Interesting question. Are you talking about a Labrador? It might work for a dog that isn't that interested in food. But most Labradors would end up the size of a Blue Whale if given free access to food. It would've been impossible with both my Labradors who have had no restraint around food. Will be interested to hear about others' experiences.
Not a chance with my Labrabins! Shadow got into some food when he was a pup, ended up the size of a blue whale pup and had to go to the emergency vet.
This is really strange. I have always free fed my cats and dogs, including my lab, Amber, and never had a problem with weight or overfeeding. I've been reading online that labs are just going to overeat and get ill but it has just never happened. She eats what she needs and then leaves the rest as do my other dogs and the cats. They are all fit and healthy. Maybe I have weird animals. Well, they've always been weird really.
Or maybe the food wasn't appetising enough? Our boy would eat until he went pop, given half a chance. But even if someone's dog didn't explode, or end up at the vet, the risk is large that the dog would be overweight (and then suffer from related health problems).
Here's an interesting article on why free feeding isn't a good idea https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/19_3/features/Meals-or-Free-Feeding_21416-1.html
Yes, I've read the article and some others like it. I decided to ask the question on here because I've been doing it for donkey's years with no ill effects. I was just worried that I was missing something.
Sort of depends on your dog and your lifestyle. And there are variations of "free feeding". In our case, Murphy gets two cups of food in the AM after we get up. He might eat it, he might not. It might be there at 5 PM and often is. But sometimes, especially if we have been playing a lot and busy all day, that food will disappear long before 5 PM. Around 6 PM he gets another two cups of food IF the bowl is empty. He usually polishes that off around 8 PM. Issues with him needing to do his duty at a specific time are not a concern around here. He never wants to go out after about 7 PM and is good until about 7 the next morning. When we have asked him to go out later in the evening he just looks at us as if we have lost our minds. When it comes to the experts like the good doctor over at Whole Food Journal I take what they write with a grain of salt. It is important to remember that they are writing to a large audience so they are mostly correct, most of the time...but those ideas are not written in stone.
Lilly will leave a bowl of food if it isn't actually hers and she is told to leave it (or perhaps, if we don't tell her its okay to have). If the owner of said "off limits" bowl then spreads it all over the floor, she feels its fair game however. And she would not eat out of a bag of food - dog food or rabbit food - if left around IN the bag. I have never ever known her NOT to finish a bowl of food given to her though.
If it works for you then I wouldn't worry about it I have always let my cats help themselves. Benson did once too...he ate 3kgs of food and ended up like one of these:
