[nevercry_wolf]

When is the best time to feed to get the best of your dog?

Why?

 

[Steve Hester]

We feed once a day, in the evening. I think there are some studies that say once a day feeding is best for dogs.

 

[dogcommand]

I give one quarter of their daily food in the am and the rest in the pm.
Just what I have always done and it works for me and mine.

 

[Patti Maye]

We feed twice a day. One of the reasons for this, according to several studies, is that bloat is less likely to happen when fed smaller meals 2 or 3 times a day. Besides, I wouldn't want to eat once a day!

 

[nevercry_wolf]

After reading an article from the Mike Lardy Vol III that said feeding one time per day was best it got me thinking. I was just wondering how often and what time of day others were feeding.


This study shows that feeding 1 time is best as well:

http://www.proplan.com/sportingdog/articles/feeding.aspx


Timing of meals is important in canine athletes. Exercise alters gastrointestinal transit time and therefore can change nutrient digestion and absorption18. Exercise also can cause mild hypoxia in the gut due to redistribution of blood flow1. In addition, the heat of digestion can increase heat load in exercising dogs that are already at risk for excessive heat production. Dogs fed 4 hours before exercise had higher core temperatures than those fed 17 hours before exercising. This difference was attributed to the heat of digestion19. Approximately 23 hours are required for the complete digestion of a large meal in a dog18. Dogs fed less than 23 hours before an exercise event may have fecal matter in the colon which can compromise performance by adding extra weigh to the dog. Some researchers and dog enthusiasts theorize that feces in the colon can also cause cecal slap1. Cecal slap is a condition during which the residual feces ?slaps? against the colon causing irritation of the surrounding epithelium and perhaps inducing diarrhea during and after exercise. It is recommended that intensely exercising dogs be fed approximately 24 hours before an intense exercise bout to help alleviate problems associated with a full colon

 

[Dave Burton]

I feed one time a day in the evening. 95% of the time I train in the late evening. I feed right after that. The dogs get used to this and I believe they go harder and complete tasks faster because they know they will get to eat as soon as they are done training. Makes sense to me.

 

[JS]

..... It is recommended that intensely exercising dogs be fed approximately 24 hours before an intense exercise bout to help alleviate problems associated with a full colon.

How would this be accomplished in a dog that is worked daily?
JS

 

[Guest]

I feed one time a day in the evening. 95% of the time I train in the late evening. I feed right after that. The dogs get used to this and I believe they go harder and complete tasks faster because they know they will get to eat as soon as they are done training. Makes sense to me.

Not to poke fun or anything, but do you realy believe the dogs are thinking dang just 2 more retrieves and I get my big bowl of food

 

[ttungland]

I used to feed twice a day, until I got one of my dogs back from a trainer, I switched to once a day since that was the schedule he was on and it was actually easier for my schedule. My youngest "hoovers" his food instead of eating it....so I put water in it so now he has to "slurp" it instead (he still beats the others!).

 

[Granddaddy]

We feed twice a day. One of the reasons for this, according to several studies, is that bloat is less likely to happen when fed smaller meals 2 or 3 times a day. Besides, I wouldn't want to eat once a day!

I agree, but how do you train daily & feed twice a day -especially in the heat of summer?

 

[Patti Maye]

We feed twice a day. One of the reasons for this, according to several studies, is that bloat is less likely to happen when fed smaller meals 2 or 3 times a day. Besides, I wouldn't want to eat once a day!

I agree, but how do you train daily & feed twice a day -especially in the heat of summer?

I train 5-6 days a week. Our dogs get fed between 5-6 am. and then around 8 - 9 pm at night( I wait about 2 hours after exercise to feed the dogs)....earlier in the evenings in the winter.