How to prevent my adult dog from eating the puppy's extra meals?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend feeding twice daily for the rest of their lives. Soska is a German Shepherd and they are at risk for bloat (gastric-dilitation-volvulous). So feeding her once daily may be a bit more risky for her. I hope this helps!

If both dogs are in good body condition and not over- or underweight this may be fine. If not I would definitely recommend measuring food and feeding twice daily for a specified period of time. Food gets taken up if it isn't finished in about 15-30 minutes. If the female still tries to eat the male's food they may need to be separated for meals.

Many vets recommend to feed puppies more frequently to avoid issues with low blood sugar. Some puppies are not able to regulate their blood sugar very well until they are four months old. After four months old almost all dogs can regulate their blood sugar and so feeding twice a day is fine. Many dogs eat twice a day even as puppies and do fine. It’s all individual. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions!

Poor pup. Unfortunately you will either have to crate Balto at night to prevent him from getting to the food bowl or stop using the automatic feeder that refills when empty and switch to one that just lets out at select times of day. Most automatic feeders can be set to twice daily feedings and this will reduce the chance of Balto eating the other pets food greatly. I hope that you are able to keep Balto from getting overweight here moving forward. Best wishes and take care!

You simply start giving him more food per feeding just twice a day instead of smaller meals 3 times a day. Make sure you are feeding the correct total amount between the two feedings. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

At his age it is not ideal because their blood sugar can get too low in the middle of the day. If it's unavoidable however, it is ok. Because of his high rate of growth, a quality diet labeled for puppies- especially large breed puppy- is the best thing for him. Congrats on your new little one and kisses to Max!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I understand your frustration. Soska will not choose starvation. I would put her meal down and give her a set amount of time to eat it then pick it up. Do that for several days to a week and see if she starts to finish her meals. Keep treats to a minimum. If after a week she still isn't finishing her meals then try adding water to the food to make it more tempting. You can try a different type of food after 2 weeks in case she doesn't like the food. If she continues for several weeks Soska should be evaluated by your Vet for any medical reason for her poor appetite. I hope this helps. For my dog it simply took adding water to his dry food and now he eats it without us having to sit with him.