Since fostering and then adopting Henry, I have always fed Jasper and Henry in seperate rooms.  I did this at the beginning as I didn't want any confrontation - not sure if this was a wise decision or not but it worked in that the dogs are best friends, do everything together except eat.   I always seperate them when they have bones but they do have treats together.

I want to start feeding them in the same room for convenience rather than anything else, and I was wondering if this was wise? 

Jasper is a greedy boy and consumes his food very quickly in fact he gobbles it up - Henry on the other hand takes his time and I wondered if Jasper finished first would he try to steal Henry's food, if he did do I stop him and are they likely to fight about it - if so do I intervene or leave them to it?
Maria :)

I feed all mine together and can even feed them in a row now as they have learnt that it is a strict no no to go near another's food dish.

With pups I start with standing near them to ensure they do not go to another's dish or no-one goes near theirs, if I have a visiting dog I do the same with them.  Either because they realise no-one will take their food or because they are just mellow about it, I have never had food guarding problems.  If anyone did growl over their bowl because they didn't feel like eating their grub then it got taken up.

I would start with putting their dishes in opposite corners of the room so they have their backs to each other and stand in the middle, if anyone looks in the others direction a sharp ah ah to show it isn't on should be enough.  If one finishes before the other then that one should be put out of the room so the other doesn't feel that his food is at risk.

I feed raw and with their bone meal mine are split up into 2 groups, 3 in one room (the gundogs) and the 2 Dobes in another room, although I think they'd be OK together, but it has just worked out this way and as there aren't any problems I've kept on with it. For their meat meal, the speedy eaters (the 2 Dobes and 2 Goldies) are in one room, each in fairly close proximity, and the slow-coach Sussex Spaniel is fed alone - if she is with them she won't eat. You may find Henry will speed up if he has Jasper there. I think I'd closely supervise, maybe starting by feeding at opposite sides of the room, and not let Jasper interfere with Henry. Play it by ear.

Karen

As you guys know we are getting a puppy(its now in November), should you do the same thing with a new puppy aged 10 weeks and a one year and a half dog?
Our girl is a slow eater sometimes leaving her food and coming back to it later which we really dont mind as its her food! Should I feed at opposites end of the room as well? As puppies are very greedy arent they!

And i think the advice you guys have given is great!

>Our girl is a slow eater sometimes leaving her food and coming back to it later which we really dont mind as its her food!

Our dog used to do this when he was the only dog in the household.  The addition some competition meant that he learned very quickly to clear his bowl fast! 

I feed separately as my bitch resource guards around food.  There has never been an issue about people being around her when she is eating but she will have a go at the other dog if he gets too close.  He has learned to keep his distance until she is finished but to avoid any problems, they are always fed in separate rooms.  Likewise, they are separated when they get recreational bones.

Well hopefully the pup will make your girl eat up her food.  I would start now giving her 15 minutes to eat it and then take it up until next meal time, you will be amazed how quickly she will get the idea that she is to eat it in one sitting. :D

recently she has been eating it on one gulp it would seem! :)
We did do that when she were a puppy and now she may run over for it or wait a few moments and then go over, on her terms I suppose!!
I will feed them in seperate rooms i think, one either side of the kitchen so i can watch both, but Mitz has never been prtective over anything with anyone apart from her ball on walks with other dogs! :rolleyes:

Just feed them together and stand with them to refereee, they will soon learn the rules and will make life easier.

Also as pup will be getting four meals a day at first it is nice to give the other dogs something a few pieces out of it's daily ration, or split ehr meals into same as pups, then she won't feel she is missign out when pup is fed.  Just make sure you don't increase teh amount she gets lol :D

good point!
She wouldnt say no to more food i can tell you!

Thanks for that Brainless, strange forum name since you know so much!! :) lol!

I'd say it depends on the dogs and how likely they are to fall out over food. Don't do it if there is any chance they may argue. I feed my 7 big ones in the kitchen together, each has its own spot they sit and wait in while the bowls are placed and then all are given the command to eat at once -except the pup who still is allowed to eat first. :) It does take a bit of watching because some dogs (the two youngest) will finish as quickly as they can and try to steal from others, but they quickly learn who they can or can't steal from. Nobody steals from the top dogs (the two oldest), they just give one growl and a lifted lip and that's it, they're left alone -the more submissive ones are more likely to back off and give up their food so that's where we have to watch them so nobody goes without their ration.  We do the same with the little dogs but in a different room.

As you say, it's not always as obvious as arguing.  My old Terrier would always feel intimidated when eating in the presence of my rather bossy Spaniel.  She never did anything or made a move towards her but as soon as the Terrier was aware the Spaniel had finished hers she would just step away and no amount of encouragement would have her carry on so, as a much slower eater, we would always arrange them back to back in opposite ends of the room which was usually enough to ensure the Terrier felt comfortable.  I think, no matter how well things seem to be going, I would never leave two dogs alone together when eating anyway.

Oh I would definitely never leave anyone ALONE whilst eating. In my house we wouldn't have the chance anyway as they all finish in about ten seconds flat. :) But yes, valid point indeed.

Ditto, or maybe 30 seconds.

>as they all finish in about ten seconds flat.

:(

Why the sad face, Ktee? Mine are all fed separately (different rooms), but one of mine has finished almost as soon as her bowl hits the floor. Not sure what I could do alter that really, it's just the way she is.

M.

Just an addition ... and a note that I'm NOT being confrontational here, just don't really understand why this is an issue. Will be interested in any suggestions on the following basis.

Is the query that we should be feeding something raw that the dog can take time to enjoy? I don't feed raw, and have to say that even if I were considering it, this is the last dog that I would try it with. She would swallow everything whole, never takes time to chew anything or even wait long enough to work out what it is she's eating - she'd worry me to death.

M.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: !!!

My two finish in 10 seconds too - bowls about 12 inches apart :D I put the bowls down, turn my back to get their yoghurt out of the fridge and they have finished by the time that I am spooning it into their bowls :D I'd leave them alone happily, but they would be finished before I left the room :D :D :D Obviously I will monitor them as Bramble may get slower as he gets older and then I would treat things more carefully :)

Daisy

Mine enjoy their food far too much to leave it in the bowl any longer than necessary. If it's still there in 30 seconds I know I've got a poorly dog on my hands!

Yep :D :D :D

Daisy

Same here, it would always be the first sign of anything being wrong.

From day one of getting a pup home our dogs eat together all in a line in the kitchin, only seperated when a girl is in season!  Never had any problems with the dogs but we do  have to stand and watch as the faster eaters will go and pinch given half a chance (plus those who are faster eaters get half as much as the slower eater!)

me too, i def feed all together all in a row, its part of being a group, they soon learn manners etc. & im there too!

Yep, mine too :)

Ktee - my dogs eat their food in record time too, it's the sign of a happy, healthy dog. They still get raw bones, pigs ears, rawhide chews etc but their two meals a day are wolfed down :)

I find this very helpful when they are all together at a show, it means I can give them food or treats in very close proximity, such as together in a large crate or when tethered, or in the car with no worries.  Even the bitch that I bred who lives in a large pack where the dogs are separated over feeding and the bigger dogs would try and steal her food so she does guard it a bit, she doesn't so so when she comes here much to her owners amazement.  They know that I will not allow any of them to steal from or intimidate another over food.

Why don't you do a poll in the poll section to see who does what. I would be also interested in the results of what percentage feed together or seperately. :-)

I feed my two at opposite ends of the kitchen. They each regularly leave a little in their bowls for the other one to finish off :)  The food is exactly the same so presumably it's just their way of being nice to each other :-D

Thanks for all your replies, I think I'll start feeding them at each end of the kitchen with me in the middle from today - wish me luck!

It's odd that Jasper is so greedy and eats extremely quickly, he wolfs his food down almost as if someone is going to steal it!  Did someone mention 30 seconds?  And he's not the rescue!  He's been like this from day one!  He was one of the largest in the litter too, so I don't think he had to fight too hard for his share in the pack!  Oh yes and I feed raw, so even raw fed dogs can be greedy guzzlers

Don't worry, scoffing down as much as possible in as short a time as possible is normal dog behaviour. :)

I feed together and stand in the room. My dog takes his time and likes to walk away, then go back and finish. My bitch puppy vacuums her food in under 30 seconds whether it's raw or kibble. I started out between them as the puppy always wanted to go steal the big dog's dinner but can leave the room briefly with now with no problems. I make sure I'm there when the puppy is finishing though.

i once read that if your dog has not finished his food in about 15 min pick it up as it learns your dog to be fussy,
also i would try feeding them together see how it goes, my dog and bitch eat together and at first the bitch kept going over to the dogs bowl but she soon learnt she was not allowed to, it also helped our dog eat his food straight away, he went through a stage off not wanting it.

Mine get fed in a row. They have a box each as I have always fed them at chest height (Big girls my Bernese) and they stand to attention by their own box's waiting and producing huge drool puddles ( why is it so slippery??) while I make their meals. Then they wolf it down in about 30 seconds. I have had my friends JRT for two weeks while she (said friend) has been on hols and she gets hers in the same room. She has always been a slow eater and at home will often leave a bit and graze it through the day but in my house she eats the lot in no time...a bit of huge competition does the trick . My girls will not steal from her but Merlot knows she can move in on her Mothers dish and Mum just steps back and lets her (if she has any left) so I always supervise meal times. As with other posters I feel a left meal is the first sign of something not right, unless we have a pregnancy or a season that will make them a bit fussy at times. My girls will eat and enjoy lots of cooked veg in their meals but Floydie the JRT thinks I am poisoning her if I put anything different in her bowl. Pigs ears and treats are never pinched from one another, they will sit in a close row and chew them up with no problems, bones too cause no problems, I think I am lucky they are not at all confrontational about things.

well my dog did seem to go off his food when he was about a year were he would not seem to eat it we tryed something different and this did not help, he did not start eating properly again untill we got the puppy, i did read in someones post earlier tho that his springers used to do that too.

Don't worry, scoffing down as much as possible in as short a time as possible is normal dog behaviour. 

I've always told my youngest cocker that it isn't normal to take 20 mins to eat a small bowl of biscuit.  He finds it essential to eat each kibble a bit at a time and then check where I am before moving onto the next bit.  I'd die of boredom if I had to stand and watch that every day!

He also lies down to eat!  The other two are fed outside and I leave them to get on with it.

my dog sometimes lie down to eat aswell, it was so funny when we first got out puppy she used to sit in the bowl to eat her food,

I feed both my dogs in the same room (and Duibh is a food guarder) but on opposite sides. Duibh sucks his food up like a Dyson, Dorain takes his time and stops regularly to look at me (for some reason) so always finishes last. I stand between to 'referee' (tho it's never necessary). If they have anything raw (which causes Duibh to get parTICularly excited) I split them with a stairgate. It works well. :)