Feeding your dog: the 4-1-1

If you’re used to eating breakfast as soon as you wake up, eating lunch at 1 pm on the dot, and having dinner at 6 pm, there’s no doubt about it: you’re on a schedule. Well, when it comes to feeding your dog and the best times to feed your dog, it’s no different.

Instead of leaving healthy food out for your dog to munch on all day like the BARF diet, experts recommend having specific times in which you feed your dog. Scheduled meal times twice a day are preferred; even better, if you have more than one dog, having a specific time to feed your dog creates more structure in their lives and less of a burden on you.

Now, of course the times in which to feed your dog and frequencies to feed your dog will vary. Seven to twelve week-old puppies must eat approximately four times a day. This diminishes to three times as soon as they are four to six months old. Again, this will drop to twice a day once they’re older than six months old. When it comes to feeding your dog which is a hunting, rescue, or work dog, it’s beset to feed them at least twice a day.

We’ll pause for a moment as it relates to snacks. Whereas you may have a Snickers craving at 3 pm but know deep down this is a no-no, guess what? Snacks in between meals for your pet should be avoided as well. Feeding your dog treats during the day can result in a variety of things such as your dog may become overweight or your dog may become used to begging. The key to feeding your dog treats is to make them unpredictable and uncommon. As you feed your dog a treat, he needs to recognize it’s a reward. Treats should be associated with good behavior that you’re proud of.

Overall, when it comes to feeding your dog, it’s important to remember the rules of thumb. Scheduled meal times, frequency of meals, and limit the treats. Coupled with these rules is the fact that feeding your dog nutritional food such as the BARF diet equips him or her with the vitamins and protein for a healthy day.

At The Dog Bowl, nothing is more important than your pets’ safety and well being. For more information about feeding your dog click here!