Gnome of the Woods Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 We have had Pip for a couple of weeks now and she has settled in great, I have a general question about when you feed your dogs. She is a 1yr old lab and gets walked for 45mins early morning and about 1hr every afternoon/evening. Currently we feed her after each walk which equates to roughly 8am and 8pm. Does this sound OK or should we change the times at all, I know each dog is different but just as a general rule what do you guys do? Many thanks, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 basically it sounds fine, personally mine gets fed about half an hour before her walk and generally has enough to last the day. I've done it with the last few dogs and they seem to get on well and be less greedy in this case she eats about half and then snacks through the day. However in your case its unlikely to work with a lab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnome of the Woods Posted May 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 When she came to us it was just one meal a day, and yes it lasted all of 30 seconds! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzypigeon Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Mine gets fed after walks or morning and evening I've heard by letting them go out on full stomach can cause problems so if I'm out all day with the dog and gun I tend to give him a big meal the night before and a small meal an hour or so before we go plenty of fresh water through the day, some more food around the middle of the day followed by his usual meal at night, my lab has never been greedy though can put enough food out for his meals for the day and he never eats it all at once, he will just pick all day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siberian Tiger Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 If it works for you and your dog then stick with it I only feed once per day, 2 would be the preferred choice but circumstances dictate otherwise. Feeding at least half an hour after walks (I actually wait about an hour) is also a good idea to avoid any food related problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 As said, feed an hour either before or after exercise to reduce the risk of bloat. If twice a day works for you and the dog I see no reason to change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnome of the Woods Posted May 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Cheers guys, most appreciated. I will leave it as is but try to give a gap after walks before feeding. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 I feed my dogs morning and evening. If I'm shooting with the dog in the morning then he goes without his morning feed and gets it when we get back. If he has his morning feed them I leave it 3-4 hours before working/walking him. http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted May 22, 2012 Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 I feed my dogs morning and evening. If I'm shooting with the dog in the morning then he goes without his morning feed and gets it when we get back. If he has his morning feed them I leave it 3-4 hours before working/walking him. http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm not feeding before working can have serious issues in some breeds, look at the issues of spaniels collapsing in the field. Taking one out without feeding increases the risks and pretty much everyone I know will try and feed them small amounts during the day. Obviously you try and feed them as early as possible and not too much but certainly mine going out for a days beating would struggle without food you can see the weight fall off her as it is. Personally I think some of the bloat issues are to do with dogs that guzzle a large meal then exercise wildly but obviously it also depends on what they have as food and a number of other things. Touch wood never had an issue in 15 years worth of dog ownership but I've been lucky and not had a greedy dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted May 22, 2012 Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 not feeding before working can have serious issues in some breeds, look at the issues of spaniels collapsing in the field. Taking one out without feeding increases the risks and pretty much everyone I know will try and feed them small amounts during the day. Obviously you try and feed them as early as possible and not too much but certainly mine going out for a days beating would struggle without food you can see the weight fall off her as it is. Personally I think some of the bloat issues are to do with dogs that guzzle a large meal then exercise wildly but obviously it also depends on what they have as food and a number of other things. Touch wood never had an issue in 15 years worth of dog ownership but I've been lucky and not had a greedy dog. I agree al4x, I can see no logic in not feeding a dog on a day it is being asked to work harder than normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted May 22, 2012 Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 I rough shoot and the shooting is all on my doorstep. If I'm going out in the morning shooting it won't be until 9:30-10:00 when the kids are at school and other jobs are done. That means he can have a feed at 7:00 but he will have a bit less than normal. On the odd occasion I'm out before that then yes he does not get fed until we get back. This will usually be about midday. I would rather him hunt feeling a bit hungry than work really hard on a full stomach and risk bloat. The dog is in good shape and I don't think having a feed 3-4 hours late will harm him. At work the dog handlers leave it 4 hours after feeding until they will work the dogs and they are fed once a day. Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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