I need some advice on feeding my 5 month old GSD.
I have a great schedule for training. I work a split shift, going in at 5am and getting off at 9, then going back from 2-6pm. We usually have a brief training session and then play from 9-10 before feeding. Then out to the yard to continue his excavation project before another session from 12-1. 6-7p Training and play before feeding and continued excavation. The problem is my band plays every Wed. night from 8-Mid. How do I handle the evening feeding? I can't just leave him in the yard when I leave, as part of his current excavation project is an already once successful attempt to burrow under the fence.

Not so sure I'd be encouraging the un-attended excavations. Goodness knows what trouble my unattended girls can get into if they try. What they eat, chew, scratch, bark at, etc. Hate to come home to find out I'm running to the vet cause my dogs is acting weird and it's cause she ate a rock/stick/whatever. It's sounds like you work with him when you are home so a nice safe crate would be ideal when you are NOT home. And keep him with you when you are home.

As far as when you feed, I think it's the total in the day that matters, and spread out in a reasonable manner. I know I usually feed about every 12 hours (around 7 am and 7 pm) BUT I sometimes work from 4 pm to midnight. And on those days my dogs get 3 feedings, at around 7:30 am, 3:30 pm, and when I get home around midnight. When they eat twice a day, it's 1/2 the food at the am and 1/2 for the pm, and when it's 3 times a day I go 1/3 at each meal.

I've found the dogs are very adaptable for feeding schedules if that's all they know. And I also do not exercise them right after a meal.

Thanks Jenn,
I just want to make sure I'm not screwing him up by changing his feeding schedule. I do crate him when I'm not home and sometimes when I am. I really hope the digging thing is a stage. I have no desire to see the core of the earth.

I've found that most bad behaviors that I think I've hoped were 'stages' that would go away on their own did NOT unless I got pro-active about stopping them. Especially if it's something my dogs really enjoy doing. Barking at everyone? Digging? Chewing stuff?

More likely to become bad 'habits' (like cigarette smoking? nail biting?) that are much harder to break if I wait, then am able to nip in the bud.