Ok....long story made short...Before I met my husband, I had always free fed all of my dogs and never had any problems with weight, food aggression, or the craziness that dogs tend to get when it is "dinner time". Well, when dh and I moved in together, his dog was very bad about over eating so he was fed on a strict schedule, a strict amount each feeding. I had to change my dog over to it because he (Rex) would eat all of the food that was left out. When maggie came along, I kept food in her crate because I feared a repeat in her hypoglycemia. But the other dogs could not get to it. Maggie had never been food motivated or even really cared about eating...I think because she knew she always had food when she needed it. but once I started feeding her on a schedule like Rex and Daisy, she started getting very food aggressive and is now starting to really drive me NUTS when there is food anywhere in smelling distance. wether it be people food or dog food. She doesn't even eat her food...she inhales it!!! and sadly, Daisy is kinda the same way now
This is exactly why I have never schedule fed my dogs....and up until recently, Daisy has always had the best manners when it came to food, she never begged, and has never been overweight at all.
WELL.....Rex is no longer with us (R.I.P.) and I REALLY want to go back to free feeding...I HATE the way my dogs are acting about food....and I strongly feel that it is because they are fed on such strict schedules. dh agrees with me and this is just something we want to do (and we know that not everyone agrees with this...but to each his own, right??
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so my question is....how in the heck do you go from schedule feeding to free feeding? we usually feed the dogs a certain amount twice a day. For the "adjustment period", Do I just put their daily amount in their food bowls in the morning and let it go? should I put the food down in the morning or around noon?? I literally have always just filled a bowl up and it would last Daisy a couple of days. and when I noticed it was empty...or close to it, I would fill it up again. I really want to get back to free feeding but have never had to make
this transition...so would appreciate any input....