# Free Feeding - Yes or No?



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

Just curious with all of the topics/discussions about this how many people do free feed.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

I voted NO. It may be ok for a single dog household, but with 3 impossible. I also like to know how much was eaten and when so you can determine if it's time to go potty.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

kiya said:


> I voted NO. It may be ok for a single dog household, but with 3 impossible. *I also like to know how much was eaten and when so you can determine if it's time to go potty*.


Exactly.


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## gsdheeler (Apr 12, 2010)

No way, if I did they would be HUGE. They need a waistline.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Nope. Don't free-feed myself either.


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## southernfiction (Oct 5, 2011)

*Nope*

Hand feeding is one way of being pack leader. If the _bowl_ gave them the food, they'd mind that!


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

My JRT would have to be rolled outside if I free fed, he would literally eat till he exploded.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

I attempted to free feed Luna when she was a pup because I thought it would make her eat more. The exact opposite happened: she ate less because she knew it would always be there, so there was no rush to eat. Who wants to eat when there's so many more FUN things to do? Putting her on scheduled feedings made her realize if she didn't eat then, she wouldn't get anything.

Now I have three dogs who are raw fed, so free feeding would get kind of stinky.


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## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

Jager would eat himself sick if we free-fed.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Feeding set amounts is much better for dogs. 
You know exactly how much each one has eaten.

Funny...our foster home used to free feed her dogs, and finally ended up quitting it because her dogs were so overweight. Badly overweight. Our vet told her to quit it!
They don't have a big ol' bowl of food all day now, she does feed better quality (used to feed Iams) and her dogs are all much healthier!


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I did the same thing- left food out all the time thinking Stosh would eat more but it didn't work. He's never been a good eater but once I put the food down for 20 mins then picked it up he figured out that meal time is his only chance- now he's ready for his meals and eats all or nearly all of it. And he's managed to put on 10 much needed pounds.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Sometimes I "free feed" in the sense that I take a bunch of kibble or whatever I'm feeding the dogs, scatter it in the yard, and let them hunt around for it, but I do not leave food out for indefinite periods of time nor do I constantly fill empty bowls. All dogs get a controlled amount whether they get it off the ground of measured into a bowl. Lately I've been using bowls since I've been adding salmon oil (from a pump bottle) and adding water to kibble since my dogs keep trying to open the toilet and drink even though we have buckets of water outside and free access to it in the basement.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

IMO, free feeding is for people who don't really know how much their dog should eat, or how often, or simply don't want to learn. They may also not want to take the time out of their day to teach the dog to sit and politely wait for their bowls. 
Either way, it is really no way to feed a dog, and an excellent way to make a dog fat. 
You also lose an important training tool if you just leave a big ol' bowl of kibble out all day.

Re: kibble games - you can even feed the dog in it's crate with it's kibble all stuck in a kong toy, but that's not "free feeding" as I take it to mean.


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## DanielleOttoMom (May 11, 2010)

I do not free feed my dogs.


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## Marnie (Oct 11, 2011)

I always used to free feed kibble to my dogs and it worked out very well. They never got over weight until they were getting up in years, 6 or older. At that time I used to cut back. I liked the fact that they ate small, frequent meals which is the safest way to feed. Also, they were raised on a farm and got way more exercise than most dogs.

Now with more than one dog in the house (one of which is a 15 year old border collie who gets zero exercise because of her back) it would't work. The old dog is 50 pounds, gets one cup of food per day and does not loose weight. She would like a lot more food but weight gain would cause serious health issues. 

My 6 mo old pup inhales food. I divide the pup's daily feeding into three portions and give one every 8 hours. The reason for this is that I do not like to see him wolf down a days worth of kibble and then tank up on water. That's just my personal opinion and most of you may not agree.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

msvette2u said:


> *IMO, free feeding is for people who don't really know how much their dog should eat, or how often, or simply don't want to learn. They may also not want to take the time out of their day to teach the dog to sit and politely wait for their bowls*.
> Either way, it is really no way to feed a dog, and an excellent way to make a dog fat.
> You also lose an important training tool if you just leave a big ol' bowl of kibble out all day.
> 
> Re: kibble games - you can even feed the dog in it's crate with it's kibble all stuck in a kong toy, but that's not "free feeding" as I take it to mean.


This is insulting. I am intelligent enough and have a good enough memory to know how much I have put in my dog's bowl on a given day. I am also intelligent enough to calculate the difference between what I put in and what she ate. It's not rocket science. I am not neurotic about food. My dog has always maintained a proper weight and energy level.
I even free feed myself, having a snack in the middle of the day right now.
OMG, I hope I don't eat the everything in the refrigerator because it is available to me !!!!
My dog sits and politely waits for whatever I ask her to sit and politely wait for. I am not a control freak, her behavior is excellent.


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

PaddyD said:


> I even free feed myself, having a snack in the middle of the day right now.
> OMG, I hope I don't eat the everything in the refrigerator because it is available to me !!!!


:rofl: I just about choked on the Crunch 'n Munch that I was eating (in the middle of the day). 
I tried the 2-3 times a day feeding thing and I gave up. Not because I was lazy, but because the dogs didn't want it. I started this poll because part of me was feeling guilty because of the abundance of posts on this board about NOT free feeding and I just can't figure out any drawbacks to not doing it if it's working for us.
I fill Saki's bowl up about 1/2 full and Knuckles about 1/4 full in the morning. (It's about 1 1/2 cups for Saki, 3/4 cup for Knuckles) It's 2:30 right now. Saki's food is 1/2 gone and Knuckles' is a little over 1/2 gone. They have both gone over twice to eat since 6:30 this morning. When I filled up the bowls, they ignored it. On the days that they have eaten their share by the time we eat supper, I add about 1/2 of what I put in in the morning and if they choose to eat it, fine. If they don't... it's still there in the morning. 
I can monitor who eats what because we have a small house and I'm usually in the kitchen (my computer is here) with the dogs with me also. If I move to the living room, I can still see their food dishes so I know who is doing what (but they are usually in the living room with me. Those silly canine shadows, ya know). Saki won't eat when I'm not home and she is home alone and right now Knuckles is crated when I am gone or comes with me. 
And if Saki needs to go outside, she lets me know. I don't need her feeding schedule to know when she needs to go out. We are 75% there with Knuckles, even bell training him to let us know when he goes out (he rang it today on his own... went outside and pooped!). No accidents in .... I lost count how many days. We could be at 100%, but I'm not assuming anything.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> OMG, I hope I don't eat the everything in the refrigerator because it is available to me !!!!


Comparing humans with a conscience and a higher pattern of thought and brain usage, to dogs, with little in the way of monitoring themselves, is inaccurate. 

And FYI...I used to free feed and I thought it was okay until our dog kept blimping up and finally we went to controlling his intake, which doesn't make us control freaks, it makes us responsible owners, since dogs being overweight is a problem.

If you measure your dog's food, I don't consider that "free feeding". Free feeding is dumping unlimited amounts of kibble into a bowl and letting them eat as they desire, whether it's too much or too little...and if you have two differently aged dogs, or of different sizes, that's going to be a problem.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I think measuring daily rations and only have one dog is not really "free feeding". To me "free feeding" is keeping the bowl full regardless of how many dogs are feeding or how much has already been eaten.

If I only had one dog, sure I'd put the daily amount in the bowl and leave it be.


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> If you measure your dog's food, I don't consider that "free feeding". Free feeding is dumping unlimited amounts of kibble into a bowl and letting them eat as they desire, whether it's too much or too little...and if you have two differently aged dogs, or of different sizes, that's going to be a problem.


Why is it going to be a problem? If they know which bowl is theirs and leaves the other's bowl alone or if you supervise them to make sure they are only eating out of their bowl I just can't see an issue. 
I've heard a few people state on here about taking the food bowl away after so many minutes if they don't eat. I don't want them to gulp down their food because they are afraid I'll take it away if they don't eat it. If they only want a few bites now and a few in an hour, so be it. To me thats healthier. I guess I could be wrong, but I've never had an overweight dog yet. With the exception of the last year before the puppy came along, there has always been 2 dogs in the house. Neither one has ever starved and I always knew if one wasn't eating.


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## Geeheim (Jun 18, 2011)

I used to free feed when I just had one dog. This was way back in the early '00. I do not do it anymore now that I have 6 dogs. I also like knowing how much food my dogs are eating and at what times they eat. If for whatever reason they don't eat all their food. I put it back in the food bin. I never leave food out.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

msvette2u said:


> If you measure your dog's food, I don't consider that "free feeding". Free feeding is dumping unlimited amounts of kibble into a bowl and letting them eat as they desire, whether it's too much or too little...and if you have two differently aged dogs, or of different sizes, that's going to be a problem.


I have one dog. She eats freely at her own schedule. There is always food in her dish. I know exactly how much I put in and how much she eats. Freely.
I repeat she eats freely, at her own schedule, there is always food in her dish. I know how much I put in. Got it? That is free feeding.
In the over 2 years I have had her (since 11 weeks old) she has never asked to go out. I don't know why. She just holds it until we let her out. If she asked (as our previous dogs did) I would certainly let her out. We let her out several times a day so she is never in distress. She has never had any accidents once she was house trained and that only took a few days.


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## bruiser (Feb 14, 2011)

My lab would eat all her food and my GSD's. She's a food monger  I feed each of them half their food in the morning and the other half at night. Leave it out 20 minutes and them pick it up and add to or save for next feeding. Also, no table scraps and treats only when they finish their dog food. I a big meany :wild:


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

bruiser said:


> My lab would eat all her food and my GSD's. She's a food monger  I feed each of them half their food in the morning and the other half at night. Leave it out 20 minutes and them pick it up and add to or save for next feeding. Also, no table scraps and treats only when they finish their dog food. I a big meany :wild:


My last dog was that way. No way could I let her choose how much and when to eat. I am lucky that current dog is not a big eater otherwise I would have to put her on a schedule.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Liesje said:


> I think measuring daily rations and only have one dog is not really "free feeding". * To me "free feeding" is keeping the bowl full regardless of how many dogs are feeding or how much has already been eaten.*
> 
> If I only had one dog, sure I'd put the daily amount in the bowl and leave it be.


Exactly...which is how we wound up with a 25lb. Dachshund who should have only weighed 9-12lbs! 



> tried the 2-3 times a day feeding thing and I gave up. Not because I was lazy, but because the dogs didn't want it.


When going from "free feeding" (as described above) to putting the food down and picking it up in 10-15min., dogs often have the attitude they don't want it, because they know it'll always be there. Or that's what they think. After a couple days to a week, they realize it's getting put up so they better eat it while it's there.

And most of us feed 1-2x a day, not 3


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> After a couple days to a week, they realize it's getting put up so they better eat it while it's there.


After a week of them barley eating anything, it just wasn't working. I was waiting 1/2 hour for them to eat and they weren't eating. I even tried putting the food down when they would walk over to where the bowls should have been, they would eat a few bites and walk away. You would think the puppy would eat it all when I put it down, but it didn't take him long at all to eat when he was hungry instead of when I wanted him to be hungry.

And during that time is when Saki was having the bowl guarding issues... since I gave up the scheduled feedings, the guarding stopped.


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## cowboy17 (Sep 26, 2011)

I find that it's easier to identify and backtrack any issue (soft stool, hard stool, things in the stool etc) if scheduled feeding.


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## Marnie (Oct 11, 2011)

PaddyD said:


> I even free feed myself, having a snack in the middle of the day right now.
> OMG, I hope I don't eat the everything in the refrigerator because it is available to me !!!!
> 
> 
> ...


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

AH I got it- http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-information/168990-why-ask-if-you-dont-want-hear.html this is another of those threads! 
aranoid:


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

No way for sure here. I don't like the idea of a dog eating one big meal per day, and I do not think either of mine would stop eating until the bowl was empty if I gave out their entire day's rations at once.


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> AH I got it- http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-information/168990-why-ask-if-you-dont-want-hear.html this is another of those threads!
> aranoid:


I don't have any problems with any of the answers. I was honestly curious if there were any other free feeders out there. I knew the majority would say they didn't, but I am surprised that so far it's only 2 of us. 
It's just one of those topics on here that I have found hard to digest, pardon the pun  And so far it's the only one I've spoken up on. But a lot of the differences in the way people raise their dogs is 1. the number of dogs they have and 2. why they have dogs (working/showing/breeding/companionship). The feeding is one thing I did try to change and just didn't have my heart in it and neither did the dogs. But to call people unintelligent & lazy because they choose to do something not the "norm", is a little uncalled for. 
I understand that I am not a owner of a pedigreed GSD that will hold show titles, working titles and will never sire puppies that people would jump over hoops to get. I am an owner of a low standard GSD from parents who probably never should have bred, but I have every intention on raising him & training him to be one of the best behaved & trained dogs out there, just like my other dogs have been. The fact that I come here to ask questions and show off my pride of ownership shouldn't mean that I should feel like a horrible owner because I choose to do things different than the majority. All I was doing is telling you that even though I did the things you suggested, the scheduled feedings were not working for us. It wasn't that I didn't want to hear it.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> But to call people unintelligent & lazy because they choose to do something not the "norm", is a little uncalled for.


Again, free feeding, as per my (and others) definition is dumping out a big bowl of kibble, and keeping that bowl full at all times. Or (what we see often) opening a big bag and leaving it outside for dogs to eat out of. 
Why do you suppose owners would do that? 
And yes that is my definition of free feeding, not taking 1cup of food and placing it in a bowl. Free feeding is just that...the dog always has a full bowl to nibble on whenever he or she feels like it.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Ozzy's not free fed. He gets between 1/2 - 1 cup of food in the evenings. The amount depends on how much exercise he got that day.

The other dogs in the house get fed once during the evening, however my mom loads the bowls up and puts them down, so they eat however much they want while it's out. Usually one bowl is left untouched, but the dogs are all much healthier in their weights.


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> Again, free feeding, as per my (and others) definition is dumping out a big bowl of kibble, and keeping that bowl full at all times. Or (what we see often) opening a big bag and leaving it outside for dogs to eat out of.
> Why do you suppose owners would do that?
> And yes that is my definition of free feeding, not taking 1cup of food and placing it in a bowl. Free feeding is just that...the dog always has a full bowl to nibble on whenever he or she feels like it.


So then what do I call what I do? They eat when they want, but it's a set amount.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

If you don't continually refill the bowl I don't see an issue except that your first posts on the subject indicated you desired the dogs to eat out of 1 bowl, seemingly in a "free feeding" style fashion. 
Now it seems as if you're using two separate bowls?

The problem with a multiple dog household is if they are eating out of one bowl that's continually refilled, you cannot tell how much each dog is getting. Plus, when we have puppies who share a bowl, inevitably one will get more than some of the others. Some may even lose weight if this continues. 

I'm curious, too - if you have two dogs, one being a puppy, the other an adult, and one's growing, the other's not, etc., how do you tell who is eating how much out of which bowl? Or do they both eat the same thing?
When you shower, or leave the house, are the dogs put up, or is the food put up, so they only eat when you supervise it?


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

I watch them. As I said, the bowls are in the kitchen, where I am 90% of the time (I work from home as a graphic designer). If I am in the living room I can still see the bowls, but they usually just follow me in there anyway. Our house is small, I can hear what they are doing at any given time. And, yes, they both eat the same food. 
When we first got Knuckles, I had every intention on them using the same bowl eventually (all my dogs did, but I've never had more than 2 dogs at a time) but with the scheduled feeding, Saki was being a brat about it and snapping at him when she was eating. I got him his own bowl (I was feeding him puppy food/formula the first week or so with just a regular cereal bowl). Now since I gave up the "scheduled/put food up after 15 mins" stuff she could care less if he is chewing on her leg while she's eating. But since the 2nd bowl is there, I just use it and keep them in their own bowl. 
I shower before my daughters go to school so that someone is watching the puppy. Saki usually comes upstairs and sits by the bathroom door when I'm in there anyway. When I leave the house, as I said, Knuckles is put in his crate or they come with me. Saki does not eat when I am not home (which can be a problem if I'm gone for the weekend). I am an obnoxious puppy owner - he is supervised 99% of the time, if not 100%. I've always been like that. I make a commitment that when I get a puppy the next many months of my life belong to the dog. 
Now as Knuckles gets older things may change. But right now he's eating when he wants throughout the day (Saki does too). I hope it stays that way. 
But tonight, they got a small refill because both bowls were empty and now thboth bowls are empty again. I will NOT refill it until tomorrow morning. It only gets filled up twice (but never "full", if that makes sense)


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## vicky2200 (Oct 29, 2010)

We have 3 dogs. We free feed the younger ones but not the elder due to a weight problem he has. We stopped free feeding him after he was put on medications that increase the appetite and he gained alot of weight. We could go back to free feeding him now since he doesnt have a huge appetite anymore, but we like him to eat his food after he gets his pills. The other two have no problems with over eating or aggression and eat out of the same dish. One is too thin (she is an alaskan husky so this is common) and the other is perfect (weight.)


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

msvette2u said:


> IMO, free feeding is for people who don't really know how much their dog should eat, or how often, or simply don't want to learn. They may also not want to take the time out of their day to teach the dog to sit and politely wait for their bowls.
> Either way, it is really no way to feed a dog, and an excellent way to make a dog fat.


I don't agree. Mine were both free-feeding for almost 2.5 years until they started getting more fresh food than kibble. Neither was overweight. 

Some dogs are smart enough to self-regulate their food intake just like animals in the wild, some aren't. Some eat to survive, others eat because they like the way the food tastes. Sort of like people.


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## sharkey19 (Sep 25, 2011)

I free feed Dax. I always have food in his bowl. He was really thin and not really that interested in food, so that is why I started it. I tried to not free feed, but it didn't really work for him. That being said, I only put 2 cups at a time in his bowl, so I am always aware of how much he is getting, so I guess some people consider this a little different than free-feeding? Also, if he ever starts putting on a little too much weight, he would definitely get cut off.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

sharkey19 said:


> I free feed Dax. I always have food in his bowl. He was really thin and not really that interested in food, so that is why I started it. I tried to not free feed, but it didn't really work for him. That being said, I only put 2 cups at a time in his bowl, so I am always aware of how much he is getting, so I guess some people consider this a little different than free-feeding? Also, if he ever starts putting on a little too much weight, he would definitely get cut off.


'Some people' don't understand that free feeding means the dog eats whenever it wants to. It has nothing to do with whether you put a bag full or a couple of cups (i.e. measured amount) in the bowl. Free feeding means that the food is available and THE DOG CHOOSES WHEN TO EAT. The owner may or may not choose how much.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

I free fed my dogs for YEARS. Never saw anything wrong with it, and didn't understand the argument behind scheduled feedings. I still don't think it's wrong, but now that I have 4 dogs, I don't think I could ever go back to free feeding. This way, its just easier for me to keep track of how much the dogs are eating. I also feed RAW so its not really an option for me. My dogs also never seemed hungry when I free fed. Whenever I filled the bowls, they would just sniff and walk away. It seemed my little ones wouldonly eat when they were starving. Then when it was finally eaten, I wouldn't know who ate what.


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## sharkey19 (Sep 25, 2011)

PaddyD said:


> 'Some people' don't understand that free feeding means the dog eats whenever it wants to. It has nothing to do with whether you put a bag full or a couple of cups (i.e. measured amount) in the bowl. Free feeding means that the food is available and THE DOG CHOOSES WHEN TO EAT. The owner may or may not choose how much.


Haha. Ya, that is how I always defined it. I am lucky that both my dog and cat are not big eaters, so they still stay slim even with free feeding. My cat actually yells at us if there is no food in his bowl. We will fill up his bowl and then he will just walk away, knowing its there for him when he decides to eat. LOL


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> Some dogs are smart enough to self-regulate their food intake just like animals in the wild


Dogs in the wild don't regulate their food intake...nature does! If they kill an elk, they will eat until they are bulging, and hang around and eat more. 



> free feeding means that the food is available and THE DOG CHOOSES WHEN TO EAT.


So the dog has unlimited food supply and eats whenever it feels like it?

How is that different than my definition? The food is there, whether in a 40lb. bag they cut open for it and left, or brimming over in a 4 -8 cup. bowl.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

There are tons of reasons to NOT free feed in my eyes.

*To me, anything but giving a dog a set amount that they eat immediately, and if they do NOT you take it off the floor until the next feeding, if free feeding.*

So if I only fed my dog 2 cups of food a day, and they took 24 hours to eat it, that's free feeding. To me.

There is ZERO information from feeding like that, to me. 

I do not know exactly how much my dog ate and when. 

I do not know if their appetite is normal for that day.

I do not know WHEN they maybe started going off their food.

I have NOT used a valuable bonding tool with my dogs.

I have NOT used yet another time during the day to connect and train my dog.

I have removed a valuable training 'tool' from my bag of tricks (food drive) to be able to use for motivation and excitement for my dogs.

In a fairly boring day for my dogs, I have REMOVED a bit of excitement and something for them to look forward to WITH ME, up to twice a day.

My dogs have a regular eating AND then a regular 'elimination' schedule. So I know when they eat, I know when they have to go outdoors, and I feel confident when I have to leave the for 8 or more hours they aren't struggling not to have an accident in the house because they CHOOSE to eat at a bad time.

I use treats/food to make training fun and this doesn't work as well with dogs that have ZERO interest or excitement about mealtimes/food or possibly just ate a full meal (but I'm not sure cause food is always out?) 

FOR ME, I want my dogs to be bonded to me, engaged with me, looking to me and wanting to be with me and EXCITED about life and what are we going to do next. And all the different ways I can do this have value. So I use praise, I use toys, and I use FOOD. To remove any of those tools or choice to not take advantage of such an easy one is just crippling my relationship, or at least weakening it.

I also just don't understand why it's so hard to feed my dogs twice a day a set amount of food. If it helps my dogs to give ME information, TWICE A DAY and immediately on their general health and welfare. Gives my dogs 2 periods of excitement and fun. Greatly helps my bond and training experiences. Why not?

01 Feeding Time - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Considering (14lb) Zoey once got into some food and helped herself to EIGHT POUNDS of kibble (Yes, over HALF her body weight in food!) once in a single "serving", absolutely NOT!!!! Eevee could probably be free fed but like others have said, with multiple dogs I like to know how much food my animals are eating (And with Zoey alive, that's impossible), when they go off food, ect.

@ msvette2u: What is the difference in a full bowl of food and a bowl with say 3 cups of food in it, if the dog doesn't finish all of either? It's all free feeding IMO.


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## Tiffseagles (May 12, 2010)

I do not believe in free feeding.


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## VomBlack (May 23, 2009)

Absolutely not. For one I think mine would eat themselves into a coma, but like mentioned I like to keep track of how much and how often they're eating in case of any health issues.


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## Pepper311 (Sep 11, 2011)

It depends on the dog. My old border collie was not a food hound and so we let her free feed. She never had a weight problem or messed in the house. I would let my puppy free feed if She was an only dog. 

With 3 dogs I can't free feed. They all are on different food. But I think there are some dogs that do just fine free feeding. Not all dogs have self control and some just love food like my little fat dog. Then there are other dogs like my old dog that could have food around all day and only eat a little.


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

MaggieRoseLee, awesome post.

Food comes from me, not the floor.
Oh, my GSD is on drugs that create hunger, so there's one more reason. There's also the fact that if you have a scheduled feeding it makes for a better elimination schedule.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I associate "free feeding" with unlimited amounts of kibble. I associate that with overweight dogs (because that's a lot of what we see in rescue).

It's different than putting 1 cup of food down and leaving it all day. 
However, that end result is that the dog is left to "nibble" and as others said, it doesn't look to you to be the "provider of all things good" (aka LEADER), which is an important and quite effective training tool.

Loved your post, Maggie!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

CarrieJ said:


> MaggieRoseLee, awesome post.
> 
> Food comes from me, not the floor.


Thanks!

To me, mealtime isn't just about the food.

It's about so many other aspects of my dogs life and my dogs life WITH ME. :wub:


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## KingKane (Oct 18, 2011)

Hello Everyone! 

First off, I am new to the GSD world! This is my first day on the site! I grew up with Labs and Dobermans. I now have a 4yr old Doberman and a 1.5 year old GSD. They are both males and best buddies. I have grown up free feeding my dogs, and love it.

I pay attention to them enough and notice how much food they eat daily. They both share a huge bowl that I have to fill up about once a week. I have had no issues with it. They are both about 90lbs of muscle and never have an issue with aggression. Like me, I let them eat when they are hungry (as they are a part of my family). I used to work as a vet tech and saw so many over weight dogs, and everyone I have talked to that free feeds never has an issue with it. 

As far as using food to train, I am completely against it. I use positive energy and praises. Dog's especially ones who are a part of the family crave attention, and using it as a reward works better for me than food. My guys both love when I use a happier voice and praise them. I could literally throw a bone on the ground and run the other direction and they would follow me and ignore the treat. To me that's a "man's best friend". Bonding doesn't have to involve food.

Do you give your son or daughter a candy bar every time they go potty or sit? I just like the more hands on approach. Free feeding isn't all that bad. Just like a 5yr old child- Give them a bag of candy, and they may eat half of it and then throw up, but they will only do it once! 

Dogs are smarter than you think, especially GSDs! 

Just my personal opinion!


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

You have not lived with a pre-Cushing's, then full-blown Cushing's dog...



> Free feeding isn't all that bad. Just like a 5yr old child- Give them a bag of candy, and they may eat half of it and then throw up, but they will only do it once!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

and you haven't lived with aussies either Mine would eat until they puked and then start eating again.

so NO I do not free feed my dogs


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## Anja1Blue (Feb 27, 2008)

Nope - never have, never will. I feed raw, and that's not something I would leave out all day for obvious reasons. But if I fed kibble I still wouldn't do it - unless I had a dog who didn't find food particularly interesting, and I could trust to nibble. (I hear they exist, but I've never seen one LOL..) Apart from the bonus of reinforcing my position as leader of the pack by being the provider of a valued resource, I also manage their weight by knowing how much to give them - Anja would eat until she was morbidly obese if she could free feed, she just wouldn't know when to stop. Conor would be fat also - he eats more slowly, but he too would just keep going until it was gone. :crazy:
__________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge :angel:


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

I guess it just boils down to what works for who & what dogs. If it doesn't work for you, great. If it does, great. I've never had a problem, no matter what breed or size of dog I've had. I have been lucky enough not to have a health issue where I had to limit feedings (or not allow them access to food all day) and I've never had behavior issues or difficulty training. I've never trained a dog for work/show/job though, so I don't think comparing my training to most of the people's on this board counts. 
And as long as we respect how each other does things, it's all good


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Kittilicious said:


> I guess it just boils down to what works for who & what dogs. If it doesn't work for you, great. If it does, great. I've never had a problem, no matter what breed or size of dog I've had. I have been lucky enough not to have a health issue where I had to limit feedings (or not allow them access to food all day) and I've never had behavior issues or difficulty training. I've never trained a dog for work/show/job though, so I don't think comparing my training to most of the people's on this board counts.
> And as long as we respect how each other does things, it's all good


And to me, it boils down to 'When you know better, you do better'. I'm always ready to learn and change if there's even a chance it benefits my dogs :wub:


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i free fed my last dog. i started doing it when he was
a pup. i would feed him his can food with mixed with things.
then i would leave a bowl of dry out for him. he didn't over eat.
the dog i have now is fed in the am and pm. he has his treats throughout the day.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> And to me, it boils down to 'When you know better, you do better'. I'm always ready to learn and change if there's even a chance it benefits my dogs :wub:



Exactly...right now we have probably 5 different diets in the home, one for allergic dogs, one for puppies, one for adults, one for "small breeds", and one for kidney damage.

Curious how people manage to "free feed" (defined as leaving food out all day that other dogs that the diet is not intended could eat) a puppy and an adult, for instance, when they need two different diets?


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Kittilicious said:


> I guess it just boils down to what works for who & what dogs. If it doesn't work for you, great. If it does, great. I've never had a problem, no matter what breed or size of dog I've had. I have been lucky enough not to have a health issue where I had to limit feedings (or not allow them access to food all day) and I've never had behavior issues or difficulty training. I've never trained a dog for work/show/job though, so I don't think comparing my training to most of the people's on this board counts.
> *And as long as we respect how each other does things, it's all good *


Amen, well said.
Some people just can't give up and respect that other people have ways that work for them.


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## susnrob (Oct 10, 2011)

I answered no.....I am currently hand feeding my 2 year old GSD. She was eating out of a bowl, but for training purposes we're back to hand feeding


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> Curious how people manage to "free feed" (defined as leaving food out all day that other dogs that the diet is not intended could eat) a puppy and an adult, for instance, when they need two different diets?


I don't think you could free feed in those circumstances. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has.


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## weber1b (Nov 30, 2008)

We could with our very first dog. She only ate what she needed. We might be able to with Max as he is not food motivated. Patton could never do that, and Clover might after she got over the initial rush of the food.


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## GSD84 (Apr 27, 2011)

Rott-n-GSDs said:


> I attempted to free feed Luna when she was a pup because I thought it would make her eat more. The exact opposite happened: she ate less because she knew it would always be there, so there was no rush to eat. Who wants to eat when there's so many more FUN things to do? Putting her on scheduled feedings made her realize if she didn't eat then, she wouldn't get anything.
> 
> Now I have three dogs who are raw fed, so free feeding would get kind of stinky.


never thought of that. we are currently free feeding isis because when we leave the food out in the morning she doesn't eat it all...same for lunch and dinner. she is pretty skinny so I have wanted her to put on some weight. but what you said makes complete sense I think I will start doing that. on a side note if there is leftover food in the bowl from breakfast do you add on to that food or do you throw out that food and get fresh food?

I should also add that I stay home so I know when she has eaten and when not to play with her to avoid bloat


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

KingKane said:


> Just like a 5yr old child- Give them a bag of candy, and they may eat half of it and then throw up, but they will only do it once!


Which, um, is the reason we had to change "adult-onset diabetes" to "Type-II diabetes" and nearly a quarter of kids under 11 are obese.


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

I voted no, but after reading these posts I guess the answer should technically be yes. I put a set amount of food in Sasha's bowl twice a day. Now she scarfs it down like the little piggy she is, but if she didn't I wouldn't take it away from her. However, she gets let out pretty frequently, as my schedule now allows me to be home a lot, and really she's only ever gone about 4.5 hrs. home alone at a time (with the exception of the 8hrs. she was home alone one day...she was not pleased about that. lol). I guess if I couldn't be home more frequently I might think differently, or maybe if I had two dogs; I personally don't see a problem with it as long as it is working for the individual dog/dog owner. Some dogs will self regulate. I know Sasha self regulates water. She just doesn't drink if I'm gone. She has access to it at all times, but just won't drink if no one is home. She gets a big drink after she's done spazzing all over me when I first walk in, and then just drinks as desired after that. I don't see any reason why some dogs couldn't do the same with food.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Emoore said:


> Which, um, is the reason we had to change "adult-onset diabetes" to "Type-II diabetes" and nearly a quarter of kids under 11 are obese.


Interesting observation...responsible parents don't "free feed" kids...it's not even just candy as much as all the carbs, sweetened cereal, packaged desserts, eating out, pop/soda, and just _over eating_, or what you'd probably call "free feeding" (access to however much food you want, whenever you want it). 

Not to mention the fact that eating healthy is more expensive, just like with dog food. For instance, you can buy a package of cheap sugared cereal for less than half of what a wholesome package costs.


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

NewbieShepherdGirl said:


> I voted no, but after reading these posts I guess the answer should technically be yes. I put a set amount of food in Sasha's bowl twice a day.


Yeah, the definition of what free feeding is has been defined a few ways. I still don't know what I do


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I do not free feed for so many reasons but ONE of them is excercise.
I want to know that when I excercise them they have an EMPTY stomach. 

FWIW - my female would NOT limit herself and I know that to be a fact as I have seen the aftermath of her getting into a bag of food, or pulling an entire chicken off of the counter and consuming it.


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## Stella's Mom (Mar 8, 2011)

I free feed but it really works out to filling up the bowl twice a day. I make a big meal for her around 5:30 each day with fresh chicken breast, gravy for hips and joints and wellness kibble.

After the bowl is cleaned I will put some more dry food in, about half to the top. If in the morning that is gone, I will fill the bowl to half again for during the day time.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

NewbieShepherdGirl said:


> I voted no, but after reading these posts I guess the answer should technically be yes. I put a set amount of food in Sasha's bowl twice a day. Now she scarfs it down like the little piggy she is, but if she didn't I wouldn't take it away from her.


I wouldn't consider that free feeding - you're giving her a set amount, so you're measuring her food, and you're giving it to her twice a day, so she does have regular mealtimes, even if she were free to not eat every last bite all at once. 

To me free feeding means that you fill the bowl and add more when it gets low or is empty. The dog is not only deciding WHEN they want to eat, they're deciding how much as well - they are free to make those choices because unlimited food is always available to them.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I wouldn't consider that free feeding - you're giving her a set amount, so you're measuring her food, and you're giving it to her twice a day, so she does have regular mealtimes, even if she were free to not eat every last bite all at once.
> 
> To me free feeding means that you fill the bowl and add more when it gets low or is empty. The dog is not only deciding WHEN they want to eat, they're deciding how much as well - they are free to make those choices because unlimited food is always available to them.


I free feed but I don't fill the bowl. I put in a cup and a half, when that is gone I put in a cup and half more. That way she is free to eat when and how much she wants and I can easily do the math as to how much she has eaten on a given day. She has never over-eaten, the most she eats is 4 cups and that is on a day that followed light eating.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

jocoyn said:


> I do not free feed for so many reasons but ONE of them is excercise.
> *I want to know that when I excercise them they have an EMPTY stomach*.


That has got to be the most important reason for not free feeding. I always make sure I don't exercise my dogs before/after eating. Bloat is a major concern of mine.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

kiya said:


> That has got to be the most important reason for not free feeding. I always make sure I don't exercise my dogs before/after eating. Bloat is a major concern of mine.


It is a major concern of mine too. Fortunately, Abby gets all of her exercise in the morning and she never (chooses to) eat until noon or later.
She gets a 2.5 mile walk at 5 a.m. and a 3 mile run at 9. All walks later in the day are short and non-strenuous.


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## 2GSDmom (Aug 4, 2011)

We don't currently free feed because our 14 yr old Sheltie is on medication twice a day that has to be given with food. Also, she's a little pig. She once ate 3 bunnies she had stolen from the cat in one afternoon and still ate all her dinner! If we free fed our 2 GSDs, she'd figure out how to steal food from them, too.

Even though we feed raw 1/2 the time, I really only count kibble as a vehicle for free feeding.

I have free fed dogs successfully in the past. If it's going to work, there will always be food left in the dish, even if its only a little bit. That's how you know the dog(s) are self-regulating. Our Husky/Pyrenees cross wouldn't eat anytime we weren't home. Nor would she eat more than a few mouthfuls camping, or on trips. She also had kibble and biscuit caches in every room and all over the yard. She put Boy Scouts to shame. It depends on the dog...just like people. 

By the way, our cats have always been hunters and free fed--all heathy, lean and long lived.


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## SARAHSMITH (Sep 19, 2010)

How do you copy someone's response so you can then reply? 

Well, anyway, to the person who said responsible adults to not free feed their kids, well I took offense to that as I do, and unless my daughter got fat I see no reason not to. I allow her to eat anytime as long as it's healthy food. 

About the only time I try to stop her from "free feeding" is a couple of hours before dinner, mainly because my husband spends a fair amount of time cooking a nice dinner and likes the family to sit together and enjoy a nice meal. 

My daughter complained one day because another student in class tattled on her for sneaking a snack during class before it was snack time and eating. Her teacher did not make her stop eating (maybe she is OK with free feeding too). I am a free feeder as well. Much prefer lots of small meals to 3 big ones. 

I would love to try it with my dog but he eats his food right now soooo fast. I can't imagine he would ever stop. Has anyone had a dog like that who adapted well to free feeding?


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

SARAHSMITH said:


> How do you copy someone's response so you can then reply?


Hit the button that says "quote" on the lower right corner of the post you want to quote.


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## Rosa (Sep 18, 2010)

No I don't, Have set time they eat twice a day and if they don't eat it, then the food is picked up and they have to wait till the next time!


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

I feed raw so that would be hard..lol But I never free fed when feeding kibble, ever.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

On a side note about children and "free-feeding", there's a great book out about Intuitive Eating that more people should read. I just encourage (and model for) my children to eat healthy appropriate foods. If I've worked in the yard, exercised extra, hiked longer, sure I eat more. Or if I'm just suddenly hungry, I eat. If I'm not, and I'm not going too long inbetween meals, I don't. I'm almost 41 years old and my dtr, who turns 16 next week, and I wear the same pants. And it's not because she fits into mine. 

My first dog free-fed. Never overweight. BUT--he chewed his food. One.piece.at.a.time. 2nd dog, lab, ate twice a day. Inhaled whole in about 30 seconds or less. Worked out ok, though, never bothered me. Easy to regulate his health and weight. 

Rocket? Sigh...I try to pick his food up--today, I did, he hasn't eaten anything except what he's gotten for training, (not tons and not much kibble, a training 'chub' stufff). The problem is, even so, when I put his food down tonight, he'll only eat a bit at a time. If I leave it down for an hour or hour and a half, he'll eat all of it. But definitely not in 20 minutes. He pays great attention to training, even without food, but likes his treats and is NEVER that interested in training with just his food kibble. So I'm not really sure what we're going to do. Play it by ear, I guess.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

RocketDog said:


> On a side note about children and "free-feeding", there's a great book out about Intuitive Eating that more people should read..


And that book is called . . . . . . . . . .


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

CarrieJ said:


> MaggieRoseLee, awesome post.
> 
> Food comes from me, not the floor.
> Oh, my GSD is on drugs that create hunger, so there's one more reason. There's also the fact that if you have a scheduled feeding it makes for a better elimination schedule.


Agree, great post MaggieRoseLee, really good. Very much agreed on the elimination schedule as well. It's pretty clockwork when they're fed on a schedule, I like that.



jocoyn said:


> I do not free feed for so many reasons but ONE of them is excercise. I want to know that when I excercise them they have an EMPTY stomach.


 Yes, HUGE part of the issue for me as well.


I free-fed prior to my third coming into the picture. This turned out to be a major mistake, as my oldest, (a spitz, often prone to overeating and obesity) became fat. Now we're working like crazy to get the weight off -- NOT easy! My second oldest could likely be free fed. She doesn't overeat and she's nice and slim. BUT now that we have two dogs on one food, one of them overweight, and the pup on another food, free feeding isn't an option anymore even if I wanted to. And I don't. I like the daily ritual of feeding the dogs. Getting them excited for breakfast. All the things MRL spoke about.

I'm sure it works fine for some, especially one-dog households, but just won't work here.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Amazon.com: Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works (9780312321239): Evelyn Tribole, Elyse Resch: Books


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I read it several years ago, from the library. Wasn't sure it was actually called that.

I should say, I've never had food "issues". My mom didn't really police anything we ate. She cooked almost every meal we ate, but we had pop and chips and white bread too. I used to eat a vanilla ice cream cone every afternoon for a snack in the summer. I also ate a lot of toast with butter for a snack. I never grew up feeling deprived, or that I craved junk food either. In fact, when out on my own, I longed for my mom's healthy home cooking and started cooking very early. So I didn't really pay much attention to the "food personalities part", or feel that I had to "find a relationship" with food. 

But still a good read, if I remember.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I've heard really good things about that book. And if I hadn't just blown the equivalent of Micronesia's GDP at the vet's office over the last few days I'd probably order it. Alas, my library doesn't have it.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Sigh...our library has had funding cut too, and we're missing lots of good ones, including "Calming Signals". Grrr.


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## 1rockyracoon1 (May 27, 2010)

I and my family have always free fed and have had many dogs of different breeds over the years and had multiple dogs at a time on different food and never had a problem with it. They have never over ate or been over weight. Have we tried the schedule feeding and what not but our dogs are praise trained and have no food drive so they would never eat.
By us free feeding does that mean we are unintelligent? No
Does it mean I dont want to learn anything? No
Does it mean I am lazy? No
Do I feel it would help the bond between me and my dog? No (He knows where the food comes from whether it sits there for a while or I just set it down. Also he will only eat at night anyway cause other than that he will just follow me or someone else around. He Already looks at me for everything and is with me everywhere I go and would do anything if he knows it will make me happy and get him some attention.)
But this is just my opinion and experience.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

I like the argument about free feeding dogs as opposed to sentient beings with 'consciences' like humans. I free feed my dog and I free feed myself. And I look around me and take inventory of the success of the 'sentient' beings around me. My dog and I are DOING OK THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Some of us succeed and some of us fail and that includes dogs and humans. We aren't all the same.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

No free feeding in our home for 2 reasons. 1) NILIF 2) They would overeat.


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## tami97 (Sep 15, 2011)

I free feed. She still eats the same about. But she likes to pick.


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## _Crystal_ (Jun 28, 2011)

I'd never free feed, 1. It would all be eaten by the puppy brat named Nour that eats like a pig... 2. Crystal would be starved because she is so picky. xD


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

_Crystal_ said:


> I'd never free feed, 1. It would all be eaten by the puppy brat named Nour that eats like a pig... 2. *Crystal would be starved because she is so picky.* xD


2. ?
If food is available to Crystal all the time (free feeding) why would she eat less than if it is only available when you feed her?
I'm missing something here ...


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## Klamari (Aug 6, 2010)

Nope, no free feeding here. More than half of Rayne's meals are raw, so that rules those out. 

Her kibble meals......I can't even put the set amount I give her in a bowl because she sucks it down so fast. I have to scatter it across the floor just to get her to slow down a little. If I free fed her she would eat until she was sick, then puke, eat that, and keep going. She would pork out in no time at all. 

Having said that, my previous dog was free fed--when her bowl was empty I put more in--because 1) she was fed kibble, 2)I really didn't know any differently at the time, and 3) she always self-regulated her weight very well. So there was never a reason for me to think I needed to measure her food :shrug:


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## sashadog (Sep 2, 2011)

No free feeding because 1. my dogs would fight over it and 2. my fatty Cattle Dog would inhale it all before anyone else could even sniff it! This is the same dog that broke into a 30 lb. bag of dog food and ate about half of it before I got home and found her. She is the only dog I have owned that I truly think would eat herself to death :crazy:

I have always wondered about people who free-feed, does your dog just put themselves on a type of schedule? I am so paranoid about my dogs running around too soon after eating so how would you prevent that in a free-feeding dog? I have nothing against it, it's just always been easier between feeding raw and having multiple dogs to do set meals.


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## spidermilk (Mar 18, 2010)

I don't free feed for the following reasons:

1. I like to know if my dog is hungry or not and if he ate or not. If he isn't hungry I know he isn't feeling well.
2. Weight control. Even if he didn't gain weight, then he would probably just eat way more and poop it all out. For me, Acana is too expensive for it to just be eaten and pooped out 
3. My cat eats dog food. I do free feed my cat (dry food and feed 2 wet food meals daily), but my cat loves dog food. I can't have my cat filling up on dog food and not eating the food that is nutritious to him.
4. I like a hungry dog. I can use his dinner kibble for training, or I can hide it in boxes and newspaper or in his purple squirrel guy. It is more than just a meal, it is an interactive activity that tires him out.


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## tsteves (Jun 7, 2011)

Yes and no. We feed her at specific times but sometimes she does not eat it. If we are home all day sometimes we will leave it out for a while to give her the chance to pick on it. It really depends on the day. For example we put her food down this morning and she has only taken a few nibbles all day. When our boy come she will not be allowed to do that anymore though as we will have a strict eat now or wait till later policy as we did when we had our foster dog here.


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## jetscarbie (Feb 29, 2008)

I use to free fed. Worked out great. Never had much of a problem. I've got 3 GSD's and they all have their own dish and just ate when they wanted to.

Then I decided to do the time feeding. For some reason, my oldest male started to feel that he had to gulp down all his food at one time, real quick. He started to put on a few pounds.....even after I cut back on his food amount. Then he would start puking the food out.

So now...I do a combination of both. I feed them a set amount. I lay the dish down and leave it all day. Either they eat it all at once and I'll add a little more (to equal their daily serving)...or they eat a little throughout the day. It gets picked up at nightime.

It works much better for my oldest male. The other two usually eat their part in the morning....and can take another small part at night.


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## jesetta_1980 (Jun 12, 2011)

PaddyD said:


> This is insulting. I am intelligent enough and have a good enough memory to know how much I have put in my dog's bowl on a given day. I am also intelligent enough to calculate the difference between what I put in and what she ate. It's not rocket science. I am not neurotic about food. My dog has always maintained a proper weight and energy level.
> I even free feed myself, having a snack in the middle of the day right now.
> OMG, I hope I don't eat the everything in the refrigerator because it is available to me !!!!
> My dog sits and politely waits for whatever I ask her to sit and politely wait for. I am not a control freak, her behavior is excellent.


 
I totally agree with this. I free feed Rayvn as well. I know how to read directions and believe it or not, how to portion. I asked my vet and trainer if maybe I should go to a schedule and both felt there was no reason to do so. He does have to sit, and wait for his food. Free feeding, does not equal a "free for all" in our house. If he were over-weight and didnt know when to stop I could understand.


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## cta (May 24, 2011)

i agree with that too. my dog is not an over eater. if he's hungry, he eats, if he's not...he will eat when he gets hungry! i say i "free feed" because i never take his food up. i give him a certain amount in the morning and if he eats it during the day, great, if not, he eats it when i get home. then he gets another meal at night if he's hungry. basically he eats when he wants, always the same amount of food (give or take about 1 cup depending on the activity level for the day) it's just split up differently from day to day. i am still able to monitor his food intake this way tho, so it works for us.


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## Hercules (Aug 1, 2010)

Both of my dogs get free choice. I didn't when they were puppies since they weren't able to control themselves. 

When they need to go out, they come let me know so that is not an issue 


I want to get one of the 20 pound self feeders then I would need to fill it about once a week or so.


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## GrammaD (Jan 1, 2012)

I use food to train and to develop minds. I rarely even use a bowl. 

Besides, free feeding with a lab in the house? She'd die dragging her corpulent body across the floor past the skeletal corpse of my GSD to get the last bits!


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