McClung's Animal Hospital

Eating habits in the dog are conditioned reflexes. They eat the way they are taught to eat. So, let's teach him to eat right. You will be happier with an eager eater than a finicky eater and your pet will be healthier and happier too. If he does not eat when you think he should, don't spoil him by running to the refrigerator and offering him a little bit of this and that. He will eat when he is hungry. Variety in the dog's diet stimulates him to develop preferences for certain foods. It won't be long until you will find the pup knows that all he has to do is turn up his nose and you will find him something else. He will have you well trained shortly.

1. How many times to feed. Very young puppies should be fed four times a day. As they grow older, they will begin to make a mess over a meal. At this time, this meal should be dropped from the daily feeding schedule. This process is repeated until the dog is on one meal a day, in the evening, when he will have reached the age of ten or twelve months.

2. How to feed. Leave the food down for only 15 minutes. If your puppy does not eat in that time, take up the food until next feeding time. If you leave the food down he will piece like any youngster and not fill his stomach. As a result, your pup will not grow well and you will spoil
his eating habits. Housebreaking is also more difficult.

3. How much to feed. The puppy should be fed as much as he will clean up. This is done gradually, not at once, increasing the food amount until the pup is leaving a little bit after each meal. Puppies have a built-in mechanism and will quit eating when they are full. They will only overeat when they have been without food for too long a time.