Free feeding

Can anyone tell me why free feeding is a bad idea, other than regulating toilet time or walking on a full tummy. My Jack Russell has a grain free dry food 3 times a day. His last meal gets a wee treat in like chicken or sardines or tripe etc. If he doesn't eat his breakfast I leave it out & he will have it when he fancies it. I'm trying to get him on meal times as when our staffy pup arrives next month he will be o 4 meals a day. I'd hate to think I'm doing something very wrong with my Jack Saxon. He is perfect condition but not all that food motivated

free feeding is leaving their full quota of food down all day so that they can help themselves as and when. that isn't really what you're doing, though, is it? he still gets his three meals a day, just he occasionally leaves some till later.

personally i would take up any food that's not finished within, say, 10 minutes, and then carry on as normal from the next feed.

free feeding can lead to obesity in some dogs, and can interfere with normal walking/toileting routines. it's only in fairly recent years that bloat has been strongly connected to exercise too close to feeding, and it's recommended that you leave at least an hour either side of a meal - treats are different, of course, as they don't fill up a dog's belly!

it can also lead to finicky feeding, and your dog may not get the right amount of nutrients because of that. plus, of course, if you ever needed to slim your dog down, or even fatten him up a bit, you'd have problems changing his feeding habits!

Thank you, yes your right it's not proper free feeding and I do lift his bowl up an hour before a walk. I'll try and get him eating his 3 meals so he can tie in with the puppy a bit better

I know a few dogs that are or have been on a free feeding system and all are seriously overweight. A neighbour's JRT has food down all the time. When the bowl is empty it is filled up again. The vets have spoken to the owner (a lovely lady, a dear friend) about how she's killing with kindness but she won't change. A family member used to free feed her two spaniels. They eventually saw the light of day but have really struggled to get the weight off since.

The other thing I'd add to the list of reasons to have your dog on normal meals is that it makes like much easier if you have to give meds. You know the dose is in that meal and can see that it's been consumed.

As well as taking any food left over away after 10 minutes, I'd go down to two meals a day for Saxon. Not only does he not need 3 meals a day, you might also find he eats up more readily when there is a bigger gap, meaning he's hungrier. You might also find Saxon eats up more readily once your pup is there - there's nothing like a bit of competition!

Yes your right, I think be will eat his meal better with competition lol. Thanks for your answer. I'll try two meals a day as well. It's breakfast and lunch he tends to leave then have wee bits when he feels like it

Me personally i haven't heard of free feeding. But id recommend set times for your dog not only does it give them routine it stops upset stomach and helps them regular (don't want to be graphic).

We just got into the habit cause Saxon isn't particularly interested in his food and prefers to graze. I think Liz is right and having another dog will encourage him to eat at meal times

I'd never heard of this. Gus gets his three meals a day (all measured out) but will often just graze on what we put down for him. We just thought he was happy to eat like this as he has no competition from another dog. I will have to keep an eye on this.

It's how my Jack Russell prefers to eat & he has done it for years. He's in perfect condition. He eats a bit better with Rebel here