What Is the Best Time of Day to Feed Your Dog
Wondering, "How frequently should I feed my dog?" A canis familiaris feeding schedule helps you establish a routine around your pup's play, action and sleep.
Accept yous ever thought, "How often should I feed my dog?" Dogs thrive on routine and, though they exercise not proceed track of time like we practise, their cyclic rhythm, or internal clock, makes information technology possible for them to tell when it'due south shut to the fourth dimension for a routine task. Whether you've merely adopted a dog (congrats!) or are wondering about how much to truly feed your pup, we bet you've idea, "How many times a day should a dog eat?" at some indicate. We've compiled a canis familiaris feeding schedule for adult dogs, puppies, senior dogs, agile breeds and sedentary breeds, configured around each dog's play, activity, sleep and water schedules.
Remember: Any dog feeding schedule is just a suggestion. The best way to plan a dog feeding schedule is to consult with a vet, who tin configure a dog feeding schedule that'south customized to your canis familiaris'due south needs.
Sample Dog Feeding Schedule for an Boilerplate Day with an Developed Dog
Food: A dog feeding schedule for most adult dogs should include time to eat twice a day. This keeps their metabolism stable and aids in digestion. You lot'll find they chop-chop catch on to when feeding time is. A sample dog feeding schedule for adult dogs would be:
- 7:00 a.m. – Breakfast
- 6:00 p.m. – Dinner
H2o: The next step after establishing a proficient dog feeding schedule is a having a schedule for offer fresh water to your canis familiaris. In full general, it is all-time to leave a fresh bowl of water out for your dog every morning and every evening. Dogs should always take clean h2o subsequently any activity. If yous're working on housetraining or have a domestic dog who overdrinks, you can schedule the amount and times you provide it. But picket your dog carefully and, if he seems to be thirsty, increase the amount. A sample schedule for monitoring water would be:
- seven:00 a.thou. – Clean and fill basin half-way.
- Noon – Rinse out and refill half-manner.
- 6:00 p.m. – Rinse and fill half-fashion.
- Bedtime – Clean and fill basin about 1/iv of the fashion.
Sleep: An average canis familiaris sleeps about 14 hours a mean solar day. Unlike humans, they sleep for shorter times more frequently. A canis familiaris's REM cycle is more active than a human being's and may explain the phenomenon of "chasing in their sleep." If your canis familiaris sleeps more than 16 hours a day, it is wise to check for whatsoever illness. By scheduling his activities throughout the day, you volition naturally create a good sleeping routine.
Play: Play is imperative to go along a dog's skills honed, to provide stimulation and just to accept fun. Play can hateful a game of fetch with you, a board game where your dog has to exercise tricks to earn a plough, a doggie play date, or even interactive toys when you are away. Endeavour to become two play sessions in a day. A sample schedule would be:
- viii:00 a.chiliad. – Spend at least fifteen minutes playing with your domestic dog
- four:00 p.k. or Right afterwards work – Schedule a play engagement or try something creative like a game of hide and seek
Activity: Activeness is imperative for a dog's mental and concrete health. Ideally, a canis familiaris should exist walked twice a solar day for thirty minutes. An extra walk does no harm and, in fact, will benefit you both. In our hectic society, nonetheless, this tin can be tough, so consider enlisting the help of a domestic dog walker. Also go along in listen activities other than walking such as the dog park. A sample schedule would be:
- 6:30 a.m. – Walk your dog before his breakfast
- Noon – Walk your dog (this is where a dog walker could be helpful)
- five:00 p.grand. – Walk your dog before his dinner
Together Fourth dimension: A dog feeding schedule isn't the only affair you should plant. Together time is a bonding experience for you and your dog. This is the easiest matter to schedule as it tin be on the couch while watching T.Five. or exterior reading a book, or on the bed at the terminate of the night. The key is to focus on your dog and pet and massage him. Dogs honey a light massage and many are happy with your foot stroking their back. Even simply sitting touching your canis familiaris is a bonding activity.
Dog Feeding Schedule for Puppies
Housetraining: With puppies, in that location is housetraining to consider in your dog feeding schedule. When beginning housetraining, you or someone you trust, such every bit a dog sitter, really needs to be on mitt frequently, then you can catch your pup earlier or in the deed and rush him outside. Older puppies can go between 3 to four hours betwixt elimination. A sample schedule would exist:
- Outside upon waking.
- Exterior later breakfast.
- Exterior around noon after 2nd feeding.
- Outside effectually iv:00 p.chiliad.
- Outside after dinner.
- Outside before bed.
Food: A puppy will ideally eat three times a day so schedule in a feeding around apex. Get a dog sitter to aid if needed.
Meet a more comprehensive guide for feeding puppies here >>
Slumber: A puppy sleeps more than than an adult dog, averaging about xvi hours a day. But some will slumber for upwardly to twenty hours!
Activity: A puppy will have bursts of energy and so bomb down where he is and sleep. Try to go your puppy out as much as you lot tin, starting with short walks and edifice up to 20 minutes.
Domestic dog Feeding Schedule for Senior Dogs
Food:A adept dog feeding schedule for senior dogs is feeding twice a day. Feed senior dogs smaller amounts since their activity is limited.
Water: Older dogs may need more than h2o than their younger counterparts.
Sleep: A senior dog will slumber more than an active adult dog, on average 16 to eighteen hours a twenty-four hour period. Just like humans, the older a canis familiaris gets, the more than his needs resemble that of a puppy.
Activity: Information technology'due south important for a senior dog to notwithstanding get walks and balmy activity. Ideally, you, or a sitter, could take your dog out three or four times a mean solar day for shorter walks. Avoid excessive activeness and any rough play such equally at domestic dog parks.
Dog Feeding Schedule for Active Breeds
At that place are a few modifications on a domestic dog feeding schedule for agile dog breeds such as the Border Collie, the Vizsla and any Terrier. Sleep for these dogs is often less than an average breed and you lot volition notice they are usually running around even when dozing. It can assistance to feed these breeds three times a mean solar day considering their metabolisms are higher.
Dog Feeding Schedule for Sedentary Breeds
Breeds that are very big such as the Mastiff and the Great Dane tend to slumber more than an average sized canis familiaris. Some of the large breeds, such every bit the Greyhound and many of the hounds, do as well. A sample dog feeding schedule is also often unlike with these types of dogs existence fed only in one case a day since they are not burning off as many calories.
The bottom line on figuring out a domestic dog feeding schedule
Every dog is unique and you may accept to change a domestic dog feeding schedule depending on your canis familiaris'south activity level. You also may need to adjust your domestic dog'due south schedule to meet yours.
The things to proceed in heed are that a canis familiaris will demand something scheduled every 2 – four hours, whether feeding, action or playing. And consistency is key to go along yous on schedule and your domestic dog happy.
Tell us: What domestic dog feeding schedule do you lot follow? How does your domestic dog feeding schedule correlate to his activity, sleep and play schedules?
Concerned about your own meal schedules and what to eat? Check out these meal suggestions for boosting energy >>
Thumbnail: Photography by damedeeso/Thinkstock.
This piece was originally published in 2010.
About the author
Read more about dog food on Dogster.com:
- Permit's Talk Dog Diet — 6 Essential Nutrients Dogs Need
- 5 Piece of cake Dog-Friendly Recipes
- half dozen Tips to Tiresome Downwardly a Domestic dog Who Eats Too Fast
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