Maintaining A Dog Diet Feeding Routine

Maintaining a feeding routine is of benefit to both the owner and to the pet. Dogs enjoy routine. In many ways it is vital to their mental well being. Wild dogs and wolves, although not confined to the movements of the clock, do have other constraints that provide a routine. The movement of the sun and the movement of the moon through the sky dictate the times at which they hunt, as do the feeding habits of their prey. Wild canines are also constrained by weather and the seasons.

It is no wonder, then, that our domestic dogs feel the need for routine. It is not uncommon to hear how the family dog waits at the door for the children to come home from school, or how the dog jumps off the bed and trots into the kitchen when the alarm goes off. Whether he positions himself in front of the door or in front of his bowl knowing that it will be filled after you turn on the coffee maker, the result is the same. Your dog feels comfortable because he has a routine that gives him a sense of normalcy.

Besides providing a sense of normalcy, your dog also derives physical benefits from having a routine. Your dog may not bolt his food if he feels comfortable that the meal he had yesterday will be ready for him today and will be there when he asks for it tomorrow.

Young puppies will benefit from an established routine by becoming housetrained or housebroken more quickly; older, already trained, dogs can benefit from the routine to more easily maintain their training. Dogs can also benefit by maintaining their proper weight if you feed them only at regular times instead of providing them with meals and with between meal snacks.

It is not difficult to train your dog to have a routine. Many times dogs train themselves to respond to certain repeated cues in their environment. When setting a routine for feeding your pet, be certain that you select feeding times that are convenient for you.

You need to both be available on a regular basis at that time and you need to be able to remember it. If you know that you need an hour to get yourself going in the morning once you get up, do not schedule feeding your dog immediately after you get up. He will expect to go to the bathroom soon afterward and you will only be halfway through your first cup of coffee. You should also make your routine as unrelated as possible to your work schedule. You may want to sleep in or hang out on the weekend, but your dog will still expect his 6 a.m. feeding.

Dogs expect a regular schedule. It is easy to establish and fairly easy to maintain. Start developing one early on in your relationship to make both of your lives easier.

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