# Free Feeding



## sashac (Mar 13, 2006)

Does anyone "free-feed" their Golden, i.e., leave food out all the time for your Golden to eat as they please? 

One of our friends who has an Akita/Lab/other? mix came over the other day and was shocked to see how "little" we feed Charlie (he's a healthy 77 lbs). She leaves food in her dog's bowl all the time and he nibbles at it here and there. I thought that was the funniest thing I've ever heard - Charlie (and I imagine MOST goldens) would snarf food down if it was in front of them; he doesn't even know what "nibble" means!!! 

Does anyone else do this with their Golden? I was curious to know if a Golden like that exists!


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## PeggyK (Apr 16, 2005)

Years ago, when we had three dogs-one Golden, a Samoyed mix and a black lab mix-i did free feed. I had a very large salad bowl and when it was empty, I would just fill it again. None of the dogs would pig out-just ate what they wanted. Now, we have Coach-and I swear he would eat an entire 30 lb. bag of food if he had the opportunity!!!!!!!!!! Or-he would just eat till he exploded!!!! I am very careful about measuring Coach and Oakley's food and I make sure that Coach can't run over and "help" Oakley finish his meal!!!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I would NEVER suggest this method. It is not healthy, and if you have multiple dogs it's doubly unwise.

1) You cannot monitor each dog's intake which is important if a dog goes off his feed, or needs to gain or loose weight

2) It's a great way to start a dog fight

3) Most dogs in America are obese...


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## sashac (Mar 13, 2006)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> 2) It's a great way to start a dog fight



It would definitely start a fight with Charlie! I have to make sure she's removed her doggie bowls or emptied them when I come over with Charlie!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I know it works for some people but I always suggest people try to start schedule feeding...

SL is a piggie boy himself!


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I think Samson would eat and eat and eat. There's no way that would work with Samson. Cosmo isn't quite as bad....

Our last dog, Buddy.....we always had food out for him. But he didn't eat much. He didn't like being alone in the kitchen with us in the other room. So he didn't eat much...


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## PeggyK (Apr 16, 2005)

We never had a fight over food when we did free feed-but I know, with some dogs, you would just be asking for trouble. And I am so much more aware of measuring and watching what they eat. Oh, and our dogs who had free access to feed were not overweight.


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## Buffy & Abby's Mom (Nov 27, 2005)

Brittany, our prior dog before Buffy & Abby, was fed free-style. She would just eat and nibble as she pleased and was not overweight. Buffy would probably be able to do that also and not overeat but since I mix her dry food with canned, I cannot do that. Now Abby, she'd eat and eat til she busted, I do believe. I think it's because in her past, (prior neglectful owner) she was never sure when she'd be fed again so she eats all she can when she has the chance. It's so pitiful when you think about it.


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## sashac (Mar 13, 2006)

Charlie is just like Abby and i think it's because of his past too! It's really so sad. I wish he could just believe that we would give him more food and that he didnt have to eat it all at once! But he would definitely eat till he dropped, then he'd get up and do it all over again. I'm surprised to hear though that other people have been able to do it with their Goldens. It's not all Golden's who are as piggy as Charles. I shall have to have a talk with him tonight.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

No free feeding here..... To many and it would cause a fight...Plus Abbie would eat everyones....... shes a pig....


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Augie doesn't have any abuse in his past, and he wolfs down his food as fast as he can go. If he was free-fed, he would just eat and eat until he burst  I think it's more "normal" to have a dog who eats his food all at once, rather than one who nibbles. A nibbler wouldn't have lasted long out in the wild.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Most Goldens eat all they can, regardless of their background- oddly, the most man manipulated breeds do... where as the most natural breeds (Sighthounds especially) are often picky. My theory for that is that they are primitive enough to not be really suited to eat kibble- as they all will gobble their natural, raw meals. Who knows though!


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## Baileysmom (Aug 5, 2006)

LaurJen said:


> Augie doesn't have any abuse in his past, and he wolfs down his food as fast as he can go. If he was free-fed, he would just eat and eat until he burst  I think it's more "normal" to have a dog who eats his food all at once, rather than one who nibbles.


This is exactly how Bailey eats -- I can't imagine what he would do if he had food available all the time!


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## Princess Bella (Oct 17, 2006)

I Feed ours twice a day, some days she eats it all, other days she saves half for lunch, but by night time its always gone. I never just leave tonz of food out...


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

We kind of do both. Carson usually will empty the bowl in one sitting at breakfast. Lunch he usually leaves some and dinner too. If he leaves some I don't take it away, and he'll usually come finish it within a few hours. I think we're right on the edge of going down to two meals a day.... What do ya think?


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## Ozzie's Mama (Jul 16, 2006)

We learned the hard way that Ozzie will eat intil he explodes when we let him "munch" on left-over ice after a party. We ended up on the phone with the vet because he ate so much he was trembling from the cold and his stomach swelled to what seemed like double it's size. 

So...three scoops in the morning and three scoops at night!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Twice a day if he's not finishing lunch...


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Twice a day if he's not finishing lunch...


Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking.


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## Ginny (Nov 17, 2006)

I don't Think Free Feeding Would Be possible here! Buzz gobbles up everything unless I tell him not to ( He listens so well) His food is usually gone in under 2 minutes!


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

I fill the food bowls up in the morning--and they eat a little--never finish it at once. I have never had a fight over food yet, not even with new fosters. But what they do is play musical bowls--each one takes a bite or two out of each bowl then they switch bowls--one thing I don't do is feed each one away from the other--

There is a name for it--don't ask me what it is right now--where large breed dogs get their intestines twisted from eating too much at a time. The vet even told me that unless their is a weight issue it is best to just put the food down and let them nibble as they are hungry. Unless you are potty training them of course-


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## kra (Oct 2, 2006)

My grandfather NEVER practiced free feeding, and he taught me to control feeding. He wanted his dogs to learn that He / We /I control what and when they get any and everything. So I have never even thought about trying free feed with Sandy or now with Nugget.


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

No free feeding here....I have Katie on a schedule...the same time every day and I give her the amount for her age as directed by the label on the bag


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## Molly's Mom (Jan 1, 2007)

At Molly's first appointment, the vet advised me to feed her 4 times a day. Well, I forgot to take the bowl away promptly and she did not inhale the whole thing. I put the kibble out in the morning. She eats about half of it and comes bask for the rest when she's hungry. She gets nothing of ours from the table, ever. I mentioned it to the vet and he said that was perfectly fine too. Taking the food away aided with the potty training, but since we're not having any problems there, he said letting her nibble was perfectly fine.

My last 2 dogs were nibblers and both lived to a ripe old age. Neither was ever overweight.


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## Leo's Mom (Feb 27, 2006)

Not a chance. Between Leo and Maddy the whole 40 lbs bag would be gone in oh about 1 minute. As it is now I have to make sure that each only eats out of their bowl. I do have to watch their food intact. Maddy can not put on any weight due to her hip, an Cheena has arthritis pretty bad in her back lets so both need to be kept lean and exercised. Leo, I just want to make sure that he does not get fat.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Carsonsdaddy said:


> We kind of do both. Carson usually will empty the bowl in one sitting at breakfast. Lunch he usually leaves some and dinner too. If he leaves some I don't take it away, and he'll usually come finish it within a few hours. I think we're right on the edge of going down to two meals a day.... What do ya think?


The reason multiple feedings are always suggested for puppies is that their stomachs are not big enough to hold enough food to supply all the nutrients their fast growing bodies require for a full 24-hour period. The way I see it is you have two choices... either begin feeding less at each meal or go with only two meals a day and feed more. It would help to know exactly how old your dog is, how much regular daily exercise his is getting, and how much in kCals he is use to getting per day (read the bag then do the math). Otherwise just go on to two meals a day and observe your puppy for energy levels and weight changes. Also observe his poops and if its soft and not fully digested, he's being fed too much and/or too often... his poops should mostly be well-formed (except the very last bit might be softer) and dark (relative to the color of his food).

I would think free feeding in dogs would pretty much resemble free feeding in people... which is probably the way most of us eat... (ever see a really fat homeless tramp?) Some of us can handle 'free feeding' and some can not. I think its partly genetics, partly a relationship with food established in early childhood, partly emotional, partly lack of exercise, partly the choices we make in the selection of the food we do eat... as I said, free feeding works for some of us and for others of us its a disaster... I don't know why it would be much different for dogs.


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## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

Dottie would prefer that we follow the free-feeding method, but she'd quickly balloon to the size of an SUV while wrecking our budget! We feed both dogs on a schedule, twice daily, and that seems to work well.


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Well ya don't keep filling the bowl up every time it gets empty though--I don't care personally if they eat their meal all at once or snack--but they only get so much. 

I filled the bowls up this morning and their is still food in both of them--there are many reasons to not do it--esp if you have a food aggressive dog. 

I do confess to having a very bad habit though--my dogs LOVE clean out the refrigerator night! They think they hit pay dirt! But that is not everyday of course.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

I kind of free feed I think.

I measure out his food, give it to him in the morning, then just leave it there until it's all gone. Sometimes he eats it all right away, sometimes he eats some then snacks, but it's always gone by lunch time.

Then at lunch I do the same thing, and then the same at dinner.

So I don't know if that's free feeding or not... he only gets a certain amount of food, but he can choose to eat it all or snack on it and save some for later?


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

GoldenLover84 said:


> I kind of free feed I think.
> 
> I measure out his food, give it to him in the morning, then just leave it there until it's all gone. Sometimes he eats it all right away, sometimes he eats some then snacks, but it's always gone by lunch time.
> 
> ...


That is my concept of free feeding--now my cat's have a feeder they use that I fill up about every 3 days. But that is a whole different thread-

IMHO--if you putting down each morning what they need for the day--gee who cares if they eat it all in the morning or snack all day--I am far from an expert, but I think this is some of the reason I don't have food aggression issues--there is always food around. 

I know some folks use food and its distribution as a training tool--that really does not work well for me. 

But--whenever I first bring a foster into the house and I put down the bowls of food-I do stand right in the middle of them and watch how they all act. The whole psychology of the pack order and how they behave amazes me. Dog communication is so very subtle to us--but they do seem to work it all out.


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

I think some of the reason Carson doesn't eat it all at once is that he's the only dog. So no competition for it. I've noticed that if we feed him when we're over at the in-laws he eats much faster and more in one sitting with the other dogs around. 

We usually feed him once in the morning and if he doesn't finish it we leave it and by dinner it's empty and we put some more in. He usually doesn't finish his dinner bowl by the time we put it up for the night, but we use what's left over for treats.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Carsonsdaddy said:


> I think some of the reason Carson doesn't eat it all at once is that he's the only dog. So no competition for it. I've noticed that if we feed him when we're over at the in-laws he eats much faster and more in one sitting with the other dogs around.
> 
> We usually feed him once in the morning and if he doesn't finish it we leave it and by dinner it's empty and we put some more in. He usually doesn't finish his dinner bowl by the time we put it up for the night, but we use what's left over for treats.


Samson will scarf down any and everything we give him. He's always done that. And having Cosmo around hasn't changed anything except that Cosmo doesn't finish his, Samson will gladly help him, too.

Funny, Cosmo is heavier but eats less. But Cosmo doesn't seem as overweight as he did when we first got him. But he's got a build in "aerobics" instructor in Samson.


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## VeronicaLovesHerGoldens (May 27, 2005)

Anything I put down for my boys is gone within seconds and then they'll check each other's bowls out to see if any scraps were overlooked (never happens!)

Sometimes I wonder if they would actually eat themselves to death - they seem to be bottomless pits! 

My husband always comments on whether or not I'm feeding them enough because they're always looking for more which always annoys me because all you have to do is look at them and you know they're getting plenty to eat!!!


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

VeronicaLovesHerGoldens said:


> Sometimes I wonder if they would actually eat themselves to death - they seem to be bottomless pits!


I wonder the same thing about Samson. He'd eat anything we give him.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

You can always use green beans as a filler.....I use it with mine and they love them..... I get the canned kind with No salt and No sugar...


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## VeronicaLovesHerGoldens (May 27, 2005)

Maggies mom said:


> You can always use green beans as a filler.....I use it with mine and they love them..... I get the canned kind with No salt and No sugar...


They don't get diarrhea from that??? 

I've started giving them carrots last week and they love those. But like any change in their diet I worry about it loosening their stools.


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## Capehank (Aug 3, 2005)

Ted and Isabella are free fed with the other 2. All are very respectful of each other. We try to pick the food up by 7:30 in the evening and all are happy.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

VeronicaLovesHerGoldens said:


> They don't get diarrhea from that???
> 
> I've started giving them carrots last week and they love those. But like any change in their diet I worry about it loosening their stools.


 Nope ...Mine havent...... what I do is shred carrots in there food and then split the can up ..... They get 1 cup of Food and 1 cup of carrots and green beans..... It keeps there weight down as well...... The vets use the green beans for diets for dogs over weight......


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Maggies mom said:


> Nope ...Mine havent...... what I do is shred carrots in there food and then split the can up ..... They get 1 cup of Food and 1 cup of carrots and green beans..... It keeps there weight down as well...... The vets use the green beans for diets for dogs over weight......


vet told me the same thing--about using green beens as a filler for 'fat' dogs


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

Maggies mom said:


> Nope ...Mine havent...... what I do is shred carrots in there food and then split the can up ..... They get 1 cup of Food and 1 cup of carrots and green beans..... It keeps there weight down as well...... The vets use the green beans for diets for dogs over weight......


That's something I never would have thought of. We give Carson some veggies and table scrap stuff for a treat every now and then, but not regularly. I have read that it's healthy for them to get some table scraps, but I've never heard of feeding them people food on a regular basis.... Sounds like it works though. And your dogs all look really good so, it can't be bad. Something to think about...


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Carsonsdaddy said:


> That's something I never would have thought of. We give Carson some veggies and table scrap stuff for a treat every now and then, but not regularly. I have read that it's healthy for them to get some table scraps, but I've never heard of feeding them people food on a regular basis.... Sounds like it works though. And your dogs all look really good so, it can't be bad. Something to think about...


Mine dont get table food per say...... they get carrots in there dinner and as treats.... green beans, everynight for dessert they get yogurt.... Maggie is weighting in at 68 pounds the vet said that was her limit..Hootie is 65 and at his limit... so I figured this wont hurt them.... it will just fill them up... Maggie is now down to 65 pounds Hootie has stayed the same.... Abbie is my bottomless pit so i just give her some as well....Morgan is fine on his weight , he really doesnt care for the green beans.... Just make sure if you give Carson them ,to get the *NO SALT *added... You can do frozen as well.....


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

cool thanks. I know that they LOVE yogurt. Carson and his cousins go batty over it. lol


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## Oralia Schatzman (Jun 12, 2006)

Freefeeding worked when he was new and underweight. Once he settled in, it was better for him to be on a schedule so it's one cup in the morning and two at night. If it's just him, he'll eat at his own pace, in increments, but if another dog is visiting, he inhales his and then theirs unless we intervene. Payback is inevitable because the girls (one lab, one greyhound) usually return the favor so it all works out one way or another.


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