how often should you feed a 18 month old choc lab?

Question

im just wondering if you should keep the food bowl full at all times or how that works

Answer 1

i have a 2.5 yr old yellow lab/chow mix. i have fed him twice a day his entire life. in the morning and at night. as he has gotten older i have had give him time to move around before feeding him in the morning but he still eats twice a day. from what i've read though never leave the food out all day. they need to learn to eat their food when they get it. give him a set amount of time to eat every time and if he doesnt finish take it away, he will figure it out

Answer 2

There's only one way to keep your dog in the yard if you can't afford a fence for now and don't like chains. The old fashion way is to have your dog on a walking leash and walk him around the yard perimeter every day. When he tries to cross over the line give a small tug on the leash and say no. Keep your commands always simple in the house and outside. Make sure that everyone always gives the same commands as you do. It's like teaching a two year old a foreign language. It will take alot of patience but well worth it. Never hit an animal. Instead while teaching show joy or a sad disapointment! It really works! I've got two brother labs and all they want to do is please their master. Go to the library and get a book called,"The Dog Whisperer". Its the gentle full proof way of training. In-the-mean-time you could get a plastic snow fence for him to run. You will have to stay out side with him so he doesn't go underneath it.

Answer 3

I have a Golden Retriever (he's 4 now) when he was 18 months we fed him twice a day, a scoop of dry in the morning and a scoop and a half with a can of wet dog food.
Make sure he gets lots of exercise!
Good Luck!

btw, as you can see from the other answers, many dog owners all feed their dogs differently, this is because the life style of the dogs are all different, some dogs get tons of exercise while others don't run as much, some puppies are already overweight and the doctors have told the owners to feed them less, some need to gain weight therefore they're fed more.
It all depends on the dog and also the type of dog food you feed him/ her.
(and Ballz is also right, never give chocolate to a dog! Also grapes and rasins can cause severe damage to your dog's health as can some types of flowers/ plants)

Answer 4

check his weight every few months, then if you are feeding dry food, go to the scale on the side of the bag, this will have the dailly allowance for his weight in grams. If you want to feed him once a day fine or divide his daily allowance into 2 feeds, large breeds should be fed at least twice a day and never before a walk or play time, this can cause a bloated stomach which is fatal.

Answer 5

Noooooo don't leave food bowl full! Dogs, especially labs, might eat themselves to death. And obesity in dogs is preventable form of abuse.

Feed 1-2 cups twice a day of good quality kibble, depending on his size and activity.

My 56 pound 2 year old lab eats 1.5 cups twice a day, and is very active.

Answer 6

Over the years because I travel a lot with the dogs, I have found that it works best to only feed once a day and at a set time. It also works best to always allow the dogs a set amount of time to eat (10 minutes) and then pick up their dish whether they have finished or not. Otherwise dogs tend to develop a habit of fiddling around every time you need to hurry.

Answer 7

All dogs are different, if he gains weight, perhaps feed him twice a day, small meals, or if he stays stable weight, once a day, or if he needs to gain weight two large bowls a day.
It depends on the dog itself, only you can determine that but feel free to play around to find the ideal amount and time or times. Another thing to bear in mind is the amount of exersize he gets and when he gets it.
Some of my dogs got fed once a day, some twice a day and some twice a day with dry chunks on hand all day.

Answer 8

My vet told me to feed my lab twice a day because labs will eat until they're sick. Feeding twice a day assures that the dog is eating w/o gorging all day. Also creates a routine and labs love that.

Answer 9

It depends. Some dogs are able to have food out all day and be able to regulate their body on their own. My dog would NOT be able to have food out all day because she would continuously eat, and get very over wieght. Most labs are like my dog, and they wouldn't be able to eat this way. If your dog is like mine, it is best to feed meals. You can ask your vet how many calories your dog needs in a day, and figure out how many cups of food a day he needs. And different brands of food contain a different amount of calories/cup. Once you figure that out, it is best to divide that into 2-3 meals a day. I don't think it is fair to feed a dog only one meal a day because they get hungry, just as a person would. So I feed my dog three times a day. Based on HER calorie needs she gets 1 cup at each meal.

Answer 10

3 times a day