# Free Feed or not to Free Feed



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

In my experience goldens do not do well with free feeding. They are just too food motivated. Golden hips are very delicate and you need to keep the weight off as much as possible to have as many happy years with your pup as possible.


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## LOVEisGOLDEN (Jan 4, 2008)

Oaklys Dad said:


> In my experience goldens do not do well with free feeding. They are just too food motivated. Golden hips are very delicate and you need to keep the weight off as much as possible to have as many happy years with your pup as possible.


ditto. also, if she goes off of her food for some reason, you aren't likely to know- since you don't give measured portions for each meal. I have a horrible time with my sister's Cocker when she's here (quite often) because she is free fed at home. She can't be free fed here because of Blush's allergies & refuses to eat at set meal times. makes it really tough to board her because of it.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I agree to not free feed. Goldens are prone to be big eaters if they can eat all the time. And when they are growing up, you really need make sure they eat their food and free feeding it is hard to tell how much they are eating.


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## 3SweetGoldens (Feb 28, 2007)

I too have to agree, I would not recommend free feeding, for the reasons mentioned by others here. It is especially important to be sure just how much as a puppy they are eating at each meal. With free feeding, this is just not possible to track it. Also, I know my three would definitely eat much more than the two cups a day each of them get, if I allowed them to eat as they wished.


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## pburchins (Mar 11, 2009)

Both our goldens were/are feed freely. At first as puppies this did not occur but as they got older they were allowed to eat freely. We have not had any issues with weight. We put in the daily amount and allow them to eat during the day/night. The weird thing is both are night time or bed time eaters. Our first one regularly at at midnight. Also, both were/are not food aggressive. 

Our neighbors Golden was raised differently and they measured exactly how much food the dog got. Put it down for a certain time,etc. She is very food aggressive and is a very nervous dog when it comes to food. We have watched her and followed their instructions but she always seemed not to get enough. I would bet that if I opened an entire 40lb bag of dog food she would eat the entire bag out of concern of not getting the next meal. She is a very nervous golden. I have to admit, I wonder if the food thing was part of the issue.

This is our experience.......Best of luck! Congratulations for doing your homework. Enjoy your 15 week old.....They grow up too fast. Our boy just turned 1 last week and I hardly remember him as a little pup. I am glad I took so many photos.


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## AmberDawn (Dec 26, 2008)

I think what works for one dog may not work for another so I think it really depends on your dog and situation.
Personally here Rosco is free fed, but he is not a big eatter (which is a rarity in Goldies!). Firstly I feed less than what the bag recommends (because frankly I think they try to sell more food by increasing the amount they recommend you feed, well in adulthood anyway, puppies have different needs for obvious reasons). Secondly Rosco just picks away at his food and never over indulges which I make sure because as mentioned I still measure! But also important to note is that if I ever do add a second pupper this scheme it likely wouldn't work because typically Goldens love their food and therefore the second dog would like scarf Rosco's food before he even got a chance. If I did add a second I would do the put food down for ten minutes and if he doesn't eat up it comes ritual.
Again, as I've said different strokes for different folks.
Hope this helps!:wavey:


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

I vote 'no' for free feeding. Not only can they get fat, but if you ever have to board them you will have a dog that might not eat all of its food because it expects to have access to it at all times.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I find that dogs that are free fed are more likely to become picky eaters. Another problem to consider is even if your dog does great on free feeding, what happens if down the road a new dog is added and it tends to over eat, how would you regulate what that dog eats while allowing the original dog to free feed?


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

feeding time is a good training opportunity, too (this is from a lazy trainer)


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

JMO but I cannot imagine how much Abby and Finn would eat if I let them eat all they wanted! They would be the size of elephants.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I've free fed for a long time and never had any issues. If you're traveling and the dog doesn't eat right when you want him to, he eats at the next meal since he's hungry.

When Comet got really thin due to anaplasmosis, we went to 15-minte mealtimes twice a day and stayed with that plan for both dogs. He still doesn't finish everything, but it did put pressure on him to eat more.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

Another vote for no. In addition to making it really hard to regulate when the dog has eaten and how much (if the dog is inhaling it's food, do you put out more so it always has food and hope eventually it'll self regulate?), but you loose that hunger needed in some dogs for training - if they've just eaten and always have food to eat why work for food?

Plus, bloat. I crate my two goofballs after they're fed for at least 2 hours so they're not racing around and risking bloat. When I'm at the kennel if a dog comes in the morning who has been fed, they are crated for a few hours as well, same thing. If the dog is picking at it's food all day and you don't know when he last had a meal/snack, how do you know it's safe to take them for a big run? Or if they wolf down some food after that big run because the food is there? Too risky to me.

Lana


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

I had one many years ago and I free fed her. I would only put down her correct portion for her weight each morning. She was the only one at the time. She took her sweet time with it all day. I now have a group of pigs who eat to fast. They get their meals dished out 2x's a day according to their diet needs. So it really depends. I do think if you decide to free feed this has restrictions. Don't just dump a large amount of food and think they will only eat what they need. Make sure you only put down what they should eat for the day (ex: 2 cups, 3 cups....) I now have some that eat only 2 cups a day and others that eat much more. They all get it done within minutes so they don't have to share. You do have to watch if they are not solid house broken. If they are young you have to remember what goes in has to come out no matter how small amount they eat or drink. For that reason I like to get them to eat their meals right away, do their business and be done with it.


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## Lisa_and_Willow. (Dec 18, 2007)

Bender said:


> Plus, bloat. I crate my two goofballs after they're fed for at least 2 hours so they're not racing around and risking bloat. When I'm at the kennel if a dog comes in the morning who has been fed, they are crated for a few hours as well, same thing. If the dog is picking at it's food all day and you don't know when he last had a meal/snack, how do you know it's safe to take them for a big run? Or if they wolf down some food after that big run because the food is there? Too risky to me.
> 
> Lana


Bloat is a huge concern of mine too. Also if Willow doesn't eat when I put her food down for her I know something is wrong. If she was free fed it may take me longer to realise.


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## John G (Dec 27, 2008)

I understand the concerns about free feeding. I think it depends on the dog and how it was raised. I generally allow litters to free feed dry food about the time their eyes open.

I think most dogs that are introduced to free feeding do OK. Food intake can easily be monitered with only one dog. It's a little tougher with more dogs. 

I have only had Goldens for 30 years, but have yet to have one that I couldn't self-feed. 

I don't food obsess and neither do my dogs.

John


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## Honey (Jan 20, 2010)

Honey is free fed and she does not over eat. Angie was also free fed and she lived to be 14 years old, never over ate either.


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