I've been reading a lot of conflicting things lately and wondered what you guys would advise. I have golden retrievers that I feed once a day but lately there seems to be lots of advice saying feed twice a day. What go you guys do? By the way mine are adult dogs.

I've always fed twice a day, morning and evening, and I have Goldies, Dobes and a Sussex Spaniel. I don't like the idea of feeding one huge meal, so would rather feed a couple of smaller feeds. If for some reason they don't have an evening meal I can almost guarantee they will bring up bile early morning. They also get a bed-time snack.

I feed my adult dogs twice a day ... 1/4 of daily feed in morning and rest at evening meal. I've always done this. As a keen mountain goer I started with my first dog years ago. I needed fuelling for a long day on the hills and she did too! I've always kept to this. Dogs doing a lot of energetic, long duration work (we did long mountain trips :-) ) do suffer from blood sugar drops which can lead to collapse. Hence my sticking with this routine, if we have a long day of work ahead of us, they've got fuel inside them, if we don't it doesn't matter and they're still happy to have some food first thing :-D

My 6 year girl easily puts on weight, her mum did and her granny did too so I'm working with genetics here as well. I believe by feeding something in the morning cuts down on her searching for food.  I also just find it convenient, I'm having breakfast so whilst I'm doing so they might as well have some too.

Oh yes, mine get a bed time snack too!  "Biscuits and bed"! Oh and if a day on the hills, they get "biscuits for lunch" as well!

I would always feed twice a day too; it helps avoid bloat as well as giving the dogs twice as much pleasure from their food!

I've always fed twice a day - I wouldn't like to go without food for 24 hours and I'm sure my dogs wouldn't either. Some people also believe in fasting/starving a dog one day a week, but my dogs are modern pets, not wolves or wild dogs, they don't sleep after a kill, they need to be ready for a day's activity, so get their food split into two to avoid bloat (but obviously don't get fed right before activity!)

As someone else said, we often take our dogs up mountains for 6 hours, I wouldn't expect them to do that on an empty stomach - I know I couldn't! And yes, we always have lunchtime biscuits in our rucksacks too :-)

Mine are always ready for their meals, and I'll never change to once a day.

The breeder I got my first dog from advised once a day so that's what I've done but I'm not happy with it hence my question. My dogs do have a couple of biscuits in the morning but not a 'proper' meal, at least up until now. I shall swap them onto morning and evening feeds.

Love this forum, always a quick sensible reply with lots of good advice!

Another vote for twice a day here - but mine get equal amounts morning and evening

I also have Goldens and feed twice a day, they have a pack of nature harvest between the 2 of them with just a handfull of kibble for breakfast.
Then they have a scoop of kibble each at night (weighed by eye) with 1/4 of nature harvest.

Yes, I'm another twice a day feeder.  Equal amounts for each meal unless I have an activity planned that necessitates altered amounts, if the dogs will be  out and busy all day I might boost their breakfast and take some lunch too!

Mine are raw fed but any bones are given after our main walk or early evening to allow plenty of time for digestion, if I do feed kibble I prefer them to have it for their evening meal as it makes them a bit dozy :)

Yes twice a day for me as well, think it is a left over from the days I owned GSD and was worried about bloat, I think it is best though for any dog the only problem being it restricts the time available for exercise because to be on the safe side you should not exercise for an hour before food nor for an hour after.

We have a large breed and its twice a day for us unless its a puppy, biscuits/ mixer in the morning and wet feed with mixer in the evening again like the others its to avoid bloat or twisted gut.

I feed my Golden Retriever twice a day as well - equal amounts for each meal.

twice a day here as well - always have done

Feed mine twice as GDV is common in my breed

Another twice-a-dayer here. :)

If you've always fed once a day with no problems you don't have to feel you should change, however with a larger breed like yours it certainly wouldn't hurt to do so if you can fit it in. I have a toy breed and only feed once a day and they seem fine on it.

Twice a day in our household as well. First meal is usually about 10am as we always go for our first walk at about 8.00 am. Then supper is 7pm after OH and I have had our meal. They too then get a bonio for bedtime, they always drift into the lounge at about 10.45pm one by one hoping for an early bedtime...and a bonio....
Weekends are different and they get 1st meal early, whoever is first up feeds them and makes a cuppa then sneaks back to bed.... gives us a chance to have a lie-in till 9am. They know the routine so well :-D
Aileen

I have always fed once a day and never had any problems. However my research was caused because my 1 yr old Barney doesn't eat as much as I feel he should and I wondered about splitting meals. Both yesterday and today they have had breakfast and last night Barney also ate all his supper. Early days I know but I feel this is the right thing for him.

Twice a day here too, always have done from Golden Retrievers thirty odd years ago to present day.  My lot would have a revolt if the food didn't appear twice each day.

> I have a toy breed and only feed once a day and they seem fine on it. <IMG class=qButton title="Quote selected text" alt="Quote selected text" src="/images/mi_quote.gif" width=20 height=10>

Can I just point out, for the benefit of any novices reading the posts - some toy breeds could be affected by hypoglycemia if fed once a day.

Just saying that it's very important to know your breed.

Thanks Jean. My large toy breed doesn't seem to mind it, apart from the odd loud rumbling tummy, when I usually give a Bonio just to make sure they are ok. :-)