Why is my dog always so hungry?

Question

I have a 4 year old Golden Retriever.
He is approximately 100 or a couple less pounds, so he is overweight.
I feed him a Purina One Chicken and Rice Formula.
I usually give him 2 cups in the morning around 6amish and then another 2 cups 5pm or 6pm

Why is he always laying around his bowl or sitting next to where the food is?
He does eat very quickly also.
Any suggestions?
Please

Answer 1

100 lbs. is way too high for a dog of this age. Instead of giving him more food you really must try giving him less or you are going to end up with a very obese dog who will have joint and heart problems later in life. An Adult Golden Dog should weigh between 68/70 lbs

Now is the time to get that weight off by cutting down his food and giving him plenty of exercise. At least two 20 minutes walk per day plus running off leash if this is possible.

Start by cutting his daily intake down by one third, that means three cups instead of four initially, then get him gradually down to only 2 cups per day. This is all he needs to keep him fit and healthy.

Always make sure he has plenty of water to drink. Bulk out his daily ration with fresh raw veggies like cabbage or carrots. This will help to fill him up and he will feel less hungry. You only need to add about a handful of veg with each meal.

Goldens are renowned for being very greedy dogs. They would eat all day long if allowed to. You have just got to ignore him when he begs for food - you are not doing him any favours believe me.

If you want him to lead a long and healthy life please start now.

Good luck.

Answer 2

I read once that dogs could eat 23 out of 24 hours of the day, so your dog always being hungry is not strange or unusual.

I find that the better the quality of dog food, the more fuller and healthier my dog is. Also is your "cup" size the same size as the recommended cup size? A cup might sound like a lot, but if it is smaller than the measured size on the packaging, that could be why your dog is hungry.

Also, try giving him some raw chicken wings, or bones to chew on during the day.. they will clean his teeth - not make him any fatter and keep him away from the dinner bowl and occupied for most of the day. It works a treat with my dog.

Answer 3

They are not always hungry; they do not have the brain capacity to distinguish being full or not full. thus humans think they are always hungry. If you feed your dog twice a day everyday at the same time, their bodies will develop a routine and not beg for food as much. Also giving your dog people food is not the best, Exercise like in humans lower your appetite, so walk and play with your dog more often.

Answer 4

Sounds like he really enjoys his food!
Don't give him any more though.
Also stay away from the Rice Formula.
My mixed mutt had a fecal exam and there was a lot of fat in his stool.
My vet suggested to use only plain Purnia with no rice as a filler.
Maybe feed him just once a day, 3 cups and see how that goes.

Answer 5

Try giving him some real food. He probably isn't absorbing all of the vital nutrients he needs from the corn, by-products and wheat gluten in the Purina. Sure he is absorbing the fat content but is lacking everything else. Look for a quality food that has no fillers (ie corn, wheat gluten, soybean products) and no by-products, as well as no animal digest, or artificial colors. He will most likely eat less and enjoy his food more.
Some suggested brands: Canidae, Natural Balance, Wellness, California Natural, Natures Variety, Merrik, Innova.

Answer 6

he is trying to get you to feed him some more. Dogs are very greedy animals and they *always* act like they are starving to death no matter how much you feed them

You may want to try a better dog food like Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul or California Natural. You do not have to feed him as much because those foods have high quality ingredients that dogs can digest and use. Purina is mostly made of corn and wheat and dogs can't digest that stuff well.

you can put a large rock or something in the middle of his bowl and put the food around it so it takes him longer to eat. I like to spread the food out on the floor so my dog has to run around and eat each piece one by one

Answer 7

He is probably just hungry because he does not get food more than twice a day. With my dogs we just leave dry food in their dishes all day so that way they can eat it whenever they are hungry. At first my one dog would eat her food really fast, so our vet told us to put a round bone in her dish so that way it would take her longer to eat the food. Also, we had to start feeding her by hand for a while. Not long after she realized that the food would be right their for her and that she would not have to worry about not getting any.

Answer 8

I have 3 dogs and they always want food. One of the dogs eats extremely fast. We have tried to make him eat slower but nothing works. Eating too fast can cause problems. Every dog is different and maybe yours will eat slower if you try. You can try putting water in the food, that is what we do with one of the dogs. It is supposed to slow them down. My dog is overweight too and we have made a commitment to exercise her more. If you are really concerned you should see your vet.

Answer 9

Your dog is just used to eating a lot.First check with your vet and see if your dog may have worms. This normally makes them skinny but you want to be sure.Change his food from Chicken and rice to beef with gravy. You have to do this gradually though so it doesn't upset his stomach.Though you are giving him plenty, it doesn't sound like he is satisfying his hunger.You need to make sure he is getting plenty of exercise also.

Answer 10

Retrievers and labradors are notorious over eaters.
Try feeding a higher quality light adult dog food instead of a grocery store brand, it will be much healthier for him.
And get him some exercise, maybe he is bored and wants to eat because he has nothing else to do.