# At what age did you go from two meals a day to one??



## lone Ranger (Nov 29, 2012)

My Pup is on the larger size at 19 weeks, 24 kg (53 lbs), 23 inches tall...

It seems like lately: If he eats big at night, he is picky in the morning... If he eats big in the morning it seems like he is picky at night..

I could just keep training him, food down for only 15-30 minutes then gone, *if my leaving it longer is the cause of the pickyness.* But I am thinking he will eventually switch to just one meal a day. At some point he does not need two meals a day, at going on 5 months old? Do I persevere until he is about 9 months old?

So, I will keep going with the two meals a day, but what do you Trainers and Breeders think of the timing to switch to one larger meal???? 

I know from a Breeder with hunting dogs, feed them at night and they sleep through the night. And with guard dogs feed them in the morning and they are more alert at night and hungry...

Kind regards, and thank you for your thoughts.... lone Ranger, doing "Dances with Wolves" as best I can with GSDs and Horses out on the "Last Frontier"


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

At his age I would continue with twice a day. Many prefer to feed twice a day even if they own adult GSDs because of the risk of bloat. 

I feed twice with a mid-day snack because of the bilious vomiting thing.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Never


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

I am considering the same thing. So far all the dogs I have had ate twice a day but WD is so picky at night, even with raw. So I am looking responses as well. Sorry to hop on your thread


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

If he is picky at one meal, give him a smaller portion for that one. 

Hans eats about a cup of freeze dried for breakfast because he will not eat the wet raw until his night meal. His night meal is the main one because that is what he likes. He isn't much of a breakfast man


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> Never


LOL, succinct, Nancy!


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Buddy is 11 he gets two meals a day. He used to get just one and I switched it to two a day when we got the puppy. I find he does better with it so have just left everyone at two a day. Sometimes morning meals are only a Marrow Bone and a cookie and sometimes its kibble. Nighttime is always kibble.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Sunflowers said:


> LOL, succinct, Nancy!


That was my answer from the cell phone. The great response shortener. I really like to feed twice a day because I don't want to overload the stomach with a lot of food. Constant stretching....setting the dog up for bloat when it gets older.

The three dogs in the picture look like they could loose some weight though. Even with twice daily feedings, I keep mine lean.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

I still feed all my dogs twice a day. Less food at one time. Less risk of bloat. 


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

I feed all 3 of my dogs ages 3,7,&9, two meals a day, on top of the bloat risk, I think it also is better health wise for their whole body to have 2 meals instead of 1.


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## lone Ranger (Nov 29, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> That was my answer from the cell phone. The great response shortener. I really like to feed twice a day because I don't want to overload the stomach with a lot of food. Constant stretching....setting the dog up for bloat when it gets older.
> 
> The three dogs in the picture look like they could loose some weight though. Even with twice daily feedings, I keep mine lean.


Thank you, I have made all my mistakes I hope, the majority at least, with the two Show Dogs shown... The picture is deceiving though, Dakota the black saddle B&T is very lean and you can see his hips and backbone a little, everyone comments he looks skinny. The Bitch, the Red Sable, now She is overweight because they live together and she has designated herself as the clean up girl...  Further, the all black WGSD is lean, that picture taken down his back makes him look broad but he is skinny... Not quite gaunt, but definitely skinny..

Anyway, thank you for that, I think I am convinced. Although the two Show Dogs have been trained to live on their own with 10-15 lbs of kibble.. They have gotten a horse feed pan of food and four sources of buckets of water, and gone a week at a time with only someone daily checking in to see if they are ok. They only eat what they want, when it it there all the time they just get a couple of mouthfuls as they want or need of the dry and never had a problem. Now on the Raw, I have not yet left them for an extended period. That is a bit of trouble. I may switch them back to kibble for when I am gone..


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