Free feeding ?? - Page 2 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

natalie · 04-06-2005, 01:57 PM

I free feed Fred as well..
maybe that's why I can't keep up with his peeing!
I'm scared he might be hungry and I don't know it. Maybe I'm just paranoid!

But what would you guys recommend? I really need to potty train him to alarm us when he needs to pee. It hasn't happened yet because I'm so paranoid of him being hungry!

lickthestar · 04-06-2005, 06:29 PM

My vet recommended free feeding Archie, because he is a picky eater. I give him fresh food every morning and every evening. I couldn't bear the thought of not leaving food for him to eat all day, and plus...what if I get it wrong? What if I don't feed him enough, or maybe too much?! Too much to worry about...I just let Archie decide.

He also gets taken out three times a day, and I don't really see a problem. He knows when he gets taken out and if it's a real emergency, there's a wee wee pad in the bathroom which he uses (like in the middle of the night).

When potty training Archie, I knew that he needed to go out because he'd start sniffing around and acting really hyper, so I'd take him out at that point. When he went, I'd praise him a lot. if he went in the house, I'd say "NO!" and bring him to the wee wee pad. Somehow, he figured out that he must go outside, or he must go on the wee wee pad (and alert me after he does so I can throw the pad away). He's surprisingly good about that!

lickthestar · 04-06-2005, 06:41 PM

I just want to add that although I free feed Archie, he still eats at the same time everyday. He'll eat after his walk in the morning and between 10 and 11 at night.

Brady's Mom · 04-07-2005, 09:20 AM

Thanks for all the tips, I think I'm going to start leaving Brady's kibble down all day and give him his breakfast and dinner the way we have been (7:30 and 6) - I also can't bare the thought of my baby being hungry and not having food to eat.

I'm amazed that Archie will go outside and on the pee pad...Brady will only go on the pee pad.

For Nathalie: controlling his pee pee will be harder, Fred needs to learn to hold his pee until he's taken out. It's really important for them to have access to water whenever they need it.....

I honestly don't know what we would've done without the pads cause in the beginning Brady was going every half hour.

lickthestar · 04-07-2005, 12:41 PM

yeah, I didn't think that it was unusual that Archie did this, but I guess it is...It's very funny because I didn't exactly plan for it to be this way. He just started peeing in the bathroom in the middle of the night when my boyfriend got home and went to the bathroom. Archie would follow him in and when he was done with the bowl, Archie would lean up against it and go...so we just put wee wee pads in the bathroom and the rest is history.

By the way, I found out that hospitals use wee wee pads for patients. I asked my friend who is an EMT to ask a doctor at the hospital for wee wee pad. If you have any friends or family in hospitals, this is an option.

04-06-2005, 01:57 PM	#16
natalie Owned by Fred Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 1,352	I free feed Fred as well.. maybe that's why I can't keep up with his peeing! I'm scared he might be hungry and I don't know it. Maybe I'm just paranoid! But what would you guys recommend? I really need to potty train him to alarm us when he needs to pee. It hasn't happened yet because I'm so paranoid of him being hungry!

04-06-2005, 06:29 PM	#17
lickthestar YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NY Posts: 360	My vet recommended free feeding Archie, because he is a picky eater. I give him fresh food every morning and every evening. I couldn't bear the thought of not leaving food for him to eat all day, and plus...what if I get it wrong? What if I don't feed him enough, or maybe too much?! Too much to worry about...I just let Archie decide. He also gets taken out three times a day, and I don't really see a problem. He knows when he gets taken out and if it's a real emergency, there's a wee wee pad in the bathroom which he uses (like in the middle of the night). When potty training Archie, I knew that he needed to go out because he'd start sniffing around and acting really hyper, so I'd take him out at that point. When he went, I'd praise him a lot. if he went in the house, I'd say "NO!" and bring him to the wee wee pad. Somehow, he figured out that he must go outside, or he must go on the wee wee pad (and alert me after he does so I can throw the pad away). He's surprisingly good about that!

04-06-2005, 06:41 PM	#18
lickthestar YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NY Posts: 360	I just want to add that although I free feed Archie, he still eats at the same time everyday. He'll eat after his walk in the morning and between 10 and 11 at night.

04-07-2005, 09:20 AM	#19
Brady's Mom Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 123	Thanks for all the tips, I think I'm going to start leaving Brady's kibble down all day and give him his breakfast and dinner the way we have been (7:30 and 6) - I also can't bare the thought of my baby being hungry and not having food to eat. I'm amazed that Archie will go outside and on the pee pad...Brady will only go on the pee pad. For Nathalie: controlling his pee pee will be harder, Fred needs to learn to hold his pee until he's taken out. It's really important for them to have access to water whenever they need it..... I honestly don't know what we would've done without the pads cause in the beginning Brady was going every half hour.

04-07-2005, 12:41 PM	#20
lickthestar YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NY Posts: 360	yeah, I didn't think that it was unusual that Archie did this, but I guess it is...It's very funny because I didn't exactly plan for it to be this way. He just started peeing in the bathroom in the middle of the night when my boyfriend got home and went to the bathroom. Archie would follow him in and when he was done with the bowl, Archie would lean up against it and go...so we just put wee wee pads in the bathroom and the rest is history. By the way, I found out that hospitals use wee wee pads for patients. I asked my friend who is an EMT to ask a doctor at the hospital for wee wee pad. If you have any friends or family in hospitals, this is an option.