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Puppy Feeding Question ... Before Bedtime?

D

DROPOUT

Active Member
Hey Guys,

Skye (our 10 week old EM) has been with us now for a couple of weeks. We originally started her out eating 3 times per day, however, she has never seemed interested in lunch. A couple nibbles then nothing. She (and her fur-siblings) we believe were free fed, because for the first week, she'd eat a few bites, then do something else, then come back. Rinse & Repeat. It would take an hour or two just to get 1 cup of food in her. She seems to love the food, just wasn't super food motivated. We've eliminated the free feeding and have moved to scheduled feedings.

Since we eliminated her lunch time meal, she is now eating twice per day ... About 9am and 5pm. She normally eats her entire portion within about 15-20 minutes (again, coming and going, but eventually finishing it off). However, over the past 2-3 nights, she is SUPER hungry come 8-9pm. We haven't been feeding her that late due to middle of the night crate issues and she is sleeping through the night (90% of the time). With that said, Do you think we should be feeding her a bit more so late at night? Or keep doing what we are doing and perhaps up her nighttime meal by an extra 1/2 cup or so?

Opinions & Thoughts are appreciated!

Thanks Guys & Gals!
 
Boxergirl

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Can you just move her evening meal until around 8pm? My guys eat about twelve hours apart. Except for the megaesophagus boy, but he's special.
 
D

DROPOUT

Active Member
Boxergirl said:
Can you just move her evening meal until around 8pm? My guys eat about twelve hours apart. Except for the megaesophagus boy, but he's special.
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She's hungry about mid afternoon/early evening. I'm just concerned about taking a step back in potty training with feeding her so late :-\
 
Boxergirl

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Oh! Wait. I missed that she was only ten weeks old. I'd do three feedings then, with a smaller portion as the last feeding. I'm sure someone else will chime in too.
 
TricAP

TricAP

Well-Known Member
There is so much going on when a puppy comes home to a new family. A lot of " new" is upsetting emotionally to these big babies and it isn't unusual for them to not eat as much for a couple of weeks, maybe longer. IMO she is too little to go 12 hours between meals. Try breaking it into a morning, early afternoon and early evening - say 8 AM, 2 PM and 8 PM if your schedule allows. That should still give time for everything to work out for sleep and potty breaks.
 
D

DROPOUT

Active Member
Boxergirl said:
Oh! Wait. I missed that she was only ten weeks old. I'd do three feedings then, with a smaller portion as the last feeding. I'm sure someone else will chime in too.
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No worries :) I've thought about that ...

As is ... Her final feeding is about 5pm, sometimes as late as 6pm. By 9pm, she is "starving". When she wakes up in the morning, you'd think she hasn't pooped in years! She goes 2-3 times within an hour or two. I'm afraid, if we feed her any later, she'll explode in the middle of the night. Mind you, this is Grain Free Food (Orijen & Fromm) which normally means, smaller & more compact poops. I could only imagine if she was being fed a food with grain in it! http://www.mastiff-forum.com/images/smilies/eek.png

Thanks for the response Boxergirl! :)
 
I

Iulicris88

Well-Known Member
Not an expert here, but i think it would be better to divide the amount you are feeng her into 3 servings, with the last one later in the evening. It might take a while, but she should get used to it.Pfff, if i fed my puppy that early there wouldn't be any sleep for any of us!!! I've been feeding him 3 times a day ever since we got him, with the last meal at 8 pm. I actually prefer to feed him more at night because a) he's got a big set of lungs on him and he's not afraid to use them when the hunger gets him, which is pretty much all the time, and b) he's very active durring the day and i can't really get him to sit still after he eats. He does want to go out at night but it doesn't really bother me, i guess it is something to be expected when you get a pup. And the poop... about the size of an elephant's, i would guess. I also feed him grain free (Acana Pacifica), but it doesn't seem to make any difference.
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
I fed Solo in the morning and after work, around 4-430. Then when he reached a year I feed him once a day at 4:30. I'd say keep on your routine. Don't rely on the dog to dictate when it gets fed. It will adjust. If I fed Solo every time I thought he was hungry he'd be eating all day. Keep your routine. It helps with the whole potty training thing as well. Again, your dog will adjust.
 
Boxergirl

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
season said:
I fed Solo in the morning and after work, around 4-430. Then when he reached a year I feed him once a day at 4:30. I'd say keep on your routine. Don't rely on the dog to dictate when it gets fed. It will adjust. If I fed Solo every time I thought he was hungry he'd be eating all day. Keep your routine. It helps with the whole potty training thing as well. Again, your dog will adjust.
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I don't think that a puppy being hungry is dictating a routine. It's different if you're talking about an older dog that is being obnoxious and barking in your face for food. Some dogs need to be fed differently than others. At ten weeks old most people are feeding three times a day. And if the pup is making it through the night at that age, you're already ahead of the game. There are also numerous threads on dogs that get hunger pukes, so again - no one size fits all.

Dropout, I hope you consider adding in a small bedtime snack. Just a little bit to tide her over. I can also tell you that I tried many different foods for one of my poop machines. He poops more on a grain free diet and eats more too. The others poop less. I'll also mention that I have a dog with megaesophagus and he requires three feedings a day, with food of a special consistency, and it must be hand fed. So to me adding in an extra feeding for a short time is no big deal and potty routines adjust along with a new feeding schedule. My boy does have to make a middle of the night poop, but he gets a meal at bedtime and not just a small snack. Ultimately you should do whatever works for you and the dog. That's all that matters.
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
I knew after I hit send I would get someone put me in my place. I'm getting better at being "softer" with my words but sometimes need a reminder;)


Carpe Diem
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
I guess my only question is how do u know your pup is "super hungry" or "starving" if it's not crying, begging, being pushy etc? Serious question. I'm assuming as well the dog is "normal".


Carpe Diem
 
Boxergirl

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I wasn't putting you in your place and I thought you were perfectly tactful in your response. You have every right to state your opinion and I was giving mine. I would agree with you if we were talking about an older dog. I also think a puppy letting you know it's hungry, in the only way that a dog is able, is not dictating. If the pup is barking rudely in your face then that's something different. Rudeness is never acceptable. Growing pups have different needs than adult dogs and I don't see anything wrong with giving them a little more food if they seem to need it.
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
Boxergirl said:
I wasn't putting you in your place and I thought you were perfectly tactful in your response. You have every right to state your opinion and I was giving mine. I would agree with you if we were talking about an older dog. I also think a puppy letting you know it's hungry, in the only way that a dog is able, is not dictating. If the pup is barking rudely in your face then that's something different. Rudeness is never acceptable. Growing pups have different needs than adult dogs and I don't see anything wrong with giving them a little more food if they seem to need it.
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"Putting me in my place" is me saying, what you said made me realize that I gave my advice without being totally clear...especially to a new member who may not know how I come off at times...and I appreciate it.
 
BlackShadowCaneCorso

BlackShadowCaneCorso

Super Moderator
Staff member
I would add the 3rd meal and adjust the times a bit, puppies are growing and while it is easy to regulate meals with an adult dog and know that they aren't going hungry with puppies they can take large growth spurts that will have them requiring more food at certain times to allow their bodies to keep up with the demand.
 
DennasMom

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
I'd think feeding later would HELP with sleeping all night long... the poop in the am is probably from the 'early' 5pm dinner.... if that dinner is a few hours later, the morning 'rush' should also be a little later.
Of course, your mileage may vary. :)

We fed 8am / noon / 7pm (more or less) at that age, and Denna slept in most mornings to around 5-6am... after a few months that slid to 6-7am.... and now a few years later, she's more than willing to sleep as long as we stay in bed... which is sometimes close to 10am. :)

If it were me - I'd go with the 'adjusted' schedule recommended above - 8am / 2pm / 8pm, and see how that goes. You can always move things around again, if you don't get the desired results. Dogs are pretty flexible - especially at that age - and I'd err on the side of too often, versus the alternative.
 
Jaszies_dad

Jaszies_dad

Well-Known Member
Jaszie is now 5 months but we have always left her supper down until 8pm then picked up... She did fine from about 10-11pm till 7-8am them woke us up to go outside

Sent from my LG-H634 using Tapatalk
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
I know all dogs are different but at the end of the day its up to us to set a schedule and routine for them. Stick to it and they will adjust. I never fed Solo three times a day and I never fed him after 5pm. Not once did he "cry" or "complain about being hungry"....He'd eat any time I fed him. If it was 6 times a day he'd eat. Man, I'd probably eat every time someone put some food in front of my face...but I don't. Dogs/puppies might whine, bark, whatever if it works for them to get food. Just stick to a routine, your dog will adjust.
 
Boxergirl

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Maybe Solo didn't get hungry. Ella didn't get hungry. Al and Roy did. So I made their routine be three feedings until they no longer needed it. There's room for a little flexibility when dealing with a growing puppy. As long as the pup is not being rude and body condition is good, I can't see what feeding three times would be a big deal. You just change the routine. It's not a big deal.
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
Boxergirl said:
Maybe Solo didn't get hungry. Ella didn't get hungry. Al and Roy did. So I made their routine be three feedings until they no longer needed it. There's room for a little flexibility when dealing with a growing puppy. As long as the pup is not being rude and body condition is good, I can't see what feeding three times would be a big deal. You just change the routine. It's not a big deal.
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Yep, whatever the routine is and if it works for you and the dog then stick with it. Solo was/is always hungry...He'd eat all day if I let him...the guy loves his food;)
 
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