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Proper Dog Feeding

A dog’s eating habits are controlled by three things: its brain, its experiences, and its environment.  The very first experiment in behavioral psychology was done by a scientist named Pavlov who taught dogs to get ready to eat when they heard a certain sound.  Since that initial experiment, scientists have observed over and over how important the things happening around, and to, a dog are when it comes to affecting the dog’s eating habits.

Once, when dogs were wild, most of their daily activity was devoted to obtaining a meal.  While the need for this activity has practically disappeared with humans providing their dog food, mealtime still constitutes one of the most important events in a dog’s life.  And, many of a dog’s behavioral responses are still linked to its eating routine.

Today’s dogs have become creatures of habit.  They thrive on monotony and are most comfortable when things remain the same.  Few dogs appreciate a sudden change in their sleeping quarters or the surprise of a new dog food in their bowl.  The more that can be done to prevent change in a dog’s feeding program, the better it will be for both the dog and its owner.  Regularity in feeding promotes good appetite, good digestion and regular eliminations.  Therefore, the first general consideration to be made when feeding any dog should be the establishment of a regular feeding schedule with the same dog food and should stay that way without being altered.

Generally a puppy should be fed 2 to 3 times daily till the age of 6 months. From 6 to 12 months this should be twice a day and once a day after that. In large breeds they may be fed twice daily till the age of 18 months. (Consult your vet).