I've always had a quandary about sticking to specific times for feeding and walking.  I'm having a bit of trouble over feeding times now and would like advice/thoughts.

I've lived as the only adult [or dog/kid/adult carer even when not single] for most of my life [quite a long one - middle aged I think is the term]  so have been aware of varying my walking routine for my own safety, that is to avoid burglary/personal attacks.  Also I've done this so that if there's a reason I can't keep to a specific routine the dog/s won't fret too much.  I have 2 older teenage sons; one of whom is at Uni now so running them around their various and varying activities has been challenging, particularly in terms of dog care.  Walking has not been/is not such a problem.
Feeding is now becoming quite a thought provoking exercise.  Heidi,Elkhound, is very food oriented.  She knows what time breakfast and tea are and goes mad for it.  She is often sick - just a bit of bile really -  if I feed her a little late, especially when in season as I have to reduce her food intake quite a lot as I don't walk her for fear of her getting 'caught'.  There's a number of free dogs out and about round here, both with and without owners, so I don't want to take the chance.  Hope that mekes sense.
Anyway,  I wondered what others do re feeding.  Do you stick to a fairly strict regime?  Does it matter if you walk your dog/s within an hour, either side,of feeding them?  I heard this was really bad for them and could cause bloat and I think Elkhounds are prone to this.  How many times a day do you feed? I feed twice as I think it helps my hungry girl and my fussy eater by splitting the meals.  What time of day do you feed and why?
Thanks for any replies.

my dogs get fed at 8:00 and 20:00, but i walk them when ever i have time in the day, they enjoy the walks more then.

Walks for me vary as long as its 2 hours before or after feeding its fine. However feeding for me needs to be on time, 3 of mine are fine if its 2 little late but one of them gets windy ie, burps a lot and gets anxious, so as my breed are prone to bloat i try to stick to it as much as possible.with regards to bloat altho certain breeds are more prone, any dog can suffer from it.

my breed does burp but thats because it eats like its the first meal it has had in weeks.
i walk my dogs for 1 hour and a half twice aday.

I try to feed the dogs at the same time everyday normally about 7.30 in the evening, but normally I have no set time that I walk them. Last week I took my lurcher out at the same time every morning (about 6.30am), this week I wasn't up for that but boyo seems to have got quite into it, so I've been woken up much earlier than I would like all week. I've decided to go back to no routine for the walking because I hate being woken up at the crack of dawn by his smelly kisses.
I will take my older dog for a walk after her food because she's quite slow but I never take my boy out after his dinner because the farmer down the road told me it's bad for running dogs to exercise after food. After reading the other posts I'm presuming he was talking about bloat? Sorry to be ignorant but what is/causes/ bloat and why is it so bad?

Stamboom - Heidi eats just the same - never been fed before LOL.

Pookin - Bloat is like colic in horses and can be very dangerous - I don't know a great deal about it but believe that deep chested breeds are more susceptible.  I use raised bowls for both water and food as I'e read in a number of places that this can help.  I've just googled bloat and here's one link that gives an overview - I'm not saying it's spot on but it's a start.  http://www.denrobchows.com/html/bloat.htm

I do like to walk at different times it does help avoid the manic pesterrig and for fun too - hence my question re feeding.  I like to let my dogs off lead as much as possile and when I want an evening walk, especially as the darkness is getting earlier, an after dinner walk, with dogs off lead, is making me think a bit about this whole question.

Wow! Glad I read that, now I know what the farmer meant when he said hard running after food would twist his guts , I've been toying with the idea of getting a stand for his food and water for a while because he does have to bend a lot to get at his dinner, definitely getting one now. Tempted to split his food into two meals a day now as well but then I'll have to be more careful about his off lead running...

>I've been toying with the idea of getting a stand for his food and water for a while because he does have to bend a lot to get at his dinner, definitely getting one now.

there are arguments for and against raised feeding, personally I feed raised because it is more comfortable for the dogs - one of mine still got bloat, thankfully he was operated on and he is ok.  some say when feeding raised they take in more air and are more likely to bloat.  I still feed raised, I dont think it was a contributing factor, and I dont have a greedy dog, and I didnt feed him before/after exercise, it was just one of those things.

I do feed two meals a day though, I feel it is better for the dogs to have smaller meals than overloading them with one large one.

don't really stick to a time for feeding but it is only once per day for both of my dogs, regards the walks, they get walked twice a day most days i would say, first thing in the morning is the routine one, then if i have time i take them out for a quick half hour in the middle of the day before i get the kids from school or whatever and then later on in the evening etc they get a run on the field by myself or hubby depending on his work shift before we all relax for the night etc

> Heidi,Elkhound, is very food oriented.  She knows what time breakfast and tea are and goes mad for it.

That made me laugh ;)

My Jozi will start 'harping' that her stomach thinks it's throat has been cut up to an hour before the usual tea time which seems to have become 5pm, seems her father was just the same.

It always used to be the earliest that I would feed, but could be any time up to bed time.  Mine are all Elkhounds but she is the first and only one that will try to remind me that it is teatime, and I realize that she has now trained me to 5pm!

I often do make her wait, even resorting to feeding the others but making her wait that extra five minutes during which she must be quiet or no dinner.  Only started this recently and she is getting better.

Re the bile, my Tula used to do that.  I did find that Denes Herbal tablets stopped it, and then when I started using Autarky with her instead (it has lots of herbs) it stopped altogether, and I still only fed once a day.

i have no set routine for exercise but generally i go out around late morning for a good walk if i have time and i only go out again if they don't get chance to play in the garden because of the weather but i only usually do one walk a day for each dog. their walks work round me and my family but i always take them out for a run if their going to be left for any length of time.
some times i do extra walks even if their not bothered just because i need some fresh air but my dogs are easy to please what ever happens.
in the summer holidays i can't take them out usually till my husband finishes work as i have a disabled daughter and my dogs don't pester to go out, think their just used to fitting in with us and they know at some point i will take them out.
Food time isn't a set time either but they have their breakfast between 8am and 9am then their second meal is any time between 2pm and 4pm depending if i gone out or i want to feed them before i go out. 

> Anyway,  I wondered what others do re feeding.  Do you stick to a fairly strict regime?  Does it matter if you walk your dog/s within an hour, either side,of feeding them?

I feed Buster twice a day, walk him once a day at the moment and that is never within 1 hour, either side, of eating.
The first meal of the day is anytime between 10:30am & 12:30pm (he was on 2 walks a day, the first walk at between 9am-10am, hence the late first meal time, he will be back on 2 walks soon), the second meal of the day is anytime between 8:30pm & 10:30 pm. His walk is anytime between 4pm & 9pm, but will be earlier during the winter as I don't like walking in the dark.
I feed 2 meals a day due to the risk of bloat and also the dog loves his food so he gets to be fantastically happy (at the sight of a bowl of food) twice each day!!

To combat morning vomiting from hunger, Buster gets a couple of biscuits (2 smalll dog biscuits) as soon as I'm up in the morning, that's enough to keep him ticking over untill I feed him.

I'm not strict with feeding times as I don't like the dog to be getting restless at specific times of the day becuase he know it's meal times, wich means I am not tied to the house for the dogs mealtimes - he can be left peacefully without feeling neglected &  starved, LOL,  if I need to nip to the shop.
I vary the walk times, again to stop the dog getting restless at specific times in anticipation of a walk and also to encounter different people/dogs/traffic volumes when out.

Mine get fed at the same time each day but their walk can vary though they like to tell me when its time to go out with collecting there leads and looking at my jacket

My dogs food is left down all the time and he gets walked as and when. Thankfully (or maybe because of this) he is quite a chilled dog and doesnt demand anything so the arrangement works for us

Mine are fed twice a day, sometime between 7am and 9am and again at 6pm.  We use raised feeders as they are both breeds prone to bloat. They are walked on lead after breakfast then around midday and at 4pm. They get a run either before or after tea, then a trip to the back garden at bedtime. They are pretty laid back and don't pester for food or walks really, but they do have free access to the garden all day too.

I'm fairly strict with feeding times, but relaxed with walking times (although not too close to meals).

Stitch has breakfast at around 7.30 - 9.00 am and tea at around 5.30pm, plus a very small snack before bed time at around 10.30pm, as he does occasionally vomit bile early in the morning and the small snack (taken from his 'tea' portion) reduces this.

He either has 2 short or 1 longer outing each day, and the time varies depending on whether it's me or OH that takes him (OH works from home so can go out at any time). I then take him for a 'round the block' walk in the evening after our dinner too so he has an extra chance to toilet before bedtime. He does go out into the garden before bedtime, but is so easily distracted by moths, leaves, imaginary friends etc, it's easier to clip a lead on and take him out, otherwise he 'forgets' that he needs the toilet!! :-)

Stitch has trained us quite well with his feeding tmies, not so much with breakfast, but he will 'cupboard hang' from about 4.30 pm onwards, and keep looking between you and the food cupboard with a 'come on I'm STAAARRRRVING' expression :-D

Walking yes really we are up around 6am and start work at 7:30 so the dogs are walked into work, OH walks them about 7:30 at weekends.

They get a dental chewy bar at work and during the day a few dry dog biscuits, tea can be 6pm to 8pm whenever we get home. I dont feed twice a day, we do let them have some milk about twice a week, and thats about it.

No strict routine here but early morning walk weekdays and later on weekends sometimes late afternoon - quick round the block on an evening unless we have training.

Fed twice a day as feel better to have two smaller meals than one large meal.  I also feed raised as just think its more comfortable for them.

Tend to make sure at least an hour each side of exercise.

They are pretty chilled and don't nag me if the walk or meals aren't on time thankfully!

M-F the walk is a short 20min run in the park at about 7am, then breakfast is at about half 8.

Then a longer walk for between 60and 90mins in the eve. This can vary from around 5ish to 8ish depending on the weather and what else we are doing.
Dinner for us is after the evening walk, and then dinner for him is after us.

Depending on if we are out in the afternoon he might gat a Kong or chew to keep him occupied.

My two get a shortish walk (15-20 mins) at about 8am, then a longer walk at 12.30-1.00pm, then a walk at around 4.30-5.00pm which varies in length depending on the weather or who we meet :) Their first meal is always after the first walk and their second meal after the third walk. I would never feed before a walk but have never worried too much about feeding after a walk - they're not big dogs between 18 & 21kg. They also get a lot of other exercise during the day as OH and I are at home and the dogs follow us around all the time and have sundry ball throws if we happen to be in the garden :) The walking/eating routine hasn't changed much over 10 years even when we were both at work except that the early walk was a bit earlier and the later walk a bit later :) :)

Daisy

Wow - thanks so much everyone for your replies - I knew there was a ood reason for me spending so much time reading this site.  sorry I've only just got back - very lazy computer and have to fight over it with my son too!

Having read and thought about what you've all said I think:
I'm happy with feeding twice a day, in a raised bowl for Heidi, my other dog is a smaller X collie and has her bowl on the floor, as she's 12+yrs I think this suits.
I feel better about varying walk times - I usually only walk once day but not regular times + have been taking advantage of light nights and having after dinner walks- hence my question
I've decided to give their evening meal later - was 6.30pm I am moving it to between 7.30 and 8.30pm ish- I think this will give more flexibility and still some stability [avoiding the bile vomit] with maybe a carrot or some such if need be.
Thanks again
Deborah