HI All,

Question 1. How many times a day should I feed my 6 month old GSD?

Question 2. What is the best time of day to feed him when he gets down to one feed a day and what age should that be?

Question 3. Would it be unfair to leave my dog alone in the house/kennel while I'm at work? I normally get up at 6am leave for work at 8am and get home 6pm and spend a few of hours with him.

INFO....

I have a fantastic 6 month old GSD but have noticed an increase in his weight in the last week or two (getting chubby).

I have been feeding him three times a day, mainly on a mixture of natural kibbel and raw food (meat mainly with bones).

I am now going to reduce the frequency of his feed to twice a day for a few months and (very) slightly reduce how much he gets to see if I can get his weight back down a notch.

OK so here's the problem....like Ed says "Everyone has an opinion on how to raise your dog".......Like my family who look after him when I'm at work during the day. They DO NOT like the Idea of me only feeding my boy once or twice a day no matter what age he is and I'm looking for some pointers in "Educating" them to accept this fact as I fear he may be getting extra food when he is there at the moment, never mind when I take out his lunch.

Question 3 above relates to the fact that I can't trust them to do as I ask (as I've found out recently) and I want the best for my dog, not what someone else thinks is the best, especially when they are misguided.

Any Pointers?

Any Takers???

ANYONE?? :-)

Umm... sounds like you need to put your foot down.

Here's a couple of quotes from the book Natural Nutrition for dogs and Cats

"Generally speaking, normal, non-pregnant,non-lactating adult dogs over 1 year of age should eat 1 meal per day 6 days a week. 1 day per week is a fast day."

"Carivores are not grazing animals who should eat continually throughout the day. Digestion requires a lot of the body's energy, and an asequate break between meals is necessary to use that energy for healing and other body functions."

I wish I would have read this book a long time ago.

-Jason Sidener

Maybe try a locked crate, room, or hallway while you`re away? A simple talk on how this is YOUR dog not theirs may help.

John, I have a five month old. I too get up at 6am off to work at 8am and don't get home until 5 or 6pm. I feed Jackie twice a day. We go outside in the morning then come inside and do some obidience with treats, right after this she gets fed and I eat breakfast at the same time. (About 6:30) This allows time for her to go back out before I leave to go the bathroom again. At night when I get home, she goes outside for about 15min. Then she comes inside and we play for a while and do more OB. I usually take her for a walk as well. Then I make dinner, and when I eat she gets her second meal of the day. (About 7:30pm) I measure her food every time. This allows me to be consistant and allows me to cut back or add more as needed. She always finishes her bowl in about 20min.

I feed her based on if she eats it all within the 20min. as well as her weight growth and feeling her ribs. Right now she is on about 3 3/4 cup kibble "A DAY", 1/2 morning and 1/2 evening.

Watching the weight now helps reduce your dogs health risk. And right now while your puppy is growing so fast, feeding too much puts too many calories in... which just leads to quicker growth with hip and joint issues later in life, not to mention obisiety. Do your puppy a favor... sit down with your family and explain why your boy has to be fed different than you. Explain why they need to help your puppy stay healthy, and if they can't, tell them they are banned from ever feeding your puppy even with treats.

PS Limit the treats... its like giving candy to a kid all of the time with out making him eat his veggies and steak! Empty calories with no nutritional value. Good Luck with your boy!

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the replys.

I worry about my bhoy too much and I know that but I can't help it as he's my first puppy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Becky: I can't put my foot down as they are doing me a favour by walking him during the day. Also I lose my temper too easily when it comes to my bhoy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Jason: Thanks I think I'll get that book and add it to my collection <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Cathy: I've never been keen on leaving the bhoy locked up all day but it may have to come to that (if that's what you meant).

Michael: Thank You! This is what I was looking for...examples of what other people do and any general advice on how to proceed as I'm a first time puppy owner <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />.

I have my bhoy on an all natural diet (somewhere along the lines of BARF but modified slightly i.e. not as many pills as the book recommends etc.), so I'm less worried about growth speed.

He gets a lot or raw meat (chicken legs, beef, lamb, fish) and bones (I have a friend who works in an meat market <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> veg, eggs etc. but I'm also wondering if we should be giving more table scraps to mix up his diet? (not that there's much left from my table anyways <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ) and I give him Vitamin E & C as well as Omega 3.

Anyone see anything wrong with this? Should I be doing anything different?

Cheers

John

John - Your basic diet sounds good. How much does your pup weigh and how much, in weight, are you feeding? This is perhaps where you can adjust (to a small degree) to get the weight up or down. Ideally, the adjustment would be to eliminate or cut down on snacks, but I see your problem.

By the way, I am against table scraps, but this is just my opinion. I don't like to mix raw with cooked, and I won't take the chance on a "begging" problem.

Thanks Jan,

All your info has helped me. I haven't been weighing him or his food. I've just been judging it as I go and have gotten it mostly right up to now I think (I may be wrong but he's not bad looking and nice and active).

It is an idea to know his weight and I'll do that tonight and might even post a pic of my bhoy so people can tell me how wrong I am and that he's actually a wee fatty <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />.