sorry if this an old question (i did have a quick look at old topics) but i wonder if somebody could advise how long i should leave walking 7 month puppy after he eats. in the morning he has breakfast at 7.30 (ish) and then we go out for a long walk/runaround about an hour later. i've noticed that that as soon as he has eaten his breakfast he goes back and rests in his bed (doesn't sleep - i think he is gulping his food too quickly and needs to get comfy). would i be better off feeding him after his run or do you think an hour's gap is ok ?. i've kept it this way since we got him as it helped with house training as he always does his business after eating). ps - i have to leave shortly so if i don't respond to your help and comments it's not because i'm rude !.

Hi Eddy,
I don't exercise mine until an hour after they've eaten either. If I try exercising striaght after a meal I get a terrible stitch and feel quite ill, so I imagine it's the same with dogs, too. I was also told to leave at least an hour after exercising before feeding them, as well, because of the risk of bloat. Hope this helps :)

Its out of habit, but my dog always gets her brekky after her walk, whether the walk is at 9am or 11 am. Then she comes back, we do a quick bit of training and then into her crate for breakfast. She then sleeps hapily for about one hour when she comes out :)

If she gets exercised in the afternoon, I feed her at any time in the morning, but leave at LEAST one hour and preferably more just to ensure she will be OK.

Lindsay

Hi,
I don't know what diet you feed, but if you are feeding a dry complete food I would be careful.
If you are feeding first & then exercising 1 hour later, the dog will be thirsty on its return & probably drink lots. This results in the partly digested food swelling up inside the stomach which can lead to bloat or torsion - commonly fatal in large, deep-chested breeds.
I exercise my dogs first & then feed after while cleaning the kennels out so that they can relax quietly after their meal. They are then exercised again at tea time before their evening meal.
If I have a lie in (usually on Sundays) they have learnt to wait a bit longer for their breakfast. They rarely wake me up barking before I am ready!!
You may like to consider this as your dog gets older and more prone to bloat.
Regards,
Tiggy

We always, always, leave an hour after exercise before feeding, , nor do we exercise until at least an hour after feeding. This is to avoid bloat.
Of course, a puppy will need to go out in the garden before this - I don't count that.

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

thanks everybody. yes, he is on a dry complete feed and he does drink quite a bit when we get back from his morning run. he is a border terrier and really gulps his food so i think i'll change his routine a bit and feed him at different times to suit his exercise.