[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by omega

When I'm just feeding meat with no bone, they do not chew it. It doesn't matter if the piece is small or large, one big gulp and it's down. Is that ok for them? I wouldn't know how to get them to chew it anyways.

How large is "large"? Seems like you have gulpers. Soooooo....feed larger, and teach them how to tear/pull meat off the bone. You may need to hold it for awhile. Orrrrr, take the time to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. But, that omits some of the benefits of prey model feeding.

My little one started getting the hang of chewing on the bone tonight. YEA!!! Her little body was shaking she was so excited.

heheheh....don'cha just love it!?

For two of my dogs, the feeding calculator says 1 oz. at each meal. (twice daily) That seems like such a tiny amount! Can they really do well on that small of a portion?

What chart is that? From one of the links provided here? While it's true that a guideline for portions has been provided, most folks feed according to need. Some of the mid-size/larger breeds are on a gorge/fast rotation. Of course, we can't do that with our little ones' metabolism. Mine seem to regulate themselves. Some days Mo turns his nose up at anything I offer. Other days, it seems he has a bottomless pit! Abigail will often just eat 5 or 6 bites, and she's satisfied (I feed her 2/daily). Other days, she can eat a whole drumstick or just can't seem to get her fill of whatever. I have always fed this way. I'm no expert, but I feel dogs eat according to need, and if their nutritional requirements are being met, they need less and will eat accordingly. Now, if / when you feel they may getting a bit heavy, then don't feed skins/fats for awhile. I may be doing this with Abigail, btw. She looks good (I don't like skinny Yorkies), but when I pick her up, she feels heavier than a lap dog should! Of course, muscle is heavier than fat, and other people remark that she is 'solid'. She could probably loose a few ounces and still be fine.