Hi, as a new puppy owner (and I mean completely new and inexperienced!) just wanted some advice on meal times linked with walking. Bella (12 weeks now) has just had her final round of vaccinations so we can thankfulky start getting out and about without my arms completely seizing up! I'm still feeding her 4 times a day but working that down to 3 over the next 3 weeks. I'm following the breeders instructions. When should I walk/exercise her? At the moment she is eating and then going outside for half an hour or so to plod round the garden, go to the loo etc although the plodding doesn't take long to gain energy! Should I walk Bella then feed her or feed her and then walk her? I was thinking feed her, wait half an hour, then walk her. Would that be right?
Hi there I'm not sure it matters all that much, apart from I don't exercise my dogs hard directly after eating (I reckon a little time to digest food is as good for dogs as humans) but I wouldn't worry too much about a wander round the block and so on. I tend to take my older dog out before breakfast, before lunch, and before dinner as this was the routine I got into when I used to use a lot of his food for training. He got what was left in my treat bag when we got back. Although the advantage in getting the dogs out first thing is then I think they settle better, rather than jumping around waiting for a walk all day. My new puppy does a bit of training before breakfast, sometimes it's a lead walk but not always. Then she goes out about 2pm, a couple of hours after lunch.
Ah yep, I also worried about exercise routines! I have an 8 year old and a OH who works shifts, so exercise before school is out. At 12 weeks I got into the habit of taking her out mid-morning, and then I try again late afternoon. I've only now, at 15 weeks, introduced short leash walking on footpaths - everything had been off-lead in safe areas prior to this. So exercise is always done well after or before meals, but I do use her kibble ration for training. I went straight from 4 to 3 meals without a problem. I found 4 meals so restrictive, it was freeing to get onto 3.
