What is the best time to feed dogs

How Often Should Dogs Eat?

Paid Advertisement

Among the many questions new and experienced dog owners face is an especially important one. How often should dogs eat? Diet and nutrition are crucial components to keeping your dog a healthy member of the family for years to come.

Though theres no hard-and-fast rule to how often a dog should eat, twice a day is generally a good place to start. However, more important than feeding frequency is meal portion size. Portion size may vary based on breed, age, and health condition, and settling on the right amount can be tricky.

Dog meal delivery services can make it easy to serve your canine companion delicious, nutritious, and appropriately-portioned meals that even humans can eat. Ollie is a service that delivers fresh, human-grade dog food customized for your pups unique nutritional needs. Ollie works with vet nutritionists to formulate a perfect plan specifically for your dog based on weight, breed, and allergies. Plus they make it easy for us humans all of Ollies recipes are pre-portioned and your pup will be set up with their own feeding schedule so you dont have to worry about overfeeding or underfeeding.

What Affects How Often a Dog Should Eat?

Veterinarians recommend feeding a dog at least twice per day. Dogs with medical issues or dietary needs may require specialized feeding schedules or restrictions on what they eat. Talk to your veterinarian about your dogs eating habits to make sure youre meeting their nutritional needs and healthcare requirements.

Breed plays a large role when deciding how often to feed your dog. Common large breed dogs, for instance, will often require more feedings and more calories per day than medium and small breed dogs.Age is also another important consideration. The caloric requirements for a two-month-old Yorkshire Terrier varies greatly compared to a two-year-old Yorkie.

How Much Should Puppies Eat?

A fresh meal servicelike Ollie helps change your feeding approachas your dog changes ages from puppy to adult so you dont have to worry about portions during different life stages.

Since puppies are growing rapidly, they need more food than adult dogs. Puppy nutrition is crucial for developing a foundation for future growth, as well as their bone and organ development. Puppies must have a specific amount of calcium in their diet, otherwise, they can develop metabolic bone disease or orthopedic conditions like early-onset arthritis. Toy-breed puppies, in particular, are prone to hypoglycemia.

Puppies need small, frequent feedings. For the first few months of a puppys life, they will need small meals of food throughout the day as they transition from their mothers milk to solid food. Starting around four months, puppies can begin eating about three times a day, and after that, puppies will quickly graduate to twice-a-day feedings.

Feeding them three or four times per day makes it easier for puppies to digest and help keep energy levels consistent. However, its important to not overfeed them, since overweight puppies are more likely to become overweight adult dogs.

Toy-breed puppies will need 4 to 6 meals per day for the first three months of their lives. Medium-breed puppies will require three meals per day, and large-breed puppies typically need 3 to 4 meals per day. Though the breed is an important consideration, metabolism and energy levels can vary by up to 30 percent. Therefore, youll need to proportion meals accordingly.

Even though puppies grow quickly, its important to keep caloric intake and food amount consistent from four to twelve months of age. Puppies use fewer calories for growth as they become older. This comprehensive puppy feeding chart has vet-recommended guidelines on how much and how often to feed your puppy.

How Much Should Adult Dogs Eat?

Dont let your dog trick you into more mealtimes with adorable puppy dog eyes. Most dogs only require two meals a day, but if you catch your dog begging, an occasional healthy treat can help.

The trick is to make sure youre not feeding your dog more than is recommended. Food labels can be misleading or confusing. Generic feeding charts may over-calculate how much to feed a dog, or use outdated information.

To determine how much food to feed your dog, you should start by knowing your dogs estimated adult weight. Most large breed dogs will weigh between 50 to 150 pounds, while small breeds weigh under 20 pounds. Knowing the weight of your dogs same-sex parent can also be an excellent guide.

From there, you can use the estimated weight to determine how many calories dogs need per day.

What Sort of Feeding Schedule Works?

Free-feeding, or leaving food available to dogs at all times, is often not recommended by veterinarians. For multi-species or multiple-dog households, free-feeding makes it difficult to account for different diets and to track each dogs intake. Additionally, free feeding can lead to obesity when dogs overeat.

Sticking to a schedule can help your canine companion avoid grazing, feel like part of the family, and can encourage good mealtime behavior. You should plan a feeding schedule by consulting with your veterinarian.

Why Ollie?

Feeding dogs a diet made with natural, real ingredients can do wonders for their overall well-beingit can promote heart health, increase energy level, make their coat shinier, their breath smell better, improve eyesight and even impact poop. With Ollie, all the prep work is done for you so you dont have to worry about when, how much, or life stages when it comes to feeding. Were providing 50% off to the AKC audience for their first trial box, delivered straight to your home.

• Ingredients: Ollies food is made only with whole, human-grade ingredients sourced from reputable farms and approved by vets. They never use fillers, by-products, artificial flavors, or preservatives in any of their recipes. Each recipe is cooked by hand at low temperatures in small batches in a USDA-regulated kitchen so you know your pup is getting the best.
• Easy Schedule:All of Ollies recipes are pre-portioned and stored in the freezer plus you will receive a puptainer to keep your pups food fresh in case you feed your dog before your morning coffee. Ollie also takes care of us humans, Ollie is delivered directly to your door in as little as 2 days, on your schedule.
• Health Benefits: The proof is in the results. Ollie dogs have reported shinier coats, decreased allergies, improved appetite, and more.

Ollies freshly cooked food is the simplest way to keep your dog happy and healthy at any age. Our five delicious recipes were formulated with vet nutritionists and ensure mealtime stays fresh and exciting for your pup. Visit Ollie.com, tell us all about your pup, and well create a custom meal plan just for them.

What is the Best Time of Day to Feed your Dog? (According To The Experts)

Article Last Updated April, 2024

Key Takeaways

• Regular meal times are crucial for your dogs digestion, energy, and overall well-being.
• Free feeding can lead to overeating and weight gain; regular meals help maintain a healthy weight.
• Proper feeding goes beyond nutrition; its a vital part of caring for your dogs overall well-being.

Hello, dog lovers! As dog parents, we always aim to keep our four-legged mates happy, healthy, and well-fed. But what time should your dog eat?

Feeding is more than just putting kibble in a bowl. Its about understanding their nutritional needs, age, health, and lifestyle.

Why does this matter? Feeding your dog at the right time impacts its health and behaviour.

Regular feeding can maintain a healthy weight, support digestion, and promote better behaviour.

In this article, we delve into canine nutrition, guided by experts, to uncover optimal feeding times. Well explore the best times, the pros and cons of feeding once or twice a day, and puppy feeding requirements and provide a sample feeding schedule.

So, grab a cuppa, get comfy, and lets journey into canine nutrition. Its time to optimise feeding time for your dog.

The Best Time to Feed Your Dog

While theres no one-size-fits-all answer to the best time to feed your dog, most experts agree on a few general GUIDELINES.

Typically, most adult dogs should be fed twice daily, with meals ideally spaced 10-12 hours apart to support their digestion and keep ENERGY LEVELS consistent. This could mean serving their morning meal early, around 7 am, and dinner early in the evening, at approximately 6 pm.

However, remember that every dog is unique, and their feeding times might vary based on age, health, and lifestyle. Ensuring your dog has a consistent feeding schedule is more IMPORTANT than the specified time meals are given.

Tailoring the feeding schedule to your dogs specific needs will help them stay happy and HEALTHY. Always remember consistency is key when it comes to meal times.

Feeding Your Dog Once a Day

Adopting a once-a-day feeding schedule for your dog can be a PRACTICAL solution for some. The convenience it offers can fit seamlessly into a hectic routine.

Moreover, some argue that a single daily meal aligns more naturally with a dogs instinctive feeding habits in the wild, where they would feast when food is available.

However, its key to note that this approach isnt ideal for all dogs, especially smaller breeds. Smaller dogs have faster metabolisms and, therefore, may require more FREQUENT MEALS to sustain their energy levels throughout the day.

On the other hand, larger dogs often have slower metabolic rates and might be content with one WELL-BALANCED meal a day [1].

Pro Tip: If you feed your dog once a day, its best to give them their meal in the morning as it provides fuel for the whole day and prevents overeating at night.

Feeding Your Dog Twice a Day

Many vets recommend feeding an adult dog twice a day, as this routine can offer several BENEFITS to your pets health and well-being.

A twice-daily feeding schedule helps maintain STABLE BLOOD SUGAR levels and provides a steady energy supply, keeping your dog active and content throughout the day.

This practice is backed by research. A study by The National Institute of Health showed that dogs fed once a day were more likely to GAIN WEIGHT. In contrast, those fed twice daily had stable body weights throughout the research period and lower calorie consumption overall [2].

Twice-daily feeding can help reduce bad behaviour due to boredom and hunger and prevent them from binging on food when given the opportunity.

How Often Should You Feed A Puppy

Feeding your puppy properly is key to their GROWTH and development.

Up until 8 weeks, puppies should primarily feed on their mothers milk. Its important not to adopt a puppy before this age, as premature weaning can lead to behavioural problems later in life.

From 6-8 weeks, puppies can start having SMALL PORTIONS of dry food four times a day alongside their mothers milk. As they grow, their diet needs to change too.

By the time theyre 2-3 months old, puppies should be weaned off their mothers milk and be on 3-4 solid meals a day.

The exact number of servings of dog food will depend on the BREED of the dog, with smaller breeds often requiring different feeding schedules than larger ones.

As your pup matures and becomes accustomed to solid foods, you can adjust its feeding schedule.

At 3-6 months, you can reduce the number of feeds to three times daily.

By the time theyre 6 12 months old, this can be gradually REDUCED to two meals a day.

Choosing the right food for your puppy is crucial to this process. For detailed information on the best foods to support your puppys growth, be sure to check out our article on the best puppy food.

Pro Tip: Remember, not all breeds are classed as adult dogs at the same rate. So, its essential to tailor the feeding schedule to the specific needs of your breed.

How Often Should You Feed Senior Dogs

Feeding our senior dogs is a bit like fine-tuning a beloved instrument. As our furry friends age, their activity levels decrease, and their metabolism slows down, affecting their dietary needs.

Many vets suggest sticking to a twice-a-day feeding routine for our golden oldies. Smaller, more FREQUENT MEALS can be easier on their tummies and help keep their blood sugar levels steady.

But, just as each wrinkle tells its own tale, each senior dog has UNIQUE health considerations.

Keep a watchful eye on your dogs weight and overall condition as they age because our senior companions might be more susceptible to weight changes.

Pro Tip: Ensure your senior dog eats in a calming environment to reduce stress and encourage them to finish their meal.

What Is Free Feeding?

Free feeding, you ask? Its a bit like a buffet for dogs, where their food is available all day to nibble at their leisure.

Sounds pretty convenient, doesnt it?

Especially for those of us with erratic schedules, this feeding method seems like a TIME-SAVER.

However, before you start filling up that food dish to the brim, lets delve a little deeper.

Free feeding, while appearing convenient, can often lead to OVEREATING and weight gain in many dogs.

A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine found a link between free feeding and obesity in dogs, mainly because its challenging to monitor their calorie intake [3].

Each dog is a unique character with individual nutritional needs. Free feeding doesnt consider these, and it can be especially risky for dogs prone to weight issues or those with specific dietary needs.

A Dogs Feeding Schedule

Ever noticed how our four-legged friends seem to have a sixth sense about when dinners on its way?

Thats because dogs thrive on routines, including a regular feeding schedule.

This routine not only satisfies their tummies but also brings a sense of predictability and SECURITY to their day.

This can be particularly beneficial for rescue dogs, who may have experienced inconsistent care in the past.

A sample feeding routine could look something like this: breakfast served at 7 am, perhaps a small midday snack or treat for training, and then dinner at 6 pm. But remember, this isnt one-size-fits-all.

Time	Activity
7:00 am	Breakfast
12:00 pm	Midday snack or treat for training
6:00 pm	Dinner

As I have said before Our dogs are as individual as we are, so a chihuahuas feeding schedule might DIFFER from a labradors.

Sticking to a meal schedule helps to maintain REGULAR bathroom habits (trust us, youll appreciate this one!), supports healthy digestion, and can even alleviate anxiety by providing structure to your dogs day.

So, as we navigate the world of doggy dining, lets remember the importance of a CONSISTANT feeding schedule.

Its more than just filling their bowl; its about providing our dogs with a routine that helps them feel secure and loved.

After all, they do say that the way to a dogs heart is through its stomach!

Conclusion

And there we have it, folks! The ins and outs of when to feed our precious pups. Whether theyre sprightly puppies, energetic adults, or golden oldies, its clear that a regular and well-considered feeding schedule plays a pivotal role in their health and happiness.

From early morning breakfasts to evening dinners, the timing, frequency, and consistency of meals all contribute to our dogs well-being.

But remember, just as no two dogs are the same, their feeding schedules will differ, too. Always consult with your vet to tailor the feeding schedule to your dogs unique needs.

So, as we embark on this feeding journey, lets remember that were doing more than just filling their bowls. Were providing love, care, and nourishment, one meal at a time.

Sources

1. Middleton RP, Lacroix S, Marie-Pier Scott-Boyer, et al. Metabolic Differences between Dogs of Different Body Sizes. 2017;2017:1-11. doi:https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/4535710
2. Bray EE, Zheng Z, M Katherine Tolbert, McCoy B, Kaeberlein M, Kerr KF. Once-daily feeding is associated with better health in companion dogs: results from the Dog Aging Project. 2022;44(3):1779-1790. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-022-00575-7
3. Heuberger R, Wakshlag JJ. The relationship of feeding patterns and obesity in dogs. 2011;95(1):98-105. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0396.2010.01024.x

Jeff Carbridge is a dog behaviourist and trainer with 15 years of experience. He is strongly interested in nutrition and diet for both canines and humans. Jeff has been featured in several publications, providing expert commentary on dog-related topics. His knowledge and expertise make him a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve the health and well-being of their dogs.