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12-05-2008, 12:04 PM | #1 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posts: 12,693
| Free Feeding VS Scheduled Feeding Here's a question for all you experienced yorkie parents. What's better, letting your little ones free feed or feeding on a schedule? I was wondering how many of you do one or the other, and what the benefits were.
__________________ Littlest JakJak We miss you Kaji |
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12-05-2008, 12:09 PM | #2 |
Gina, (Lexi's Mommy) Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: LONG ISLAND,NY
Posts: 10,455
| as a puppy, i free fed lexi.. i felt better knowing when i wasnt home she could eat and drink whenever she wanted too... i always fed her dry and wet as a puppy first, but always left some dry kibble out for her during the day. i dont free feed anymore.. i feed her in the morning before i leave for work, and when i get home.. i homecook.. if i fed her only dry, ithink i would free feed .
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12-05-2008, 12:09 PM | #3 |
Donating YT 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Florida
Posts: 4,549
| With four dogs, I need to be sure that they are each getting sufficient amounts of food and I know if I were to free feed, one would be a hog and eat all that I put out. Each dog gets a different amount according to their size and because I add supplements to their morning feeding, it is important that each eat just their own food. But I also think it depends on the age of the fluff. So I don't free feed. I did when I only had the one fluff though. With mine, I feed twice a day. A combination of three different kibble, canned and some cooked chicken. Each has their own feeding station and I supervise so that each has a chance to eat what I put out. If one decides not to eat at the time I put it out, I will pick it up for a short period of time (because of the chicken) and then try again. If they don't eat, they don't get fed again until dinner.......of course they do get treats for going potty outside throughout the day.
__________________ CAROL ~ Krissie ~ Toby ~ Brandy ~ Buffy Proud member of Maltesetalk and Yorkietalk Last edited by Morkie4; 12-05-2008 at 12:10 PM. |
12-05-2008, 12:15 PM | #4 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: NJ
Posts: 206
| I free feed....my pup is home alone while my hubby & I are at work, so we want to make sure he eats. So far, so good!
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12-05-2008, 12:17 PM | #5 |
I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 37,147
| I free feed the dry and they get some canned every morning. Sometimes I homecook for them also. They havent gained excess weight so free feeding has worked for me
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12-05-2008, 01:09 PM | #6 |
YT 2000 Club Member | i free feed all of mine, they are all on the same kind of food, Ive never been one for scheduled feedings and I dont really have a reason why. I also give them a treat of canned food at night.
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12-05-2008, 01:16 PM | #7 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Ellie's eats 3-5 times throughout the day because her food can't sit out for more than an hour. When she ate kibble, she was free fed. If I had a small dog who was left home for long periods, I'd free feed. If I had more than one, I'd schedule feed because if one of them is eating less than normal, you wouldn't know if they shared.
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12-05-2008, 04:50 PM | #8 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: California
Posts: 2,293
| In the begining I free feed her. As she matured I put Meka on feeding schedule... Only because it really makes a big difference and helps a whole lot when it comes to potty training
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12-05-2008, 06:48 PM | #9 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Maryland
Posts: 1,561
| Max eats dried EVO free feed. I give him about 2 T canned EVO around breakfast time and dinner time.
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12-05-2008, 11:37 PM | #10 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posts: 12,693
| this is interesting! So, would you all agree that it is better to free feed a puppy? And if so, to what age?
__________________ Littlest JakJak We miss you Kaji |
12-06-2008, 12:03 AM | #11 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: here :)
Posts: 1,182
| I free feed my dogs. Chloe is a puppy (8 mo.) and I want her to eat whenever she needs to. My other dog is 3 years old and she still free feeds also.. They both have dry kibble during the day and some chicken & veggies sometimes at night. I thought about scheduled feedings after they were out of the puppy stage , but I never had a problem with my older dog house training ,she goes out three times a day and her system is like clockwork , so I just kept free feeding her. I am home during the day , If I wasn't I would probably not free feed after the puppy stage because I wouldn't be able to take them out if needed..
__________________ Chloe & Sydney Last edited by chloesMama; 12-06-2008 at 12:04 AM. |
12-06-2008, 05:02 AM | #12 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Massachusetts/Florida
Posts: 2,614
| I free feed only cause Pasquale picks up ONE kibble and then will eat another one 5 minutes later. He never just sits there and eats. I will say it makes it hard when we have some place to go that day. So on those days i will give him some canned food in the morning.
__________________ LD that's me and Pasquale "If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is definitely not for you!" |
12-07-2008, 10:06 AM | #13 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Land O' Lakes, FL
Posts: 735
| The Yorkies and my grandson's Westie all get handfed meat in the morning. They have Orijen kibble out for them the rest of the day. My daughter's pitty eats the Orijen, too. He's getting old - 10 years - so he sleeps most of the time. None of them go to the bowl and EAT; they're like Pasquale: grab a kibble, take it off and eat it somewhere, and maybe grab another in a half hour or so. They play hard, grab a little knosh - snooze and repeat. Because they get a belly full of fresh meat in the morning, they really don't need or eat that much more during the day. It's more for snacking and to ensure that they don't go hungry. Like others have said: this works well if I have to work late or something. When I'm home, they can be let outside to potty; when I'm not, they have piddle pads. So it all works out ... Last edited by Lee B; 12-07-2008 at 10:09 AM. |
12-07-2008, 10:22 AM | #14 |
♥ Chip ♥ Smokey ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Leesburg
Posts: 3,835
| I don't think one way is specifically better than the other... I think all depends on the dog and the schedule of the humans. For us, free feeding is better. My two dogs never hog the food from each other and they know when to stop eating. They like to munch throughout the day. Also, Chip is a very SLOW eater and I really don't have time for that in the morning when I'm trying to get ready for work. If you have a dog that just eats and eats and eats or if you have more than one dog and one (or more) of your dogs is food aggressive or if you have one piggy for a dog and will steal food from the other one or if your dogs require different kinds of diets, then I would recommend scheduled feedings.
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