[TB.TL]

I'm writing up a schedule for my girls (it's time to get disciplined!) and I want to know about feeding schedules, because I have read many different things. (Just so you know... I have two three month old females and we feed them dry Wellness puppy mix.)

One of the things I read is that puppies eat more than morning and night. We don't want to free feed but we don't want the puppies to be hungry or to overeat. So how often should they be fed and how long should they have access to their food bowls? Oh, and we took (I think it was JMM's??) advice and started feeding them in their crates today.

 

[iheartbisou]

I would think that puppies should always have access to some food, no? Even if it's a little bit of kibble.

Maybe I don't have a little piglet, but my Malt doesn't eat all her food at once or overeat..she nibbles throughout the day. I guess if you have a Maltese that does gobble down food, taking the food up is good..but not all of them do that.

 

[TB.TL]

Yeah, I guess overeat was a poor choice of words. They don't eat very much, even though they are growing. I don't want to not give them enough access to their food but I read housetraining and stuff is easier when they are on a feeding schedule.

 

[munchkn8835]

Why feed them in their crates? I feed Ollie in the morning and evening when we eat. He gets pumpkin on his food once a day.

 

[TB.TL]

We are working on separating our pups... they are very very lovey with each other and they need to become more independent from each other and more dependent on us. So we are working on crating them separately and giving the lots of separate time with us...

We are having an issue on crating them separately... they have crated together for the last month and separating them at night is pretty traumatic on them... they cry and cry and cry. So JMM... who I have heard is pretty much a Maltese expert... recommended feeding them in their crates so they learn to enjoy being in there alone. In addition to separating them, we are also housetraining them right now, which is actually a lot easier when they are separated. Still, it's pretty stressful and hectic and noisy here right now. Crazy pups.

 

[TB.TL]

Why pumpkin, by the way?

 

[munchkn8835]

Ollie seems to strain sometimes going to the bathroom and the pumpkin really helps....plus he loves it! His poopies sometimes look like a little rabbit!

 

[iheartbisou]

Pumpkin is a source of fiber, so that's why it's given, I believe...

 

[TB.TL]

Interesting. While we are on the subject... how many times should a puppy poop a day? Like I said, they're eating dry Wellness twice a day.

I'm just curious because we have a backyard now and are training them to go outside. Once I put one on a leash and let her roam a bit and she pees a few times, do I sit there and wait for her to poop every time or should that only be a few times a day?

 

[jmm]

3-4 times per day depending on their size. Little tiny pups I feed more often...the big brutes are fine with less. Feeding meals does help with house training. Feeding in the crate is a way to build a positive association with crating.