How to Put Your Dog on a Feeding Schedule

Animals need a feeding schedule. Some develop it independently, especially if they don't have someone to watch over them. Their human parents help dogs establish a stable feeding schedule. You might be doing it all wrong if you have been feeding your dog just because it has wiggled its tail or come closer to the dining table.

Instilling proper behaviour in dogs takes work. Following this guide will help you establish a healthy feeding schedule for your dog, preventing malnutrition issues. Most importantly, you must know when to involve professionals to streamline the experience.

Check out these techniques for putting a dog on an eating schedule.

Benefits of a Feeding Schedule

Veterinarians and animal nutritionists highly recommend feeding schedules for pets for several reasons. For instance, it discourages picky eating. When your pet learns a specific pattern, it will adjust over time and get used to almost all foods. If you have a picky eater dog, it's a smart idea to introduce a feeding schedule.

For nutritional purposes, a feeding schedule helps you estimate or calculate how much nutrients your pet consumes daily instead of letting it eat randomly. This ensures optimal health by balancing calories, carbs, proteins, fats, and other nutrients.

Understand Your Dog's Nutritional Needs

It all starts with understanding your dog's nutritional requirements, that is, what they need to grow in size and energy. Different pets have varying needs depending on their type, age, size, breed, and personal preferences. Scrutinizing these components will equip you with the necessary knowledge as you embark on this life-changing journey.

Decide on Which Dog Food to Offer

Next, settle on the dog food you want to offer your dog. It must be specifically meant for dogs and not humans. You should also maintain quality, which is determined by the quality of the manufacturing process, reviews, taste, and food safety.

Some specific foods perform relatively well with some breeds and not others. Remember to scrutinize the ingredients to ensure they are healthy for your dog.

Decide on the Frequency and Consistency

A feeding schedule directly translates to working with timelines. Here, it would help if you devised a well-structured 'timetable' that incorporates the frequency (intervals) at which the animals eat. For puppies, three to four meals daily are advisable to manage their high energy requirements.

On the other hand, adult dogs are good to go since they don't need much energy, and their bodies are developing steadily. Pregnant dogs should also be fed three to four times to complement the fetus' growth.

Get the Portions Right

Deciding on the frequency and consistency goes hand in hand with choosing portions. When the time comes, you will know how much needs to be prepared and served. Portion control is crucial for managing weight and general health.

You can measure the daily share with measuring caps and weighing scales. This will help you get used to the quantity and not depend on them for long. However, it would be best to briefly get used to the same portions. Adjust them according to your dog's growth rate, activity level, age, and weight.

Potty Training

Feeding schedules also help with potty training by providing consistent timeframes before pet parents need to resume classes with their dogs. As time passes, the pet will independently attempt to poop at a specific time after meals and eventually do it all by themselves.

Weight Management

Weight management is another benefit. A feeding schedule acts like portion control, helping you monitor your pet's weight by offering proper meals. This way, your dog won't overeat or undereat, avoiding malnutrition or obesity.

Additionally, a feeding schedule allows food digestion due to time differences between meals. It also makes it easier to manage other life activities.

Adjust the Treats

The fifth step is to limit the intake for your fur buddy. This is where many dog parents go wrong, wanting to keep their dogs happy. Feeding treats most of the day is not the best way to show love for your dog.

A good feeding schedule should reduce the yummies to allow the dog to focus more on the main meals. Alternating the types of treats would also prevent dependence and poor eating habits.

Encourage Positive Reinforcement

Transitioning to a feeding schedule is different from a walk in the park. It would be best to encourage positive reinforcement for your doggie during this period. Be kind to them as you overcome the challenges. Another practice of positive reinforcement is rewarding good performance for both of you.

Observe and Remain Consistent

A feeding schedule is an ongoing journey. As soon as performance improves, you will need to examine it again to determine where to improve. Consistency is the key, regardless of the changes you adopt. Over time, your dog will develop a healthy habit and become independent even in a different environment.