I free feed both of mine,they have food out ALL the time,so only one meal a day seems very little to me,espcially for a four month old puppy.Even just twice seems very little.You cant always follow a guide exactly with a live animal.I read the eukanuba guide and if I were to follow it religiously,one of my yorkies would be eating way more than she actualy wants whlst the other would be starved..lol.See,on those guides they have certain weights and certain amounts,but these dont always work because we are talking about live animals here,each with its own needs and personality.Have you tried leaving kibble down all day? Some people say that they dont free feed because their puppies would be eating all day but this isnt true
When the pup realises that its food will not be taken away,the rush to finish it up quickly will stop and the pup will eat at its own pace..no pup eats more than its tummy can handle.
If you have to work long hours,I would try the free feeding method.Leave kibble out all day and let your baby eat when he needs to
I read somewhere (I wil try and find it) that puppies that free feed are less prone to being over weight,whilst pups that gobble down their food because they know it will be taken away are more prone to putting on weight on the long run.Once a day seems very little for a puppy and I honestly think that if your baby is going to be alone during the day,its better to fill his bowl in the morning and leave it out for him all day.I change my yorkies kibble every morning and I even top it up during the day if they eat it all.Mine are not over weight,Lady is 16months old and weighs 2 lbīs and Jess is 1 year old and weighs 7lbīs.They have always eaten like this,top-ups and all and its worked for them