Well, I have a chihuahua 3-4 lbs and I leave a small bowl full of food in the morning. By lunch time the dog bowl still has a lot of food in it and I put a snack in his snack bowl (snausages cut up in little pieces and and sprinkle a tiny bit of water over them or else I get a half of a rawhide stick and mix it around in his water bowl until it gets soft (that's the only way he'll eat it). The problem is I don't know how much food and treats to give him and when. How many snacks a day should I limit him too?
2006-10-05 06:05:12 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
You can leave free will food for him about a cup a day. He will eat when he is hungry. Do not give him treats with his food or he will not eat his food and you will just end up with a fat dog. Give him treats occasionally and as for rawhide, they do not digest well if you want to give him anything such as that give him a small piece of pig ear and just let him chew on that do not moisten it in water. I have had dogs all my life and they do fine with this type of schedule. Give him a snack once or twice a week.
2006-10-05 06:13:23 · answer #1 · answered by miamac49616 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Someone on here suggested a 1/2 cup of food per day. I'd give him that amount, if you're free feeding, in a bowl in the morning. I'd only give him a snack or two per day, though. If you'd like to cure a picky eater, put him on a feeding schedule. Feed him 1/4 cup of food in the morning, if he doesn't eat within 20 minutes, take it up and don't offer it to him again until dinner time (in the evening) He will quickly learn that if he is hungry, he needs to eat when he's been given the food, and not when it suits his schedule. I train all of my dogs this way, it's easier to predict when they'll need to go out and do their business. After all, input equals output.
2006-10-05 06:25:06 · answer #2 · answered by little_beth85 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This does not go for a dog 1 yr or less. These babies need all the calories they can get!
I don't give treats...if your dog has run of the house, just leave the dry food down all day (I'd recommend taking it up at night though and put fresh down the next morning (or refrig the leftovers and serve them again..your call)...you may have unwanted creepy crawlies during the night). I only give treats when training...the dog has to earn it!
I agree with: your pup will start to refuse his food for treats...he will not starve if there is food down for him...he'll eat when he gets hungry enough. Because he is so small, leave about 1/4-1/2 cup of food down and no treats (make sure the food is small enough for him to eat). It may take him a few days of no treats and dry dog food to start eating again, so don't give in to him...be strong! The rawhide is a toy, not a treat, so let him have those. He may suprise you and chew on it without it being soaked...the whole point to a rawhide, is that they have to work at it...gives them something to do. You could just soak the tip to start out with, then leave a few unsoaked laying around.
Hope this is not too confusing, Good luck!
2006-10-05 06:31:03 · answer #3 · answered by Suzie Q 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most dog food bags have proportions on the back of the bag. For instance, my 5 pound puppy (11 weeks) gets a cup of food a day. I break that up into about 3 feeding. I only give her a SMALL puppy treat (Eukanuba bisquits) when she has gone outside and pottied. My 2 year old dog went from 1cup of food a day to 3/4 of a cup (as per the bag and vet instructions) when he turned one and went onto adult food.
I don't leave food out during the day for multiple reasons. 1) if I did, she'd poop in her cage and I have to clean it. 2) it would be accessible to the cat and my older dog (they're bad about eating each other's food). 3) I have her on a schedule so I know when she'll need to go outside. I feed her 1/4 of food in the morning while I'm getting ready for work. She goes out for atleast 15 minutes when my husband wakes up and he's getting ready for work (I leave at 7 and he leaves at 7:30). When he gets home, she goes out. I'm usually home within 20 minutes of my husband and I feed her about a 1/3 of a cup of food. This is about 5ish. Around 8, she gets her last 1/4c of food. She then goes outside.
Good luck!
2006-10-05 06:19:30 · answer #4 · answered by Phoenixsong 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a four pound dog weighs 64 ounces. multiply by 2.5 %. your dog should get 1.6 ounces of food/day. i'm guessing that's about half a cup. you don't say if the dog ever eats all the food in its bowl. if not, stop giving him treats. when he gets hungry, he'll eat the food, which is nutritionally balanced.
you shouldn't give him more than three snacks a day. one snausage = one treat. half a rawhide stick = one treat. add a size appropriate milk bone or other crunchy treat to help with dental hygiene. if you're gonna give extra snacks...give the milk bone.
as for timing, i give a treat after the morning walk and evening walk. the third varies, or is missed. if you eat your meals at home, you could give treats after you're done. this way the dog gets a snack and won't beg. (unsolicited advice: never feed your dog from the table.)
adjust as appropriate once you see what happens.
2006-10-05 06:33:15 · answer #5 · answered by knowitall 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ok your gonna have to get tough and stop feeding tip bits. yoour dog has decided he likes them better and i assume hes getting human food. Pick a type of food for your dog with correct nutrients. pick a set time for feeding either once or twice a day. make your dog aware when its feeding time and if he doesnt eat, take the food away dont try to enourage him to eat b adding meat or water, if its a dry mix just leave it dry. He'l soon get the idea hes not getting any other food and make sure no-one else feeds him either cause it'l end up like kids playing parents against each other. Dont worry if he doesnt eat for a day as long as he's drinking normally.
2016-03-18 05:11:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give him a 1/2 of cup of food in the morning and evening. If he doesn't eat all his food from the morning don't give him more. As for the treats, you should only give him 1 at a designated time like around 7pm or 8pm at night. And leave him out a raw hide bone all day. It's good for their teeth, it keeps them from getting tarter build up.
2006-10-05 06:18:00 · answer #7 · answered by emusawby1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my dog a jack russell only gets a snack after doing #2.
and a dog as small as yours should eat that much anyway ... mine weighs 11 lbs and she eats 1 cup of food all day
2006-10-05 06:13:44 · answer #8 · answered by D.C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
8 am and 8 pm snacks for good behavior or potty-training.
2006-10-05 06:18:19 · answer #9 · answered by nguler_rn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋