How to get my dog on a feeding schedule without him begging?

Congrats on your new dog, but I'm sorry Marley is causing you some problems! It sounds like he is being difficult about eating, and you need to be tough with him. Good on you for recognizing that he shouldn't have human food and not giving it to him. You need to start him on a feeding schedule. Put down his food in the morning for 15-20 minutes, then take it away until his next feeding time. It's very important that he gets no other food during this time. No treats or human food. At dinner time, again put his food down and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Take it away after that time even if he hasn't eaten. The goal of this is to teach him that he needs to eat when he's given food. He will learn to do this once he gets hungry. I hope this helps!

Hello. I agree, leaving the food out to be soiled by birds & insects is nasty & wasteful. I would start with whatever you feed the dogs using the recommendations on the bag as a guide. Take the total daily amount recommended per dog & divide into 3 meals, 1 bowl per dog ( you may have to initially separate the dogs at feeding time ). Put the bowls down & leave for about 15 minutes. Whatever is not eaten in this period of time should be picked up & offered at the next feeding. Repeat at the evening meal. You may have to do this for several days, but pretty soon they will get the idea & you can go to twice daily feedings. Most dogs are very adaptable & I am sure they will pick up on the new schedule quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Dogs thrive on routine. Begin a feeding schedule and be consistent. Prepare the food at mealtime, then leave it down for 20-30 minutes before picking it up whether they have eaten or not. Repeat this at the next mealtime. Do not offer any other food between meals. Provide fresh water at all times. You can mix in some warm water or a teaspoon of baby food to stimulate the appetite. As stated, be consistent yet firm. They will not starve. Once they learn the food will not always be there, they will eat when fed. A 60lb dog should get two cups of dry food a day. You can adjust the amount up or down until you find an amount that satisfies them without losing weight.

The best thing to do is not to give her any additional food at all. No human food or treats. Given that she will eat it when she's desperate for something to eat, it shows she will eat it and she's simply being picky. Only offer her her dog food twice a day, and put the meal down for 15-20 minutes. Pick it up after that time period, even if she hasn't eaten anything. Do not give her any other food until her next meal. Once she learns she won't get any other food, she will start eating it.

The timing just depends on your schedule. I recommend feeding twice a day, but some people with healthy dogs only feed 1 time a day - for that I recommend in the morning. About 30 minutes after eating, Black should go outside to potty, so don't feed him right before heading out the door for work. No need for a specific time!

My guess is that you are not feeding Chowder enough dog food. Young pups I recommend feeding four times a day. If he's ravenous at a meal you are not feeding enough so gradually increase the amount until he's hungry but not starving at each meal. I adjust his feeding by how hungry he is not by any specific recommendation. I don't like to give human food as it's not balanced nutrition and it will encourage him to beg the rest of his life. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Chowder.

Please don't give in and let him eat human foods. Once that starts he will not go back to eating dog food; human foods are not balanced for dogs nutritionally. I recommend that you not allow him to be in the same room with you while you are eating. He is not begging because he is hungry. He is begging as a way to get food from you which is a type of bonding thing for them. It is really not a good idea. I do not know what types of food you have available to choose from in your country but maybe try to switch to a different one he may like better. If you want to post again with a link to an online shop that will show us what you have available we may be able to help you more.