I know it's about a dog but I'm desperate!!

I've tried a lot of other avenues and am having no luck so I thought I'd try the collective wisdom of any TCS-ers that are also full bottles on dogs! Hope no-one minds...

We are having a lot of trouble organising how much we should be feeding Ruby. She is a 12-week old labradoodle and is growing very fast (but no faster than a normal pup, I would think).

We thought that perhaps we probably weren't feeding her enough so we started bulking up her meals a bit and have noticed quite a radical change in her behaviour - she is much calmer and more mellow, doesn't nip and bite as much, and seems more contented.

However, I have seen and read in quite a few places that we should be feeding her four times a day - and one site said as much as she can eat in 20 minutes! We feed her puppy biscuits and puppy meat three times a day, and a couple of times a week she gets a raw egg and some yoghurt. But the food is literally gone within three or four minutes, which makes me wonder is it enough? She also gets a small bone at night.

I have been told by many people that Labrador breeds will eat anything and everything and always look hungry even if they're not, so be careful not to overfeed them. But I can't help feeling like she's not getting enough.

Anyone got any advice??

I think the 20 minute time frame is given for the picky eater. It just sounds cruel to say give the dog what she can eat in 4 minutes!

I'm not sure...but I don't remember ever feeding a puppy four times a day. I think we always fed twice daily...but we do try to leave dry food available.

If she is labrador mixed with standard poodle, you may need to be feeding her a large breed puppy food. They are formulated different, because large puppies grow for over a year.

We had a lab mix, mixed with german shepherd and rottweiler. He would eat until he barfed, then eat some more. We had to watch his food carefully to keep his weight right. Then when he got old, he would refuse to eat for days. At the end he was eating twice a day, just like a puppy, to keep his weight on. I never had that kind of trouble with a dog before, not knowing how much he needed to eat! Maybe it is a lab trait!

Sorry I can't be more helpful. Maybe your vet can help? Or the breeder?

The breeder has suggested three times a day with meat and biscuits, but we KNOW that's not enough cos it really affects her behaviour. I am still waiting for the vet to get back to me.

We feed her Royal Canin Babydog Large for her biscuits - so I know we've got the right dry food. But I am SO much more used to looking after kittens and Ruby just would eat anything - so it's very hard to know if she's just greedy or if she is genuinely hungry!!

I would go by the guidelines on the bag for a dog her weight. Take the daily amount and divide it into 3-4 smaller meals. Labs are very good eaters! For many, the end of breakfast and dinner are the saddest times of day. If she is losing weight then yes, you will need to feed her more. Watch her body condition closely. You should be able to feel her ribs easily, she should have a waist when viewed from above and an abdominal "tuck" when viewed from the side. (OK in puppies these last 2 points aren't quite right- puppies are rolly polly, but when she is 5-6 months this will be true) The purina website has a good body condition scoring chart that I always use to asses whether or not an animal is over or under weight.

Originally Posted by Dr. Doolittle

I would go by the guidelines on the bag for a dog her weight. Take the daily amount and divide it into 3-4 smaller meals. Labs are very good eaters!

For many, the end of breakfast and dinner are the saddest times of day.

If she is losing weight then yes, you will need to feed her more. Watch her body condition closely. You should be able to feel her ribs easily, she should have a waist when viewed from above and an abdominal "tuck" when viewed from the side. (OK in puppies these last 2 points aren't quite right- puppies are rolly polly, but when she is 5-6 months this will be true) The purina website has a good body condition scoring chart that I always use to asses whether or not an animal is over or under weight.

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Yay thanks!! She certainly does have a little hollow on her sides and that is what has been worrying us a bit. She is certainly not overweight by any means. What I think we have noticed the most is her change in behaviour when she is fed more - she just seems much happier and calmer to us. I'll have a look at that Purina chart - sounds great.

She definitely looks more like the `ideal' than the `underweight' - which is a big relief! We'll keep doing what we're doing, then. YAY!

My grown, slightly overweight dog makes his food disappear in about 3 minutes as well.
If she is eating fast though, and considering her eventual size, you should probably elevate her food dish to a comfortable height for her, can prevent a lot of digestive issues.

We fed our puppies three or four times a day. Leaving dry food out wasn't an option because that would just keep eating eating eating. Like dogs do.

Originally Posted by Arlyn

My grown, slightly overweight dog makes his food disappear in about 3 minutes as well.
If she is eating fast though, and considering her eventual size, you should probably elevate her food dish to a comfortable height for her, can prevent a lot of digestive issues.

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This is a great point..With a mixed breed, you may not know how large she will get but bigger dogs are at a risk of bloat when eating too fast..
So, elevating her dish is a good idea..

I don't have any advice....we have only had one dog, a Golden Retriever.

I did want to say how CUTE she is. The picture on your posts is so adorable!

Bobbie