The Importance Of a Feeding Schedule

One of the first few questions that I ask in private training sessions is, “What does meal time look like for your dog?” This is because without a structured feeding schedule, your dog may lack food motivation and you may be missing out on some enrichment opportunities.

Outside of training, having a routine feeding schedule can help you to identify injury or illness in your pup. One of the first things a dog will do when they are hurt is stop eating. If you are not sure how much your dog should be eating on a normal day, then you will miss this cue from your dog. Detecting injury or illness early can make a huge difference on your dog’s recovery, and a structured feeding time might be your saving grace.

Also, if your dog is gaining weight or having trouble gaining weight, setting a feeding schedule is the best way to fix this. Without a set schedule you have very little influence on your dog’s body condition. A feeding schedule encourages your dog to eat a certain amount of food at a certain time. This will in turn give you the control to alter your dog’s physical condition.

Having a food motivated dog makes every pet parent’s life easier. It opens up the door to a plethora of training and enrichment opportunities. If your dog will happily work for their kibble, we can then “pay” them for good behavior. Of course we could do this

with treats, but then you run the risk of unnecessary weight gain and upset bellies. If your dog isn’t in a place to work for their food, scarcity creates demand, and a feeding schedule can help you convey this to your pup.

Happy training!