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04-07-2008, 12:51 PM | #1 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Northeast WI
Posts: 97
| Old enough/big enough to stop free feeding? Hello! Our puppy Mariah is now 5 months old and is about 2.8 lb. She is home alone while we are at work/school from about 7:30 am – 3:30 pm (the kids get home about 3:30 pm while I get home about 5:00 pm). While we are gone she is now kept in a 2x6 x-pen in our kitchen. This is also where she sleeps at night. Now that the weather is getting better, we want to start training her to go outside instead of on her pee-pads while we are home. Right now we free feed her and leave water out at all times. Is she old enough & big enough to start feeding her on a schedule (which would help with the potty training)? How often and how much should she be fed if we were to feed her on a schedule? THANKS! |
Welcome Guest! | |
04-07-2008, 06:13 PM | #2 |
Donating YT 14K Club Member | My Gracie is 5 years old and I still free feed. She is not big, either...5 1/2 lbs. I feel that your dog is still too small but that's just me. Also, my Dallas is over 1 1/2 years and he is also free fed. He weighs 4 1/4 lbs. I believe in free feeding. Heck, if I'm hungry, I go and fix me something to eat. Since dogs can't do that, I feel that food should be kept down for them...same as water.
__________________ As always...JMO (Just My Opinion) Kimberley |
04-07-2008, 06:50 PM | #3 |
Donating YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 369
| I agree! I am not hungry the exact same time every day, why should our furbutts be?! I have ALWAYS free fed. My Maggie May is a year old and 4 pounds. She eats when she's hungry. She's happy, therefore I'M happy ! LOL |
04-07-2008, 07:08 PM | #4 |
Donating YT 30K Club Member | Roxie is 6 months old and I cannot free feed her because I have 3 other dogs that would be so overweight if I left it down all the time. But I am home so I feed her 4 times a day plus treats.
__________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html |
04-07-2008, 07:26 PM | #5 |
Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Upstate, NY
Posts: 2,015
| My opinion is, that she is not big enough to free feed. Being so small, food needs to be available to her whenever she feels hungry. At her small size, she can't eat enough (at one time) to sustain her during the length of time that you are gone during the day. |
04-08-2008, 05:40 AM | #6 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Northeast WI
Posts: 97
| THANKS so much for your replies and great advice. I've been researching and thinking about it and I totally agree with all of you. She is sooo small and we are gone for a long period of time. We are going to continue to free feed and water. She is such an amazing little puppy. We are so blessed to have her and we want to do the very best by her. I'm so glad I found this website as I think Yorkies are so special and need special care! |
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