Question on free feeding after scheduled ones
 

My 3 are all on scheduled feedings and due to my pom being sick with Cushing's ever since I had Pixie and Roxie they all got use to being fed 3-4 times a day including one during the middle of the night and one at 5 am. Since Maya's passing I had hoped that I could get them on to a schedule where they would eat around 7 am then 4pm and then a tiny meal at night. Pixie has been driving me crazy at night with wanting to still eat at 1 or 1:30 am and then gets me up at 5am again. I try and ignore her but she just keeps bugging me and barking. They get fed at 10pm and she still wants to eat again 3 hours later and then again at 5. They are eating California Natural canned and I know they are eating enough as they are all a bit chubby. So I have 2 questions, will they feel full longer if I feed them the CN kibble? I bought some and they love it. And 2, is it possible to get them to free feed without them pigging out and eating the who;e bowl of kibble. I would love to just be able to leave out bowls of kibble and not have to worry about getting up and feeding them. I appreciate any input. I know they are spoiled!!!!!

Patti I think in the beginning any change is hard, but consistency is the key, My girls are on the schedule is so easy with potty train too, sorry I couldn't be more help to you:(

Whoa! :eek: I've never heard of dogs wanting to be fed 2-3 times in the middle of the night. No offense, lol.

I would put a stop to that immediately. That's just nuts.

How much exercise do they get during the day? Exercise makes them hungry... so take them for a nice, brisk walk in the morning (if possible! if not, at least a 30min-1 hour walk a day at some point) and when you get back, feed them their kibble mixed in with some of the wet food. That could start your morning schedule. Make them work for their food! Make them sit before placing the bowl down. Don't just cater to them when they're whining in the middle of the night. Plus, doesn't that make for an awkward potty schedule?

All I know is I would never in a million years be waking up in the middle of the night for my dogs to be fed. You've already created a bad habit so it's going to be more difficult to break. Ignore them in the middle of the night! If that doesn't work ... take action. I would use coins in a can and shake it whenever they whine or bark for food. Or use a spray bottle and do a quick squirt at them to get them to stop the whining. I usually would suggest simply ignoring but at this point, it sounds like that may not work great.

I personally give Jackson his breakfast every morning by filling up his bowl with kibble. Usually, every other morning, he gets wet food mixed in as a "treat." Then, I fill up the bowl w/ kibble and just leave it out for the rest of the day. He goes over and snacks every now and then. The kibble is usually gone by 7pm and it stays empty until morning time again. So he's sort of free fed and he never over eats. If, for some reason, they are scarfing down their food... just don't put as much in the bowl. I put the recommend feeding per the back of the bag of dog food and put that in Jackson's bowl so I know he's not eating more than he should.

Please don't call my friend Patti a nuts:mad: I just don't appreciated that ok:thumbdown

When I go from homecooked to kibble with Ellie, she might pig out for a meal or two and then settles down. It should work itself out but if they are big eaters and don't know when to stop, free feeding just won't work.

Sorry if you took it that way - I'm not calling HER nuts. From her posts I've read she seems like a really nice and knowledgeable person so it's not that.

I'm just saying the ACT of getting up and feeding your dogs in the middle of the night is nuts! lol. I've just never heard of such a thing. It just sounds like spoiling to me (which she admitted they are spoiled!)

She posted a thread and asked for opinions and suggestions and I gave her what I thought. She
said "I appreciate any input." I gave my suggestions and she can take them or leave them!

Dogs have been to known to last long periods of time without food and while I'm NOT in any way suggesting to withhold food from a dog... being fed at 10pm and then waking up again three hours later is purely just attention seeking. There is no way the dogs are THAT hungry in the middle of the night especially if they are being fed properly during the day, as they seem to be. It seems to me they've learned a way of getting Mommy's attention and know how to get her up out of bed, lol. I'm just saying, I would never tolerate it and would change that behavior immediately.

i have always free fed and overeating is never a problem. I see mine eating several times a day but they eat only a few kibbles at a time. They know their food will always be there so they don't worry.:) feeding on a schedule is too hard if you want to do something or go somewhere. You should be feeding kibble anyway because of their teeth. Potty training is not a problem either. My adults are trained to use a pee pad and the babies soon pick it up. This is a great help when the weather is bad and they can't go outside.

I also free feed, as the other poster stated my dogs also only eat a few pieces of kibble at a time and they never over eat. Also, I like that they always have food down for them to eat.

Patti my two eat @ 7-8 & 4-6ish with a snack at night. It works really well. They get antsy when they want dinner (like now, it's 5:26 and they want dinner!) but they are usually pretty good about it. Make sure they are getting enough to eat at each meal because that will help. A full tummy should help them sleep at night! I've found that when mine wake up too early, I fill their water and give them a treat and they will go back to sleep unless they need go to out. Even if they need to go out at 5am they go stand by their bowls but we are NOT feeding them or they will want dinner at 2pm :rolleyes: A cookie and a drink is enough to settle them back into bed for another hour or two :)

I don't know if you can go to free feeding... Mine scarf their food in 30 seconds so I know I could not put a big bowl of kibble out :)

Brister: Thankyou for clarifying that, that sais a lot of you, have a nice weekend:cf57:

Thanks for all the opinions!! The reason they got into the habit was Maya y pom had Cushing''s disease for 3 years and was ravenously hungry and I fed her at night. Pixie is the only one who really wakes me up. Roxie doesn't want to get up but does to eat and Cali will get up to eat but doesn't wake me. I know that I should ignore her but my DH and DD have to get up in the morning and I feel bad having them woken up, but I may have to just bite the bullet and ignore her and see if she gives up. I tried ignoring her for 15 minutes ande she never stopped bugging me. I think I will also try putting a bowl down of kibble and see if they stop on there own, if not I will pick it up. I definitley want to sleep all night again and I would like to switch them to kibble.
Thanks Panama69 that was sweet of you. I did expect to get some comments like yours Brister because it is nuts to get up during the night. LOL I do appreciate comments as you neber know what will work!!

You are welcome Patti, you are a value member here, and Brister is back to my cool list again:cool: hahahaha just kidding Brister:D. I think actually is the full moon like yorkiepuppie said, hahahahaha, anyway, you know that my hubby works different schedule, and now he is from nights to days:rolleyes:, the last couple days he get up early to feed the girls, Phoebe eat everything but Shayna and Melo is like what?? is to early for food daddy, so I need to talk to him when he get home, I don't want him to mess up their schedule and mine lol, the girls and I like to sleep in a little more, hahahaha:yelrotflm

I'm sorry about your Pom :( It's such a hard thing losing a loved pet.

And I hope my post didn't come across too harsh, I didn't mean for it to lol. I just see so many cases of spoiled dogs getting away with things just because they're small and I just wish more people would give more discipline! I've seen what giving in ONE time to my Jackson can do, so I always try to help out other people, lol

Thanks. No I know it's nuts my family tell me all the time. Unfortunately I have spoiled them and am now paying the price. I a really going to try and turn them around. I am also thinking of having Pixie tested as she is constantly begging to be fed more so than usual.

I use to free feed Mika but he was putting on to much weight(a bit like myself) so I feed him twice a day now and measure his food out :)