've never had trouble with them being picky about food so that's probably why they eat the whole bowl in one sitting. My sister's dog is a little more picky and she free feeds him so he can just munch when he feels like it and that works a lot better than a scheduled feeding for him.

Kodie's Mom - I love that dish! I keep telling mine that if they had nicer table manners they could have nice things like that..


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## charmypoo (Sep 11, 2004)

I feed wet food twice a day and leave dry food out the entire day.


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## Char-Luv-4-Maltese (Feb 26, 2005)

Mine has dry dog food any time they want it(Well that is if I don't forget to refill it up for them







they let me know in a hurry if it is empty though.) I have no problems with feeding mine this way but there is not way I can leave 10 + bowels down for each one to eat







.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

I free feed...but twice a day. I give them half of their allotted dry kibble with some canned in the morning.

They usually eat the canned right up and nibble some of the dry.
If their bowls are empty at night, they get more...some days they only eat one dry food serving...but the food is left down all day.


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## charmypoo (Sep 11, 2004)

> I free feed...but twice a day. I give them half of their allotted dry kibble with some canned in the morning.
> 
> They usually eat the canned right up and nibble some of the dry.
> If their bowls are empty at night, they get more...some days they only eat one dry food serving...but the food is left down all day.[/B]


Would you leave the wet food out if they don't finish right away? I always remove the wet food after 15 minutes if they don't finish it.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

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No...it usually doesn't last that long.








I leave it more than 15 minutes though.
I feed them around 5:30 or 6:00 and I take up the bowls from the wet food at 7 when I am leaving for work.
They are always empty. The kibble is nibbled on in the other bowls..but the wet food is gone.
I have caught Spencer cat eating it some too...so I think they have some help.


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## lacey (Oct 17, 2005)

I have always free fed Daisy. I've never had any problems with it.


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

I have started doing a combo with Wilson. In the mornings I give him 1/8 of a cup of kibble mixed with 1 tablespoon of moist food. Then when I leave for work I leave 1/8 of a cup of dry kibble for him to eat during the day. This is mostly because I sometimes get held up at work and don't get home at the same time every day. The dry kibble is all gone when I get home in the late afternoon. 

Then at dinner time I give 1/4 plus a bit more mixed with 1 tablespoon of moist. This seems to be working better than any other feeding plan I have had him on. 

He is still eating the same amount as always- I have just spread it out a little more.


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## Littlemans Mom (Apr 6, 2005)

Since we got Indy at 13 weeks old (he is 13 months old now )we have free feed dry kibble. He does get half his daily amount in the am and the rest around dinner time. He has always had breakfast time where he eats most of it and then leaves a little to pick on during the day. Then he eats dinner around 7 or so and usually finishes it up







We us small type bowls, so he doesn't have to dig way down to get the food out. He also has always wanted his kibble dry. If it gets even a little wet he puts it aside and won't eat it







I guess our little ones seem to have something they are picky about and that is his hehehehhe


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## Boobookit (Dec 3, 2005)

I also feed the wet food twice a day and I leave the dry out for him all the time. Pacino is a picky eater so leaving the dry for him is good. I guess it depends on your furbaby.

Marie & Pacino


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## chocolatecoffee (Sep 1, 2005)

> glad u posted this topic , because i have the same question
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Me too! I always free fed Mocha because she's so picky, she won't eat otherwise. She didn't become overweight though, so it worked out really well. When I got Panna, I tried to continue to free feed, and she kept gaining weight...if she has unlimited food available, she eats too much. I would try to take Mocha aside and hand-feed her, and it seemed to be working okay. Then I added Cannelle to the pack, and she won't eat on a schedule, she just likes to graze all day. I tried free feeding again, and it works great for Mocha and Cannelle, but Panna just keeps getting fatter and fatter. I think I'm going to have to try to put all three of them on scheduled feeding, but I think that free feeding's great if your dog doesn't become overweight!


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