# When did you switch from 3 meals to 2?



## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

By 6 months of age my get feed only twice a day but will get treats/snacks throughout the day during training sessions.


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## Charmie (May 30, 2012)

The breeder had me feed her two meals a day from the first day I got her, at 8 weeks! She said to just give her 1/4 cups worth of kibble as snacks in between meals in the form of biscuits and such.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

My breeder told me to feed three times a day until 12 weeks.


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## Dakota's Pal (Sep 9, 2012)

If taking away lunch would you have to add the 1 cup to the other meals? like 1 1/2 cup morning 1 1/2 cup dinner or would they both stay one cup and just get rid one the other cup?


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I switch at about six months. That is also the moment I switch to adult food. So basically Liza will go from three cups puppy food a day to two cups adult food, plus a little yoghurt and some banana at lunch (and treats).


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## Dakota's Pal (Sep 9, 2012)

like when you switch different brands of food you do it gradually is that the same when going to adult food since its different food or can you just go directly to it and do you feed large breed puppy food or adult food?


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

The switching to two meals instead of three and from puppy food to adult food should be checked with your vet. IMO each dog is different. 
I feed Rose Blue Buffalo Large breed puppy formula and the bad recommends to switch at 12 months to adult food. But I will check with my vet at 6 months and take their advise. 
Also everything should be done gradually and evenly. Increase each meal am and pm and reduce the middle meal. Take about a week until you completely eliminate the middle meal. 
Mix in adult food with puppy food gradually until you completely switch to only adult food.

If your puppy eats too fast I would make his meals at the same time you have breakfast (in my case just coffee and newspaper) and take a fruit (banana, apple, raspberries) with you. Give little pieces of the fruit while the puppy is eating his kibble, taking his attention away from his food. That will make him go between his bowl to your table. Also make him sit and wait before you allow to go to the bowl full of food. He should allow you to put the food down without jumping, barking....


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## Dakota's Pal (Sep 9, 2012)

would this work? When they are a puppy have your hand in their bowl so the dont develop food aggression later on?


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

I personally mix in bowl feeding with hand feeding. I think that if they leave the bowl for the banana at the table (for which my Rose has to come, sit and lay down in order to get) you make them obedient enough that you will not have problems with food aggression. She takes about an hour to actually finish all her food in her bowl. 
We did the same with Jack - and he LOVED his food. But he got to a point that every time we put his bowl down he would lay down and wait before he even started eating. We called it his "prayer time". (we do not pray - so he did not learn that from our behavior at the table). 
If you think your puppy may have food aggression make him/her wait while you take some food from the bowl and hand feed it. If he/she allows you to do that, IMHO you do not have a puppy with food aggression, just a puppy who is hungry or simply loves his food.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Claudia M said:


> I personally mix in bowl feeding with hand feeding. I think that if they leave the bowl for the banana at the table (for which my Rose has to come, sit and lay down in order to get) you make them obedient enough that you will not have problems with food aggression. She takes about an hour to actually finish all her food in her bowl.
> We did the same with Jack - and he LOVED his food. But he got to a point that every time we put his bowl down he would lay down and wait before he even started eating. We called it his "prayer time". (we do not pray - so he did not learn that from our behavior at the table).
> If you think your puppy may have food aggression make him/her wait while you take some food from the bowl and hand feed it. If he/she allows you to do that, IMHO you do not have a puppy with food aggression, just a puppy who is hungry or simply loves his food.


Rose takes an hour to finish her food? Wow...is that because she walks away and comes back? Both my dogs are done in a minute. And both are not food aggressive.


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## mddolson (Jul 10, 2012)

We've fed our Bella twice a day since we brought her home at 10 weeks.
She's 20 weeks now, & gets 1-1/2 cups at 6:00 am & again at 6:00 pm.
She's a casual eater & doesn't usually finish her morning food until around noon.
Dinner is usually gone by 9:00 pm, but there is sometimes a 1/4-1/2 cup of food left in her bowl in the morning.

Mike D


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## Dakota's Pal (Sep 9, 2012)

thanks for your help!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

inge said:


> Rose takes an hour to finish her food? Wow...is that because she walks away and comes back? Both my dogs are done in a minute. And both are not food aggressive.


A lot of people use the term food aggression without the puppy being actually aggressive. Rose tends to eat the most part of her food at 5:30am in about 15 minutes because she roams between the table and the bowl. She finishes the rest around 6:15 or so after she managed with the help of my coffee to wake me up. Keep in mind that from 5:30am to about 7:15am there is quite a bit of commotion between breakfast, showers, getting ready for school and work. 
She takes another nap until about 8:15 after which we go for a walk. 
Wow am I proud of her today. I was able to walk with her with the leash handle on my wrist and my hands in the pockets. She sat for each car that passed by and had only a couple pulls and a couple times that she moved to the right side. With a 48" leash. I guess I will hold my breath until the next walk and see if it becomes a pattern.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

A few years ago, I actually switched my adult dogs back to feeding three times a day. My Golden eats his food too fast and does not chew, the smaller amounts spread out over three feedings help with that also to prevent bloat. Also, since both my large seniors tend to gain weight fast, three meals help boost their metabolism. 
I have the luxury of being home, so three feedings are no big deal.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

I could not agree more cgriffin. I think the more you teach them to eat slowly the better for their health. It has nothing to do with food aggression.


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## au071 (Sep 19, 2012)

My vet told me to feed him two meals a day in our first appointment (10 weeks); she said three meals a day is only for smaller dogs...


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## jaxdepo (Jun 21, 2012)

We gradually switched by adding 1/8 every 2-3 weeks until he was 4 months feeding him 1 1/2 cups morning and night ( 3-4 cups per day) I use an extra 1/2 cup for training purposes.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

I switched Hank around 5 or 6 months. I fed a little later in the AM and a little earlier in the PM, dividing the daily ration into 2 parts rather than 3.

My SIL still feeds her adult (7 y.o.) Lab. 3 times a day. Works for them.


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## Umqueen33 (Jul 24, 2012)

Since Charley was born, he was eating 2 times a day. We tried to feed him three times a day, but he never ate lunch, so he's only eating twice a day. He gets fed 1 1/2 cups each feeding, he's 11 weeks old and 21 pounds. We're feeding him based on the amount the dog food recommends- he's currently eating Nurtro Natural Large Breed Puppy and he LOVES it!


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## Sunny08 (Mar 6, 2012)

For the pups who will eat some now and then come and go to their bowl, does this mess with their potty schedule? We have always been told that if they do not eat within a certain amount of time to pick up the bowl.

Of course, we do not follow that rule when she has an upset tummy. We let that settle and it is little bits during the day.


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## Manna777 (Jun 20, 2012)

Ernie is 7 months and 2 weeks and we are just getting him use to 2 meals a day instead of 3 - we starting to wean him onto chappie dry (not sure if you have it outside of the uk) approx a month ago as the puppy food was too rich and he was having more pudding poo than normal. He loves his food and although he is getting extra morning and evening he still thinks he should have 3 meals a day - we dropped it because it is hard to fit this in with our lifestyles


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## IrishDaisy (Aug 9, 2012)

I'm giving daisy 2 feeds per day since 13 weeks, she gets a handful of kibble in her Kong wobbler at lunchtime + training treats during the day 


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## Golden4Life (May 6, 2009)

I've been wondering the same thing. Kali is 5 months old now. I free fed when I got her but now if I did that she'd eat herself silly. She definitely waits for her food and is anxious to get it! (Seems hungry every time she gets fed.)


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