Terry,

I use the Honest Kitchen, and make up patties ahead of time and freeze. I add egg, ground turkey or burger and some yogurt and use a little less water.

Ed and Cindy do something similar too, but I cannot find the paragraph on it.

I make them into half cup portions, flatten and bake for a few minutes on 300, then I use wax paper in between each one and freeze.

I use these for Max when we are called out. And I travel around the same distances as you do. I follow the one to two hours after eating rule.

All of my dogs get two meals a day and IMHO, it is better to feed that way. Big meals once a day are known to cause bloat. The old hound men always say once a day and that may have worked for them, but it is really not good for the dog.

I do not load up on a high fat meal as the dogs do not get a lot of fat in their diets so giving more all at once could cause the dog to become ill.

There are also K9 power bars (will look up the link) that are all natural and if we are out for a long time I use these to refuel the dog as well. They are small so it is not a huge ball of food that needs to be digested. Usually given at breaks in the trail.

I would recommend two feedings a day. You may even notice a difference in performance. Look at it as "How would you feel only eating once a day? Full at first and then gradually growing hungry, then hungrier and then you eat fast when you get your next meal.....which, is bad for us humans too.

I also follow the "two finger" rule for water as well when working.

I have heard about the one meal a day being better before. And fast days too. The reasoning I have heard is something about it being better for the dogs stomach to be commpletely empty at times for some reason as that was reality in the wild.

I can think of an article I read once (not scientific) on it by a name some here may recognize. I could maybe find it with a little digging but.....

All that said, I choose to feed twice a day. I do not have to worry about bloat as much as some breeds, but I understand it is always a possibility. I choose to feed twice a day not so much so his tank will never be too empty, but more so so it will never be too full.

I would have no problem working my dog after he ate if I had to, and he would have no problem working. If called from home when he just ate we would be at least a 1/2 hr out from working often more. If we are called out while I was at work (winter), we could be on scene in minutes, but then he won't have just eaten so no problem.

If I knew I was going out on a long search that was going to be truck based, I might just grab some pre made frozen raw meals and bring them. I would have no problem feeding it frozen if I had too.

If I got called out on a night search and it was around his dinner time, I would just feed him a ground pre made raw before I left the house or in the truck. I would feed him less than usual. I wouldn't feed him because I want him to have the energy, but because he has a history of barfing bile on an empty stomach.

In my ready pack (and truck) for heli, atv or walk/ski in access I carry dehydred raw food. Just add water wait 15 min and serve. If I did not have a plentiful water source or water being brought in, I would just water him and not feed him until we got a good break and supplies.

I would not change or add anything extra if I knew in advance that he was going to work. Just ensure I could keep him hydrated. This is much harder for me in the winter as my dog does not like to drink and will scoop snow and think he is good. I like Lynn's idea of baiting water for those cases. I could just drop a little touch of the dehydrated and my dog would go for it. He doesn't like to drink...but he sure likes to EAT

 Quote: Jennifer Coulter

I would have no problem working my dog after he ate if I had to, and he would have no problem working.

Yep, I am okay with all the dogs this way except for the Bloodhound...

But, with that said, even if I feed while enroute, it is still going to be at least an hour before I get on scene, then there is check in (if organized) so actual deployment of the dog is going to be at least an hour and a half.