Hi guys
In the next month I need to drop Jake's feeds from 3 - 2. He had no problems when i dropped the 4th one but he's now so set in a routine that I worry that he will really miss it this time. At the mo he gets fed at 7.30, 11.30 and 4.30. I am presuming that I drop the lunchtime one and keep the others the same (am I right or this is yet another stupidity!!)

I read somewhere that it takes 16 hours for food to pass through a dog. Is this right does anyone know because, I know it sounds ridiculous but I will revise times if needed around this as I certainly don't want poos overnight in the kitchen again. At the moment he seems to poo about 6/7 times a day which I think may be excessive when he only gets feed 3 times and no feeding from our table etc! But he does tend to eat everything whilst out in the garden and if I try and stop him he does it more !!The food that he's on suits him a lot more (stomach wise) than any of the others that we had and certainly better than the one that the breeder gave us which started going straight through him after 2 weeks of being here.

Also, should I be feeding him from a raised feeding bowl (Dobermann) and does anyone know of a way I can get him to actually chew his food as opposed to just scoff it. On the few occasions he chucks it up, it's not even been chewed !!

Thanks
Beth

Can't remember or did not know how old Jake is, but I would make the change over about a week giving more at the morning feed and the late feed and reduce the lunch feed as you go until there is nothing left to give at 11.30. You may find that when you give more in the morning he will not be so interested in the 11.30 feed anyway or he may be the sort who will take food whenever offered.
Don't worry dogs don't chew like we do and most dogs will regurgitate food and re-eat, nasty but it is the way of dogs. It would not hurt to raise his food but as to if it is neccessary 'over to the Dobbie people' Jackie H

Thanks Jackie
Am doing as you suggest and all of a sudden he has taken to going to sleep just before he would get his lunch anyway so I take it that's he already got the gist of this plan :)

By the way, he is 5 1/2 months although it feels like I've had him for 20 years :D

Thanks for your help
Beth

I was lucky with my boys in that they were the ones who decided when they wanted to reduce their feeds - I didn't have to follow a pattern etc. I found they simply wanted a little more at breakfast and followed their lead. I also have never been tied to a routine with feeding them. They get their breakfast in the morning and their evening meal sometime in the evening but never to a strict routine. Keeps 'em guessing;)

Pam n the boys

Hmmmmmmmmm maybe keeping him guessing would be an answer to many of his "quirks" - he seems to have got my number so to speak ! :)
Thanks for your help
Beth