Controlled Free-Feeding
In controlled free-feeding, as the word suggests, there is more control over the amount of food given. Owners therefore will be measuring out the daily ratio (often suggested on the back of the bag of food based on the dogs weight) and placing it all at once out in the bowl for the dog to eat throughout the day.
As with many things “dog,” you may find people who are favorable to free-feeding dogs and people who completely frown upon this practice.
With subjects of controversy such as free-feeding, its important to see different views, both from dog owners and veterinarians. Only by seeing both views, it is possible to shed some light on this practice and make an informed decision.
Lets take a look first at all the reasons for free-feeding dogs. In other words, why do proponents go this route and what advantages are there? Here are several pros of free-feeding puppies and dogs.
Knowing the pros and cons of free feeding vs scheduled feeding in dogs is important
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Free-Feeding Dogs
As seen, there can be various advantages and disadvantages when it comes to free-feeding dogs. As with many subjects of controversy, it is important to consider both sides of the story.
The ultimate truth is that every dog is different. It is not fair nor correct to blame owners of free-fed dogs for being lazy or not wanting to commit to investing time in their dogs. In many cases, owners of such dogs have their own good reasons to commit to it.
Now that we have seen why some dog owners are all for free-feeding and why some others avoid this practice like the plague, its time to see what some experts have to say about it.
Board-certified veterinary nutritionist Dr. Sherry Lynn Sanderson claims that, while some adult dogs can be fed free choice, most dogs cannot be fed this way without becoming obese. She, therefore, feels that the best feeding regimen for most adult dogs, in the fight for obesity, is portion-controlled feedings, in other words, feeding adult dogs two pre-measured meals at regular times each day.
Dr. Stephen J. Ettinger and Dr. Edward C. Feldman, two board-certified veterinarians specializing in internal medicine, claim that during gestation and lactation, performance is enhanced when dams are fed meals several times a day or when they are fed free choice.
Board-certified veterinarians Dr. Freeman and Dr. Heinze claim that, although some puppies can eat free choice and maintain ideal body condition, this tends to be the exception rather than the rule.
Board-certified veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Larsen agrees and warns that free choice feeding may lead to overeating and research has shown that this can have adverse effects on skeletal development.
Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Julia Albright weighs in as well in regards to the topic of free-feeding and food guarding. She claims that, while it may be helpful to free-feed a new dog or puppy for the purpose of teaching that food is not a scarce resource, owners are cautioned to never free-feed a dog with food-bowl aggression.
The reason for this is that, with an ingrained behavior as such, with the food being present all the time, the dog will feel tense due to the need to continually guard it.
Veterinary behaviorists Dr. Debra Horwitz & Gary Landsberg seem to agree on this, stating that food aggressive dogs should be fed a scheduled meal, although they admit that, in rare cases, free-choice feeding may help reduce arousal and aggression around the food bowl, but it wont treat the dogs predisposition for acting aggressively around novel foods and treats.
Certified dog trainer and behavior consultant Michele Godlevski, in her book, Take Control, But Dont Lose Control: Help for People With Dogs That Are Excellent Human Trainers, claims that free-feeding leads to a dog that is never really hungry which is the opposite of what you ultimately want when training a dog.
Hunger is a big motivator to dogs and such dogs may require something extra special to grab their attention.
Food is a great motivator for dog training.
Uncontrolled Free-Feeding
This method entails leaving a bowl of unmeasured food out or an automatic feeder and letting the dog decided how much to eat. With this method, the dogs bowl is never left empty. Dog owners will add more food anytime the portion starts to look low.