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Do You Have A Routine For Your Pup?


katetk
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Hi

We have a new family member - Hugo, an Almost 9 week old border terrier.

We have only had him a couple of days and he is settling in nicely.

But I was wondering. Do you have set feeding times for your pups? He is on three meals a day, obviously breakfast when he gets up (although I was not willing to do this at 4am this morning) it's the next two...

So, about 7 he will have breakfast,

Should the next be at midday then again at around 5pm?

Or later say at 3pm, then dinner about 7?

Thanks

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Whatever fits into your schedule - not his schedule (definetly no 4am brekkies lol)

I get up at 6am for work during the week, so my 8 month old pup gets fed at 6am and 6pm (there was a midday feed in there when she was younger).

In hindsight, I would leave at least a half hour gap between me wakeing up and feeding pup, because she learnt pretty quickly me waking up = breakfast, so there is no chance of me laying there for a while!

Max knows her feeding times, even a few minutes past 6pm she comes to tell me off for being late with her dinner. And now on the weekends shes (finally!!!!) starting to learn that its fun to get up at 6am for brekkie and then go back to bed for a few hours :thumbsup:

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depends on whether you work or not. At that age mine would get either 3 or 4 meals a day. I would often given them a chicken wing to munch on when settling down for the night, not sure if that counts as a meal.

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Thanks. Not working at the moment, but have a fairly strict schedule for my two children which got me thinking.

Think I will add in a chicken neck or wing at night too... For Hugo that is not the kids .

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In hindsight, I would leave at least a half hour gap between me wakeing up and feeding pup, because she learnt pretty quickly me waking up = breakfast, so there is no chance of me laying there for a while!

I thankfully did that.. I used to have a Rotti that expected breakfast when we woke up in the mornings and the moment I got home from work he expected dinner..

But with my new dog, I wait about 30-45 minutes after we are up, have a bit of a play and I have had a coffee before she gets breakfast.. and when I get home at night, she doesn’t get fed until after we get back from her nightly walk..

Edited by Sares
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Think I will do this too. We have the issue with our cats, as soon as there is movement they want breakfast.

Our 4 yr old cairn waits a little while, which is much better. Will start doing this with Hugo.

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Thanks. Not working at the moment, but have a fairly strict schedule for my two children which got me thinking.

Think I will add in a chicken neck or wing at night too... For Hugo that is not the kids .

I give breakfast at a time that suits me and last meal about an hour or two before you go to bed. Then fit in 1 or 2 meals evenly spaced in between depending on how hungry the puppy is. If the puppy isn't very hungry stick to 3 meals, if it is very hungry you can make it 4 meals. I usually make the first and last meals the same with something like a chicken wing or just dry food in between. Feeding the last meal late allows the puppy to poop afterwards and then he shouldn't need to go again for another 9 hours or so.

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Hamish has been home for about 5 days now, his routine...

Breakfast when I go to work (about 1 hour or more after we wake up - we play while I get ready).

He gets left a kong, and a chew, and some other little bits.

He gets dinner at about 7pm (well between 6 and 7) when Kenzie does (chicken necks plus some dry food).

We then do training with more of his food, and last night he was still hungry so he got another feed just before bed (I think this will become a regular thing as he gobbled it so quickly!!).

This is what works for me with my work routine!

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Hamish has been home for about 5 days now, his routine...

Breakfast when I go to work (about 1 hour or more after we wake up - we play while I get ready).

He gets left a kong, and a chew, and some other little bits.

He gets dinner at about 7pm (well between 6 and 7) when Kenzie does (chicken necks plus some dry food).

We then do training with more of his food, and last night he was still hungry so he got another feed just before bed (I think this will become a regular thing as he gobbled it so quickly!!).

This is what works for me with my work routine!

When you are working it is usually better to feed sooner after you get home and then later before bed to space the meals out more evenly if possible.

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Nope no set times here ,they learn that food doesn't come on demend.

If we get pups from the east we will wean them in to our routine simply because of the time difference & them being hungry at different times but they soon learn

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Hi

We have a new family member - Hugo, an Almost 9 week old border terrier.

We have only had him a couple of days and he is settling in nicely.

But I was wondering. Do you have set feeding times for your pups? He is on three meals a day, obviously breakfast when he gets up (although I was not willing to do this at 4am this morning) it's the next two...

So, about 7 he will have breakfast,

Should the next be at midday then again at around 5pm?

Or later say at 3pm, then dinner about 7?

Thanks

SNAP ???? I have a 12 week old border terrier pup - a little bitch called Monkey! She was getting a bit pudgy on 4 meals a day after I got her at 8 weeks so she pretty quickly went on to 3 meals. I like the tip about not feeding as soon as we get up in the morning so I'm going to try that tomorrow (although she will create merry hell, I know!!) - but I try to give her final meal at night round about 7.30 - she sleeps better at night with something in her tummy still.

Have fun with Hugo - they're divine pups aren't they!

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Well, he had his last meal about 7 or just after tonight, he scoffed it down (it was some scrambled eggs with some nutro) . Had a bit if a play but was buggered, fell asleep on me with a hot water bottle.

He woke last night at various times , so I put cairn terrier in with him about 1am lthis morning. Tried this tonight at 8 ish and all I heard was squeaky toys... Opened the door and expected to see Hugo mucking about, but noo, it was isobel, trying (in vein) to wake him up . :laugh:

Show dog... Really, that's what it is like here (besides the kids) the animals generally have to wait and will wait (albeit - the cats very vocally) just think at this age maybe set times may be ideal.

Yes... Cute little pups toshman , Our boy is a blue tan, super cute, looks like a little rotti ATM lol..

Edited by katetk
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Set times means expectations,pups learn very quickly what set times are & providing you are happy to do the demand thing that is fine but we teach our pups that food comes when it does ,this doesn't mean they don't get feed but we don't feed as soon as we get up the priority there for us is traing pups to go outside to toilet ,have a play & when we are ready or its suitable pup gets feed.

Our dogs learn to sleep in aswell.we don't set the alarm for clock work night toilets.If pup cries we get up,if no noise we don't disturb they also learn quickly that at midnight last night & the night before they got attention.

We breed & show so all the dogs are taught from day 1 that good things come to those that wait & that we also set them up for the routine we expect latter on

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I find it easier to toilet train a baby on a set routine but as the meals decrease with age I mix up the times so they don't get stuck on specific feeding times.

Oh, and puppies should never be fed or played with as soon sa you get up or they will wake earlier and earlier because you are rewarding them for waking.

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So, he is pretty good, I'm not so much sticking to a time for feeds as long as there aree three or four.

But he is sleeping through the night. I am making the last meal between 6-7 (depending on what's happening here , then a bit of a play/toilet then into bed.

I flat out refuse to get up to him in the night (mean me) but It is too cold!!! And really he is doing pretty well in that department as well.

Think I just needed to get back into puppy mode. :o

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I love routine, so all mine get fed at 8:30 every night...no earlier no later, and they know exactly when it's time for dinner too...dogs are so smart! I vaguely remember when Biscuit was a pup I fed him at 7, then 12, then I can't remember what time at night. Reading your above post about getting into puppy mode...whenever the time comes for me to have another pup, I'll have to try my best to remember how to do it :laugh:

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Here is the boy...Hope these work.

He has however, today got himself an injury. Just a slight limp on front leg when rising from a nap then he comes good? He will be at the vet soon for vaccs, but do you think it is a case of see how he is over the next day, and just rest him... Not sever limp, (still bears weight) only limps for about 1 min then he is fine?

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Edited by katetk
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