# Should I stop free-feeding my dog?



## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

Both our poodles free feed kibble. They graze during the day. In the evening, at dinnertime, they get a small amount of wet food. But the base is kibble. We have never any problems and they self regulate. Our 10 month spoo pup has bouts of hunger just before a growth spurt and then leaves the bowl when he hits a plateau. Poodles are exceptional when it comes to self-regulation.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Welcome! What are their reasons for opposing free-feeding?

I can think of a few downsides:

-not suitable for “bottomless pit” appetites, like those you might see in a Labrador
-tricky in multi-pet households (whether you have multiple pet now or may wish to have multiple pets down the road)
-can be challenging when travelling, whether your dog comes with you or is at home with a sitter
-makes administering some medications difficult, if they must be fed with a meal

We have had great success with free-feeding, but we do feed a spoonful of wet food for breakfast and dinner (in a separate dish), and feed a handful of “treat” kibble at bedtime, to ensure some sort of routine and to prevent bilious vomiting. Peggy can then munch on as much kibble as she wants throughout the day.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

If there's no question that she's getting her full portion and she's not a gluttonous gulper, eating all at once, continuing free-feeding should be ok. 

The only caution I'd add is related to eating her daily portion all at once. A single, large meal daily has been noted as a potential factor for bloat, so just be sure.


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## CharlietheToy (Oct 20, 2021)

It may be that your family members are used to other dog breeds? Before we got Charlie, I had experience with a dachshund, a Jack Russell and a Polish Lowland Sheepdog. Based on those experiences, I would never have imagined even the possibility of free-feeding - anything put into the bowl would disappear instantly. Charlie, on the other hand, will actually ignore food if he thinks that playing ball is an option. Like your Olive, he was initially somewhat underweight on a regular three-meal a day puppy schedule, and we gradually figured out that free-feeding works better for him. He still gets three meals, but he has a couple of hours to work his way through each, and he is doing fine. I was a little worried when we sent him to stay with someone while we were away for ten days, as there were other dogs in the house who would presumably have been happy to clean up his leftovers, but he figured it out and did OK. It sounds as though what you are doing is working well for Olive, and I wouldn't change anything if I were you.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

My feeling is if it ain't broke don't fix it...!


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## Heartland2022 (8 mo ago)

We free feed our dog he was not a big eater also. What helped us was hand feeding to get him started. I would give him some kibble and reward him for just eating it with a yes good boy. I also started to mix in cooked sweet potato with his kibble to help him bulk up a bit. I think his biggest deal was he wasn't sure if it was ok for him to go to that bowl and eat freely. Now he just kind of grazes on it he doesn't really overeat but he eats better than he did. I don't use sweet potato all the time but every so often.


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## beowoof (Dec 6, 2021)

personally, if it works for you and your lifestyle, then i'd stick with it. how you feed your dog is deeply personal and i certainly don't think there's "one right way" to do anything, much less feed a dog. i considered free-feeding for a few months when Kirby was younger and truthfully didn't stick to it for a few personal reasons:

- knowing how much your dog is eating: the few trips i've made to the ER vet, each one has had the vet ask me "how much has your dog eaten in XYZ time window?", free-feeding makes this question more challenging to answer unless you take keep detailed notes regularly, and are at home to monitor the amount.

- routine: for a few months, Kirby and i split our time between the city i live/study in, and my hometown where my family lives. having meals at set times made it easier to transition spending a few weeks here and there, and i think gave him a sense of comfort when he wasn't sure what the day would look like.

- joy: this might sound silly, but after finding a food Kirby really likes... he's so happy at meal times in a way he might not be free-fed. meals are a joyful experience, coupled with good manners for sitting on his bed and waiting, and a tippy-tap happy dance as i get his puzzle toy out of the cupboard. my father was able to bond with Kirby by feeding him meals, as he's unable to bend over and train due to physical limitations from illness.


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## EJStevenP (Oct 27, 2021)

All three of mine are free feed. Unless her appetite suddenly changes I say go for it. I've found the people that doubt it usually have big appetite breeds like labs.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I think sometimes people get hung up on the way things "should" be done. Dogs should sleep in a crate, dogs should eat only xyz, dogs should have regular meal times, etc. There are good reasons for these "shoulds" in many households, but they aren't necessary or appropriate for every dog in every situation.
It sounds like you have found a solution that works for your household and your dog. It wouldn't work for the average Lab owner. It probably wouldn't work in a household with resource guarding dogs. It wouldn't work for me, because Greedy Cat wouldn't be able to find his feet after six months of unlimited access to kibble. However, it sounds like it works for your situation with your dog. That's what matters.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

beowoof said:


> knowing how much your dog is eating: the few trips i've made to the ER vet, each one has had the vet ask me "how much has your dog eaten in XYZ time window?", free-feeding makes this question more challenging to answer unless you take keep detailed notes regularly, and are at home to monitor the amount.


We feed Peggy in 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup increments, and jot down the time of each feeding.


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## Tulsi (Jun 8, 2021)

My labrador would love to be free fed!

I agree that if it aint broke dont fix it.


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## SoBecky (7 mo ago)

Definitely just depends on the breed, and sometimes personality, of a dog. Some are just gluttonous, others still have the wild animal part of them saying that they should eat as much as possible because they don’t know when they’ll get another meal (despite the fact that it’s served @ 4pm everyday on a silver platter lol). If your dog is staying at a healthy weight and isn’t eating too fast, I’d say go for it.


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## I_love_dogs (May 30, 2021)

I don't know that I have ever had a dog that likes specific feeding times. Rosy is very unhappy that she doesn't get free fed anymore because Loki steals her food. One dog would only eat late at night when no one was around.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Elroy gets his kibble free feed style. I'll give him 200g's in the morning and he'll get around to eating when he's hungry. Some days he eats at 10am, others at 5pm. After he finishes his first 200g's, I give him another 200g in a fresh/clean bowl. He usually finishes that around 10pm or so but sometimes he doesn't finish it all, other times he'll eat another 50-100g. It's pretty easy to keep track of how much he eats this way and I like to do that. He has been the same weight now since mid January, 58lbs +/-.


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## Yellow (Sep 24, 2018)

if dog has any training issues or the dog is the pack leader over you, then I would not free feed. Food is a motivator and if you control the food you can use it for training and it helps to put you as leader


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## Haitch (6 mo ago)

My two get meat , but the older one especially is fussy and a pain in the doofer, there is more than one bowl of kibble left out all the time , they free feed as they wish . Have never had an issue , maybe because they are not labradors which I believe are very different , like they see food , they eat ! Both okay weight wise


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