by katiek0417 » April 13th, 2009, 1:30 pm
LMM wrote:BritneyP wrote:This subject seems to be quite controversial, and I'm attempting to learn why.
As of right now, I do not fast my dogs intentionally, but they definitely skip a meal on occasion, but it's completely circumstantial. However, I do not have feelings one way or another towards fasting at this point in time.
I feel the exact same way.
There is a good article (I have to find it) that argues the benefits of fasting and feeding them at different times in the day etc in order to actually FILL them up.
I don't personally INTENTIONALLY fast my dogs...however, they have gone without meals just because we'll be training and it gets too late, etc.
In addition, I also feed once a day. I have found it to be easier but also more beneficial as my dogs are working dogs - and I'll explain this. I have found, at least with MY dogs, that their food drive (and drive, in general) stays MUCH higher when I only feed once a day. They're more likely to work for me. When I have tried to feed twice a day, I found that if I spontaneously want to do obedience (or bitework) with them in the afternoon, they don't work as well for me. I've had people make the argument that maybe I could just refrain from feeding in the mornings of days on which we train...but I don't always know the days that we will be training (and, sometimes, I come home from work and just feel like doing some obedience with a dog)...
I have also found that they poop less, stay leaner, and sleep better at night when we just feed once a day (in the evening)...
"Rumor has it, compulsion is evil."
Katrina
Sacha CGC - Dumb Lab
Nisha CGC, PDC, PSA TC, PSA 1 - Crazy Malinois
Drusilla SLUT- Pet
Nemo - Dual-Purpose Narcotics
Cy TC, PSA 1, PSA 2, 2009 PSA Level 3 National Champion
Axo - Psycho Puppy
Rocky - RIP My Baby Boy