What do you feed your dog?

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

We used to get that stuff for our two.
Right up until the melamine recall. Now we don’t...

[stevej37]

Same subject..but a question about feeding.

How many feed their dog using the 'keep full plan'?
I always did that and they never over-ate.

[KFC911]

^^^^ LOL .... there are skinny people and there are obese people .... both who control what they eat.
Dawgs are people too .

I've known the skinny dawgs .... but never had one.... I have to control the bowl . Metabolism and exercize differ for 'em.... some require more, others less and it changes over the yesrs, but I find the "correct" amount and that's what mine get.

Oink, bark, oink, woof

[KevinTodd]

Purina Pro Plan Bright Minds, along with jerky treats, and an egg or two weekly.

[stevej37]

I had Springer Spaniels and all of them would just nibble at their bowl when hungry...and none were fat. Of course the Spaniel is an active dog.

I've seen dogs that are fed a certain amount... wolf their food down...afraid they won't get it all.

[KFC911]

My current Lab is a leisurely eater, but usually eats her ration before leaving the bowl .... unless a tennis ball should suddenly appear . I used to occasionally keep a tennant's blue heeler when they went on vacation. He had two, but I only kept the 1-2 year old .... should have been named Hoover ... he could inhale his food in seconds. I started spreading it out in multiple pie pans just to slow him down a bit .... didn't work .

Some dogs with competition are like Little Joe sitting at the table with Hoss .... gobble it before it gets gone!

[Superman]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Same subject..but a question about feeding.

How many feed their dog using the 'keep full plan'?
I always did that and they never over-ate.

Depends on the breed, and the dog. Generally, Labs will eat until they explode. Our Australian Cattle Dog mix keeps herself slender. Food dish is kept full. She grazes daintily, perhaps a few times each day.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Same subject..but a question about feeding.

How many feed their dog using the 'keep full plan'?
I always did that and they never over-ate.

I believe it depends upon the dog (possibly breed).

What I've heard, for instance, about dachshunds, is that because they are hunting dogs, they'll eat and eat and eat and will get fat if you let them. We closely monitor ours to keep his weight down. When my mom first got his brother, he gained a ton of weight and she had to work to keep it down.

I don't know how true it is about all hunting dogs.

[stevej37]

switching a dog from measured meals to keep-full can take a few days. Only natural for them to think they need to eat it all every time.....but they adjust.

I would do the same if someone limited my food every day...and then one day, I get all I want!

[KFC911]

I usually give pups whatever they want, 2-3 times a day until they are 7-8 months old... growing boys & girls . At around 1 year I start to monitor and limit.... I usually weigh them regularly as youngins too. Overweight is no bueno... I've had my vet jump all over my azz before too.... more than once with different Labs .

I don't use him because he's a people person either... he ain't

[greglepore]

Half costco kibble, half chicken thighs done in the instapot and deboned.

[rfuerst911sc]

We had a female daschund and she was a inhaler of food . At the time we had two males and the female , her bowl would be empty in 10 seconds while the two males were just getting started . She was the most ferocious eater out of all the dogs we ever owned . Think eating machine 😁

[rockfan4]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Same subject..but a question about feeding.

How many feed their dog using the 'keep full plan'?
I always did that and they never over-ate.

We have a teddy bear (Shin tzu and Bichon Frise) and an american foxhound. The little dog will eat anything that's in front of him, including his own poop. The foxhound eats when she wants, so we have to set the bowl up high enough that the little dog can't get to it. As it is, when she eats, he hovers around her like a pilot fish, and gobbles up anything that might drop to the floor. When we first got the teddy bear, he was our only dog, and we left him with the wife's sister-in-law for a weekend. She had two dogs who ate when they wanted. The little bastard ate all his food, plus all the food set out for the other dogs. He looked like a little football. Teddy Bears are supposed to be 10-12 pounds, at one point he was 17, he's down to 15 now.

[billybek]

Two border collies. The new guy get Orijen original in his new "Slow Chow" bowl. Bowl looks like a garden maze and it takes more time for him to pack back his kibble.
The old girl is going to be 12 next summer and we just moved her to Orijen Senior dog food.
She also gets Flexiden and Coisequin for joint health.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Alan A

We used to get that stuff for our two.
Right up until the melamine recall. Now we don’t...

That was 14 years ago, before we started using it. There were over 100 brands affected by that recall. A typical year will see at least a dozen, sometimes several dozen recalls issued on pet foods. It would be difficult to find a pet food that has not been recalled at some point. If you eliminated every one that has ever been recalled, that would be a very short list indeed.

A far better approach is to have an open line of communication with your vet. Our vet keeps up to date on these kinds of issues (and any others) that may affect our dog (as I'm sure all vets do), and will certainly alert us if there is any cause for concern. It's just a lot easier, and a lot more confidence inspiring to rely on someone with whom we have entrusted our dog's health, to keep us informed. Right now, she recommends Blue. That may change, and if it does, we will.

[rwest]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Same subject..but a question about feeding.

How many feed their dog using the 'keep full plan'?
I always did that and they never over-ate.

Since my dog was found on the street, I’m pretty sure he would eat whatever and how much he could- I feed him twice a day at the bowl and then treats liberally. It took about ten minutes to teach him how to shake hands because he is so food motivated- probably could teach him calculus, but someone would need to teach me first.

[rwest]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I was going to say something snarky about dog chow and our obsession with it until your post.

Great pic. Perspective is a thing.

Our pups get the "tastes" as well because it makes me as happy as they are.

Hey Paul,

Don’t hold back good snark on our behalf- if it gets bad enough, we can always report it to the moderators!

[Tishabet]

Back when I was training dog sled teams we would feed a mix of fish oil, fish protein powder, and cheap protein... often deer and moose roadkill (fresh, the guy who owned the kennel had friends in highway who would call him) or slunks, which are premature cow fetuses. Yum!

For my own lazy pooch I feed Annamaet.

[Rodsrsr]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

We had a female daschund and she was a inhaler of food . At the time we had two males and the female , her bowl would be empty in 10 seconds while the two males were just getting started . She was the most ferocious eater out of all the dogs we ever owned . Think eating machine 😁

I have a Shepard like that and I found her a bowl designed to slow down her eating. Works great.

[Jeff Higgins]

Yeah, our 98 pound Golden Retriever, Ed, just inhales his food. I don't know how he eats so fast. The inside of his head must look like a popcorn popper or something when he's eating.