Random question of the day...
Is it normal for a dog to not self regulate how much they eat.

I have never seen either of mine refuse food, they will eat any amount I give them up to amounts I deem nearly unsafe, and will scavenge any available food, and also give me sad moon eyes every single time I have food. (from across the room)

We have to keep a lock on the dog food bin, which is metal because one of them just chewed the lid off when we locked it.

It also seems to be extra ridiculous the last couple of weeks. I don't know if it is the change in season coming, or if maybe I need to worm them or something.

Neither of them has ever been hungry a day in their life.

just like Eva

food drive to high??

Jennifer, I personally wouldn't worm them without taking a fecal sample in for examination.

We used to have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever who would eat an entire 50# bag of food (back in the days before we fed raw) and at the same time we had a GSD who only ate to survive - she seemed to care less. Falcon is almost like that - some days he is really excited to eat but there are others when he is like "ho hum... time for dinner". Maybe you just have two "eat the entire bags dogs" at one time.

I'd still take in a sample for the peace of mind, however. (I used to have to lock the goodies away from my son but never my dogs!! LOL!)

Worm them for food drive?

Can't hurt to take in a fecal sample, it's like what.... $14? Better safe then letting them get infested with worms, or giving them unnecessary medication!
I have had a dog like Barbara mentioned. Would literally eat an entire bag of food, and go back for more if it was around. I wouldn't worry about it, unless it's a new thing. The impending change in weather to fall temps could push the food drive to new levels though! Good thought on that one. Hasn't effected my DS. I kinda wish he had a higher food drive!

Maggie is a food hog, especially since we switched to raw. My gone dogs I could just leave food out and they would self feed and always maintained a healthy physique. Except for a sheltie I inherited from my mother-in-law. That one came to me 15 lbs over weight and would eat anything and everything.

Back to Maggie. She snarfs her food. She scavenges fruit (plums and apples at the moment) in the yard. She will work during ob for not-very-high-value food treats: off the shelf doggie treats (grain free, of course - I have been educated here). She hunts insects. Need I go on??? Yes, I too, get the moony eyes like she is starving.

I do still worry, because I think she is still underweight. But she is gaining steadily since we switched to raw...so I am being patient and not overfeeding.

ETA: definitely food drive.

 Quote: Al Curbow

Worm them for food drive?

Al, I think her concern was would a dog who had worms have the desire to eat, and eat, and etc... NOT to increase or decrease the natural food drive.

 Quote: Jennifer Lee

... Is it normal for a dog to not self regulate how much they eat.

Mine would eat themselves to death. Happily! They would have big smiles on their faces at their wakes.


I might drop off a fecal if I was seeing unprecedented heights of food drive, but I wouldn't be worried about it. It's more than one dog, so it's not likely to be some terrible illness that triggers unnatural feelings of starvation.

Like Al, I don't worry about food drive. I love it! Nothing like marker-training a dog with strong food drive.

As a friend who raised beagles once said...."A beagle will eat til it vomits, eat the vomit, then want more food to eat." My beagle proves this out. I have always schedule fed as I think I have more dogs that wouldn't than would self regulate. I used to think it was a multi dog household thing...but then we had a westie that would NOT overeat no matter what.

I would worry more about parasites if you dog had poor condition, pika or something a bit weirder than just overeating.

They both have a high food drive and it doesn't take very high value treats to get them working for me.

That is a good thing!!! Our first husky didn't care about food and we would have to be creative to get him to eat, it was frustrating and made training harder.

I can not imagine free feeding, they would eat themselves
literally to death I think. I will try to take a fecal in this week just to put my mind at ease. I was thinking possibly tapeworms, but have seen no evidence of them.

They both eat a small meal in the morning, a bigger meal in the early evening and a small snack at night. Nico is raw, Loki eats kibble. I am thinking I want to switch him over to raw too, but he eats so much food for a dog his size I am worried about managing the cost and storing it all.

The last couple of weeks, I get home from work in the afternoon and Loki goes all silly talking and running around and almost frantically dancing. At first I thought he was just excited but then I realized he was hungry. He would keep up the dancing and talking until I finally tried food to see if that is what he was needing.

I used to feed just morning and evening, but they both tend to vomit bile if they go too long without anything in their stomach.