Feeding...3 times a day?!?! (raw diet) - Page 1

My GSD is now a little over 1 1/2 yrs. old.  We began feeding him 3 times/day when we brought him home at 8 weeks.  All the guidelines I have seen have stated that 2-3 times is preferable for puppies.   Over a year later, Achilles is still "nibbling" at meal time,  and refuses to eat his daily requirements in one, or even 2 sittings.   He is feed about a %75 raw diet supplemented with kibble.   From all I have read, he is supposed to be eating once per day, and around 4-5 lbs at that.  He is nowhere close to that much through the course of his day.  I am at a loss as to how to stabilize his food intake.   He appears to be healthy enough, but his eating habits don't appear to be healthy at all.

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/472607.html

Nice dog, in the pic hw looks like he is fit, definately not underweight.

Feed the dog once a day. If he doesn't eat, thats his problem. Take his food away in 10 minutes, put it in the fridge and try again the next day. After a few days, maybe a week or 2 if he is really stubborn, he will eat his food when you lay it down. 4-5 pounds seems like allot of food. Maybe he doesn't need all you are trying to give him.

Like 4 pack said...

In my kennel, eating is another discipline. When I get dogs in for training that are "picky" they aren't when they leave. I am not harsh about it but I believe that if you don't eat you must be sick, and that is the first sign of a dog that is ill. So mine all eat, they don't have to be speed demons but if they don't eat in the first minute I pick it up. I will offer again in mid day and do the same and then again at night.

If it is my dog I won't offer it in the middle of the day... you have 1 minute to show me interest, and if you don't you go without until the evening.

I do this with ADULTS... not puppies or preg. females etc. but with ones that are older and just plain old stubborn and picky and so many are.

Another option is feed in a crate. Put them in the crate for 5 mintues if they don't eat take it out... put it back in after 10 minutes and offer for another 5 minutes... if they don't eat they can then eat at night time... if they don't eat at night time try again in the morning repeat the routine.

And 2-3 lbs seems to me if it is raw should be all he needs a day. I could be wrong but most kennels I know that feed raw get by with 2-3 lbs a day for most dogs.

Good luck... but don't worry a dog won't starve itself to death, only people do stupid things like that. He'll eat when he's hungry... but teach him as if in the wild unless you catch food daily you don't eat. You never know when your next meal will be in the wild! :-)

IMO opinion you are offering him way to much food. He must be eating something, he looks good in his photo ! Not sure what it is your feeding thats RAW but really a dog his size that is fairly active only needs a couple of pounds of food a day. You can break it into 2 feedings, its what I do anyway, but he doesn't need to be offered 3 meals at  his age. A puppy up to 6 months, yes. If I were you I would skip his next meal. Then offer about a pound of RAW food. If he eats it up in 10-15 minutes, good boy, if not pick it up and put it in the fridge. Offer again the next meal about 8-10 hours later. What are you feeding him? RAW and the kibble?

We feed twice a day, though have to admit we feed high quality dry with some raw a few times a week.  Sounds like too much food, maybe two small meals per day?  But do pick it up if he doesn't eat, don't let him pick.

trailrider - he gets a good variety of leg quarters, pork neck bones, deer meat, turkey necks, beef ribs, and a bit of Nutro.

Thanks for all the replies! It seems I am a bit of a pushover with him. ;)

How much does this dog weigh?

I know a Bull Mastiff that doesn't get fed that much.  :)

A couple of more pounds and he'll be ready for market. He'd probably feed a Philipino family of 12 for about a year.