I put mine on a diet more two yrs ago, and you would have thought that the world was coming to an end...! They would bark and chase me around the house wanting more. The barking was extremely and still is ear piercing.
I started out free feeding and they too were getting fat. So, I portioned their meals, fed them separate three times a day, while I supervised so that none of them was finishing up the left overs. After about 18mo. and once we got them on a set schedule I than went back to one large bowl for all of them but the same about of food combined.
I still get harassed by them when my son forgets to feed them. They definitely know when it meal time. I am trying very hard to teach my son about feeding them on schedule so that I do not get harassed. The only fall back from portioning their meals and feeding them less, is that they now will beg to go outside
to fill up on poop! Even my oldest, Quincy who has never eaten poop until I put them on a diet. Yea me, because he has GI issues all of them time now from eating poop.
They did loose some weight but gained it all back. Ya cant say that I didn't try.....
I have deemed them
"My Four Porky Yorkies" ...
Shocker: I did notice one thing that each of them have in common. Once each of them got fixed is when they started to gain the majority of their weight. Keep in mind they are not above the average yorkie weight to begin with.
Brandi got fix as a pup so shes always been a big girl.
Miah got fixed at age 5 and went from 10 to 15lbs in three yrs
Quincy got fixed at age 9 and went from 9 to 16 lbs. in the past two yrs.
Ruby is not fixed but weights 9lbs.