Hi, Otis is now four months three weeks. Im sure this has been coverd before, but could I switch him to two meals a day ? But give him more a t those meals ? He is fine, mischevious , a normal pup, still not housetrained, definitely a slow learner. He has chewed his way through quite a few things, loves his walks. The biting has definitely decreased, and is softer. Just wonderd about the food ? Maggiex
Re: switching to two meals a day Hi Maggie,how are you doing ?nice to see you here . I'm a by the book girl so I didn't change Dexter until he was 6 months old....I think it was Kate that mentioned the other day about reducing the middle meal until it is nonexistent ....poor Dexter,my lack of experience again...I just stopped it ....so he went cold turkey from 3 meals to 2 ....
Re: switching to two meals a day Hi Maggie , yes it was me who said to cut down the middle meal slowly , Sam was mortified at losing his lunch so I did a reduction over about a month , started when he was about 6 months old
Re: switching to two meals a day Don't worry Angela. I'm in the bad books too. Just stopped ours in a oner too. Dex and Lilly can for their own wee hard-done-by club
Re: switching to two meals a day Hi Okay, Ill wait another month or so before going to two meals. Now as to what to feed him that's a whole new subject ! Thanks xx
Re: switching to two meals a day Charlie was on three meals a day, but due to podgy concerns I cut out lunch (although had been reducing all his meals anyway). Then I cut out breakfast because he got so much for recall training on our morning walks (I put half his allowance in my treat bag, and he gets what is left for breakfast, usually nothing) and I try to save a bit for lead training in the afternoon, plus 2 five min clicker training sessions in the day. Then I cut out dinner because I needed the other half of his allowance for fireworks/red arrows/watching a carnival/staying quietly on the town quay while we listened to a band etc. Dinner is again what is left in the treat bag- again, usually nothing! So within a month, he has gone from 3 meals a day to none. It doesn't seem to have done him much harm....but I suppose what I've done is spread his food out throughout the day, rather than concentrate it into 2 meals.
Re: switching to two meals a day The dog training sessions I am starting on Wednesday have told me to 'throw away his food bowl' all his meals should become training treats and be hand fed to him to improve his focus on me.....I'm going to be in trouble already....i HAVE taken this on board ...but ive only done it 50% I've done it like you Julie and halved the quantities so I hand feed him half and he has 2 very small meals in his bowl........I'm not liking it as it doesn't feel 'right'......and also I've spent time teaching him to wait until I release him to eat....his eye contact is locked onto me and he does not move.....and I don't want to lose that .....
Re: switching to two meals a day I think personally thats a big "ask" for normal training. I think Helen did it with Charlie - the "hand-feeding" thing. Don't know if she still does. Even if you think yourself it is the right thing to do, it can be difficult to get other family members on board with the concept. Our advice was just not to feed before training. We have a couple of times used the normal breakfast feed for the training "treats" but usually I thought the treat for training sessions has to be a bit more special. I know even if we have fresh cooked sausages (or cheese-sprinkled toast ;D ) Lilly is always keen to explore other dogs' treats than necessarily respond to ours.
Re: switching to two meals a day Jacqui I'm the naughty girl in the class already,ill say I'm doing it this first week and see what's going on but will go with his dinner bagged up and some steamed and roast chicken as extra treats.....he won't work for kibble.ive done all that before and it was a waste of time.Hope it doesn't sabotage us...but Dex has got all the basics....our purpose to this class is to practice around other dogs ....so he's going to need roast chicken to not get bored....hope we don't get expelled from dog training
Re: switching to two meals a day Fingers crossed no-one notices ;D But then if you doooo get expelled, you probably don't want to be ther in the first place
Re: switching to two meals a day [quote author=Dexter link=topic=2426.msg23713#msg23713 date=1378008930] The dog training sessions I am starting on Wednesday have told me to 'throw away his food bowl' all his meals should become training treats and be hand fed to him to improve his focus on me..... [/quote] The puppy book I had (Ian Dunbar, which I think is a good book) said the same. All food in kongs, training treats or by hand. I did this for the first 2 or 3 weeks, then used his bowls. Now though, we are back to all food in training treats and kongs - I just don't have enough food now it's reduced in quantity (to address the podge) to waste it just handing it to him in a bowl. I sort of feel ok about this, so long as he is getting enough food, I think it's ok. Hope so, anyway. But it's strange not to feed your dog a meal in a bowl! By the way, he is looking thinner. I wouldn't say thin though, still a pretty generous covering over those ribs!
Re: switching to two meals a day Hi Angela, I still hand feed Charlie's meals and it has definitely increased his focus on me 100%, he doesn't get a scrap of food unless he has worked for it and he doesn't get any in a bowl, so I am a total fan of this method - thank you Heidrun . There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing this Angela as Dexter will still get all his normal rations just spread out over the course of the day and all that will change is he has to work for it. Good luck for Wednesday. Helen xx
Re: switching to two meals a day I think I'm a bit of a stick in the mud.....I don't like change do I ;D !......I'm going to go with it and just keep a little back so I can call him to his bowl,I still blow the whistle ....any time there is a chance to have something nice at the end of it....I blow that whistle!ill start making him work for his little 'tasting plate 'though like you do with Charlie ,Helen.....that way he has earned it...but I don't lose that amazing look he gives me when he is sitting waiting to be released.....I guess that's what I'm looking for ALL the time though isn't it ???.....will let you know what I think of Wednesday .....I have been working on his Glare of Death since last week,i can break it now ( with high value treats) but not keep him on me ...still it's progress....
Re: switching to two meals a day Angela, I know what you mean about the sitting and waiting at the bowl to be released, but how I overcame that one was to scatter some food on the floor and tell him "leave it" he focuses totally on me and then I release him after 60 seconds or so, he is still earning the reward and still learning. I put Charlie into a 'down' and balance food on his paws tell him to "leave it" he looks at me then I release him, it's so funny too Good luck with what ever way you choose to do it. Helen x
Re: switching to two meals a day jasper sits and waits as a sniff of his food walks away then goes back to it he is not a greedy dog, but love is treats salmon and sardines
