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#1
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Just exactly what IS free-feeding?
Hi all,
I've been following the very long discussions about free-feeding and am wondering, just what defines "free-feeding"? It seems to me that there are some differences of opinion on what it means. This is how Kiba is fed: would this be considered free-feeding? Kiba gets 3/4 cup of "good" kibble a day in his bowl in the back entry way. His water (bottled) is there too. There is no set time of day he gets it. He doesn't wait all aquiver for his kibble. He might eat it when it's put down, or he might not. He might leave it in the bowl for a day, in which case he doesn't get any more the next day, he just finishes what he left from yesterday. He is the kind of dog that will go without eating much kibble for a day or so. I don't know why, and the vet doesn't think it's a big deal. He is in good weight, but could become heavy if not watched, like all Cavs. He gets two-three tablespoons of green tripe from a tin once a day, usually when I get up, but sometimes not till later in the day, depending on what's going on. I feed him the tripe in the kitchen in a small bowl (to keep his ears out of it) and stand there while he finishes it. He always finished the tripe. We used to mix it with the kibble, but I didn't like it to sit for a day in the dish when he was having a non-eating day, so now I give it to him seperately. While Kiba isn't a kibble-nut, he adores what he considers "treats". I make my own; liver cookies, dehydrated liver, salmon snacks, etc... I bake them myself in sheets and cut them into tiny pieces for training treats. I mix the treats half and half with kibble in little treat buckets. Kiba doesn't care if he gets kibble as a reward; as long as it comes out of the bucket it must be a treat! If he gets quite a few treats in a day, I cut back on his kibble ration. My husband gives Kiba bits from his dinner plate after he's finished eating. He saves two or three small morsels from every dinner. It's a thing they have. Kiba sits quietly as he eats, but watches. He knows there is some coming for him. Kiba doesn't care what he gets, he'll eat anything, veg or meat. If dinner is particularly good, and my husband eats it all, he apologizes profusely to Kiba for eating everything. *sigh* Watching them share an icecream is an agony of cuteness... When preparing dinner, I throw a bit or two of whatever I'm chopping for Kiba. He will eat mushroom slices, chopped raw veggies, potatoes, whatever. He's never not eaten something. Stupid dog will eat cucumber! Yuck! I think it's weird, and I don't give him too much raw stuff. I can't imagine what a bunch of raw carrots would do to his insides, although he never says no. I stop after a slice or three. I don't worry about a bit of raw chicken or pork. So, while Kiba does have "free" access to his ration of kibble, at least until it's gone, I suppose quite a bit of his food is either hand-fed or supervised. Would this be considered "free-feeding" since I don't pick up the unfinished bowl of kibble after "X" amount of time? -- Phyrie Kiba the Cav's Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/phyrie/...758930/detail/ |
#2
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Just exactly what IS free-feeding?
In article ,
"Phyrie" wrote: would this be considered free-feeding? Kiba gets 3/4 cup of "good" kibble a day in his bowl in the back entry way. His water (bottled) is there too. snip He might eat it when it's put down, or he might not. He might leave it in the bowl for a day, in which case he doesn't get any more the next day, he just finishes what he left from yesterday. Yes, he is free fed. He is in good weight, but could become heavy if not watched, like all Cavs. While Kiba isn't a kibble-nut, he adores what he considers "treats". I make my own; liver cookies, dehydrated liver, salmon snacks, etc... I bake them myself in sheets and cut them into tiny pieces for training treats. I mix the treats half and half with kibble in little treat buckets. Kiba doesn't care if he gets kibble as a reward; as long as it comes out of the bucket it must be a treat! If he gets quite a few treats in a day, I cut back on his kibble ration. Why not feed him his kibble that way, if he doesn't care what it is, just where it comes from? When preparing dinner, I throw a bit or two of whatever I'm chopping for Kiba. He will eat mushroom slices, chopped raw veggies, potatoes, whatever. He's never not eaten something. So, while Kiba does have "free" access to his ration of kibble, at least until it's gone, I suppose quite a bit of his food is either hand-fed or supervised. Would this be considered "free-feeding" since I don't pick up the unfinished bowl of kibble after "X" amount of time? Yes. And he has you very well trained as a vending machine. -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
#3
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Just exactly what IS free-feeding?
"Janet Boss" wrote in message ... Yes, he is free fed. I'd say so. I would be uncomfortable if my dog were "meh" about her food, letting it sit all day. Aside from the benefit of having an early warning sign for illness, how do you travel? I take my dog out of town with me fairly frequently, and I need to know that she's going to eat when she's given food. And, depending on the dog, it might be just as important to know that they *don't* have a bunch of food in their stomachs at certain times. -- Shelly http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship) http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther) |
#4
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Just exactly what IS free-feeding?
"Phyrie" wrote: Would this be considered "free-feeding" since I don't pick up the unfinished bowl of kibble after "X" amount of time? Not as I understand the term. Free feeding, AFAIK, means the animal has access to a large amount of food at all times, and eats at will. I used to have a dog who ate that way. She was smallish (Beagle/Cocker X terrier mix), and I would buy a 5-lb bag of food, cut a hole in the side, and put it down. When it was gone - which took, IIRC, a week or two - I'd give her another. She never overate, and stayed a trim 28 lbs until she was about 12.5; then she gained maybe 2 lbs, and stayed that weight until she died at 14. |
#5
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Just exactly what IS free-feeding?
In article ,
"sionnach" wrote: Free feeding, AFAIK, means the animal has access to a large amount of food at all times, and eats at will. Why would it have to be a large amount? The dog is eating at will and the food stays down until he finishes it. Mostly though, it seems like Kiba is always waiting for something better (and getting it!) before he's willing to touch his actual food. Good con job Kiba! -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
#6
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Just exactly what IS free-feeding?
"Phyrie" wrote in message ... Hi all, I've been following the very long discussions about free-feeding and am wondering, just what defines "free-feeding"? It seems to me that there are some differences of opinion on what it means. This is how Kiba is fed: would this be considered free-feeding? Kiba gets 3/4 cup of "good" kibble a day in his bowl in the back entry way. His water (bottled) is there too. There is no set time of day he gets it. He doesn't wait all aquiver for his kibble. He might eat it when it's put down, or he might not. He might leave it in the bowl for a day, in which case he doesn't get any more the next day, he just finishes what he left from yesterday. He is the kind of dog that will go without eating much kibble for a day or so. I don't know why, and the vet doesn't think it's a big deal. He is in good weight, but could become heavy if not watched, like all Cavs. He gets two-three tablespoons of green tripe from a tin once a day, usually when I get up, but sometimes not till later in the day, depending on what's going on. I feed him the tripe in the kitchen in a small bowl (to keep his ears out of it) and stand there while he finishes it. He always finished the tripe. We used to mix it with the kibble, but I didn't like it to sit for a day in the dish when he was having a non-eating day, so now I give it to him seperately. While Kiba isn't a kibble-nut, he adores what he considers "treats". I make my own; liver cookies, dehydrated liver, salmon snacks, etc... I bake them myself in sheets and cut them into tiny pieces for training treats. I mix the treats half and half with kibble in little treat buckets. Kiba doesn't care if he gets kibble as a reward; as long as it comes out of the bucket it must be a treat! If he gets quite a few treats in a day, I cut back on his kibble ration. My husband gives Kiba bits from his dinner plate after he's finished eating. He saves two or three small morsels from every dinner. It's a thing they have. Kiba sits quietly as he eats, but watches. He knows there is some coming for him. Kiba doesn't care what he gets, he'll eat anything, veg or meat. If dinner is particularly good, and my husband eats it all, he apologizes profusely to Kiba for eating everything. *sigh* Watching them share an icecream is an agony of cuteness... When preparing dinner, I throw a bit or two of whatever I'm chopping for Kiba. He will eat mushroom slices, chopped raw veggies, potatoes, whatever. He's never not eaten something. Stupid dog will eat cucumber! Yuck! I think it's weird, and I don't give him too much raw stuff. I can't imagine what a bunch of raw carrots would do to his insides, although he never says no. I stop after a slice or three. I don't worry about a bit of raw chicken or pork. So, while Kiba does have "free" access to his ration of kibble, at least until it's gone, I suppose quite a bit of his food is either hand-fed or supervised. Would this be considered "free-feeding" since I don't pick up the unfinished bowl of kibble after "X" amount of time? -- With three food competative dogs, I feed twice a day, supplementing snacks from the kitchen while I cook: carrots, lettuce, broccoli, kohlorabi, cooked pasta, cooked chicken, pork that sort of thing. I also allow a gathering around my chair for a small bite of dinner. Last night everyone got a little bit of burrito with black beans, rice, and tomato. Partly because it amuses me, but partly because I like the order of lining them up and teaching them to be "gentle dogs" while they receive their snack. We walk three miles a day, speaking of which before it gets to hot....but they are a fit group and as a pack generally good canine citizens. Kind regards, (the)duckster |
#7
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Just exactly what IS free-feeding?
"Shelly" wrote in message ... "Janet Boss" wrote in message ... Yes, he is free fed. I'd say so. I would be uncomfortable if my dog were "meh" about her food, letting it sit all day. Aside from the benefit of having an early warning sign for illness, how do you travel? I take my dog out of town with me fairly frequently, and I need to know that she's going to eat when she's given food. We visit my daughter often overnight. She has a big shepherd cross. He's a slow eater as well, sometimes not finishing his breakfast before dinner time. When we're visiting, and it's dinner time, BOTH dogs eat their food. And check each other's bowls to make sure there's nothing left. I suppose if each dog had a housemate they would eat more quickly, but as they are both only "children" there is no competition. So they eat leisurely at home. If it bothered me or my vet, I would pick up the dish after X amount of time and not feed him again until next mealtime, but there doesn't seem to be any harm in it. And, depending on the dog, it might be just as important to know that they *don't* have a bunch of food in their stomachs at certain times. I know when Kiba is eating. I can see his dish from my chair in the living room. It's only 15 feet from me. I also check his dishes often during the day, mostly for water, but I also keep an eye on his food. |
#8
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Just exactly what IS free-feeding?
"Janet Boss" wrote: Why would it have to be a large amount? Hrm. I didn't phrase that clearly - not necessarily a large amount, per se, but more than the animal needs for one meal. |
#9
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Just exactly what IS free-feeding?
In article ,
"sionnach" wrote: Hrm. I didn't phrase that clearly - not necessarily a large amount, per se, but more than the animal needs for one meal. Gotcha - a day's worth usually. -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
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