What type of feeder are you?

[Josie]

I would be interested to know what type of feeder you are and why?

Do you think it depends on the breed?

Do you think it all depends on how their brought up?

Does it really matter how you do it?

Free Choice: food is available at all times and the individual picks when and how much their pet eats

Time Limited: owners put out food but take it away after a set amount of time

Amount Limited: owners offer a pre-determined amount of food and the pet can pick when to eat it

 

[arealhuman]

Jimmy eats main meals roughly at the same time as we do, give or take a bit. So he gets breakfast, lunch, dinner with a few treats thrown in throughout the day. I think if we went down the free feeding route, it'd all be gone in one session

 

[JudyN]

Amount limited. Jasper has never left food uneaten unless he's ill or it's raw liver. If he was free-fed he'd have the build of a hippo!

He's also a guarder so he's well aware if there's food left lying around and is convinced everyone else in the household wants it (even the raw liver). I believe free feeding can be stressful for the dog as they know the food's there and it's a valuable resource. It's a bit like leaving your money lying all over the house in tenners and then inviting lots of people in... It seems to work well for some people, but then again a lot of people with more easygoing dogs aren't great at recognising a degree of anxiety in their dogs.

 

[Biker John]

Amount limited, as with Jasper, Folly would be the heaviest Whippet on the planet if she could eat her fill.

 

[Caro Perry]

Amount limited - and it vanishes within seconds with the bowl licked clean. If he was allowed unlimited he'd eat til he went pop!

 

[BentleysDogFood]

None of the above! The amount is pre-determined and so is the time. Their food is put down once a day, in the evening, and they eat it. When you feed the dog throughout the day isn't the be all and end all of a dog's health, however it is advised that if the dog does not eat the amount you give them after 20 minutes, you take the bowl away. By repeating this process they learn that if they don't finish it, they don't get anything else that they might prefer to eat more.

 

[Cash_Dolly]

Dolly gets her set amount for breakfast and dinner until she finishes it - which is usually pretty quick - but not as quick as Cash....I swear that dog had magical powers in making food disappear whether it was his or not!!!

 

[Ruth_F]

A set amount twice a day, its gone very quickly! We cant leave food about in our multi dog household that includes scent hounds.

 

[Violet Turner]

predetermined but sometimes free

 

[Whippylove]

A also do a set amount for my boy's morning and night also the odd dog treat. If i let my dogs eat what they wanted they'd be huge whippets!