I've had 2 malteses in my lifetime..first Geronimo for 12 1/2 yrs and now Gigolo who is 6 + months. Geronimo was a voracious eater. I couldn't put the food down fast enough and he would inhale it..he ate twice a day and I would give him treats as well for "going on the paper"!! He was little with his weight varying from the lowest being around 5 lbs to highest at 6 lbs. Now I've got Gigolo who is so different that Geronimo in so many respects. I guess no two kids in a family are alike why should malteses be any different?? Gigolo is a total grazer. Also very particular about treats......(by the way, wasn't going to spoil/condition this one to get a treat every time he went on the paper and it worked..he only gets praised!! )When I first brought him home at 12 wks I also originally was planning to give him food 3 times a day. Well as soon as I saw that he was a grazer, why waste the food. Just as some of you stated. I leave the him his food in the AM and "freshen it up" in the evening. He rarely finishes the food. His trainer said that if you want a dog to eat at a specific time, you condition that dog by placing the food down. If he doesn't eat within a half hour of your placing it down..pick it up and he doesn't get anything until his next meal. She said they get the idea very quickly.."oh boy if I don't eat this now, I'm not going to get anything until later!!" I personally don't care that Gigolo is a grazer.
The instinct "not to starve" is there and they eat when they are hungry just like wild animals who hunt only when hungry. Not like humans who also can "graze" and eat ALL THE TIME!! And of course if we eat between meals, and give them treats, Cheerios etc. between their meals then we are constantly stimulating their appetite and what dog wouldn't prefer people food, table scraps and treats over their own "kibble"!!
Didn't mean to go off on a tear here...I'll stop now!
Enjoy your weekend!
Gigolo's Mom