Why You Shouldn’t Free-Feed Your Dog

As a person, you are presumably in charge of the pace of your own eating—opening the cabinet or fridge at your leisure and making yourself a meal whenever the mood strikes. Dogs, though, need structure when it comes to when and how much they eat. Here’s why it’s a bad idea to leave food sitting out in a bowl for your dog to consume as they see fit.

Dogs often don’t know when to say when

Dogs sometimes show poor judgment about what they should and shouldn’t eat, as anyone whose pup has ever raided the trash can attest. And many dogs also aren’t great at knowing how much to eat.

One recent study found that around a quarter of Labrador retrievers have a gene mutation that makes them feel hungry all the time. While your dog may not have this particular problem, our four-legged friends don’t have a reputation for portion discipline.

This is a problem, because obesity is a major health threat to America’s pet dogs—around six in ten are overweight or obese, and obesity is linked to a whole raft of health problems including arthritis, chronic kidney disease, bladder/urinary-tract disease, liver disease, low thyroid-hormone production, diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure, and cancer. 

Feeding your dog precise portions on a regular schedule can help you keep them in a healthy body condition, and research has shown that lean dogs can live up to 2.5 years longer than those who are overweight.

A pre-portioned plan from The Farmer’s Dog can make it easier to feed your dog exactly the right amount every day.

No matter their age, dogs benefit from a feeding schedule

Growing puppies need the right kind of nutrition—a complete and balanced food made for their needs—and the right amount of it. From about six weeks to six months, it’s recommended that puppies be fed three to four times per day. From then on, you can switch them to a  feeding schedule that works for you and them. People commonly choose once or twice per day, but other schedules are fine as long as you can stick to them consistently. If your dog is active, or is always clamoring for food between meals, you can consider switching back to feeding their allotted food in 3 or 4 smaller daily meals. Dogs with certain medical conditions may require different meal frequencies; talk to your vet if you have any questions or concerns on this front.

Fresh is best

Because The Farmer’s Dog is made from whole, gently cooked meat and vegetables, and made without preservatives, you need to treat it like the food you eat. 

This means that, if your dog isn’t eating their food and it has been out of the fridge for 2 hours (1 hour in a room that’s above 90°F), we recommend following USDA guidelines and tossing it out to be as safe as possible—the same way you would with fresh food for yourself and your human family members. Don’t put the food back in the refrigerator—once it’s been out that long, re-cooling won’t make it safe again.

Plus, if you leave food out, your dog isn’t the only one who’ll have the chance to eat it. Other pets might try to take some, and you may attract mice or other unwelcome diners.

If your dog is a picky eater, you can try offering them the food twice, allowing them 30 minutes each time to eat it. You can put the food back in the fridge after the first half hour—but if there’s any left after the second attempt, throw it out.

Changes in feeding behavior matter

Another reason to feed your dog consistent amounts at designated feeding times is that doing so makes it easier to notice changes in their behavior.

Rae Sires, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition), one of the on-staff Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionists® at The Farmer’s Dog, says that “When you free-choice feed, you might not notice subtle changes in feeding behavior or consumption that could clue you in that your pet needs a vet visit.” This can be true for any dog, but it’s even harder to keep track in a multi-pet household.

Sometimes, changes in appetite or feeding behavior can be early signs of illnesses that are much easier to treat if you notice them sooner.

The bottom line is that there are many drawbacks to free-feeding a dog, and many benefits to feeding them a set amount at set times. However, every dog has different needs—so if you have specific questions about what feeding schedule is right for your own dog, don’t hesitate to talk it over with their veterinarian.

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