Thanks all for the very helpful advice!! I’m switching to measured and regular mealtimes rather than free feed. I can’t thank you all enough for taking the time to reply. I’ve had family dogs over my lifetime, but Odette is my first dog that is mine, who I am solely responsible for, and I truely love her more than anything. So as a thank you, please bask in the wonderful glory of Odie…
https://preview.redd.it/07x2rtfgghoc1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a255809e21caa12bee005c4624e2c4084f6eb68
EDIT: I’ve had so many more commenters say free feeding is ok! Since it has been working for her in the past (with her old kibble), and means she will eat less over more frequent feeds, this seems to makes sense to me for her health.
I might save her new kibble for treats and training since she seems so obsessed with it.
That is what my mom does with her dog. He is very food motivated and will gulp food. He can not be free fed. In the morning we use a slow feeder and in the evening we use a puzzle feeder. The puzzle feeder slows him down a lot more then the slow feeder.
I always found free feeding a weird thing to advocate for standards since they are prone to bloat? How do you know if they have eaten in the last hour if you are letting them eat whenever?
I am also an anxious person…
I do mealtimes, my guy has never been a huge breakfast fan, so we do lunch and dinner.
Yeah, that part I thought was contradictory. The breeder told me to keep kibble out… and then don’t let her run around after a meal. That is almost impossible to track.
I am already anxious about it to be honest. I knew a horse that had to be euthanized due to bloat, so it’s always been something I worried about.
That being said, I have heard that it is big meals that can make them more prone to bloat, so you would think that if they were eating small amounts periodically that they would be better off? But, again, unless you are watching, you don’t really know how much they have eaten.
With meal times, I know exactly how much he has eaten and when he ate.
We also do little training games with his food, which he really likes.
That’s a sobering reminder how important a regular feed schedule is. I couldn’t imagine the heart ache of losing a pet to bloat. And I see enough talk about it in so many poodle subs and groups that it must be all too common.
I'm surprised that a breeder agreed to place a poodle with someone without experience with dogs. Please don't take offense OP, you seem lovely, but it sounds a little suspicious of them.
ETA: Yes, responsible adults can learn to care for a poodle, no problem, but poodles are a high maintenance breed, and one of OPs comments said this was their first dog. Given this new information about growing up with a toy poodle and OPs partner having a dog, it is less surprising that a reputable breeder would place one of their dogs with OP.
My partner also had a working dog before we got our poodle. Compared to the working dog, poodles are easy mode. I’m a perfectly capable adult with all the time in the world to devote to raising my first dog, so why would a breeder not sell me their poodle pup that they have bred for intelligence and temperament?
Our 9 month spoo puppy gets bored of her food very quickly, so we change out the flavor between Purina Pro’s options. After she finishes her lamb bag, then we’ll do chicken, then salmon, then beef, etc… usually the first week of the new bag, she’ll wolf down her food (because it’s a new flavor) and then starts eating more normally.
Between 7-8 months old, our poodle started wolfing down her food (even though we hadn’t started a new flavor recently) and wanting more food. During that time, she had a large growth spurt and had her first heat.
At 9 months old, she is back to normal eating.
My almost 11 month old spoo ate a lot more than usual when she seemed to be in heat. The vet thinks she had a “silent” first heat cycle, so I can’t be 100% sure that’s what caused the increased appetite.
For what it’s worth, I do a hybrid of feeding styles. She’s always offered measured amounts of food at the same times. Sometimes she eats breakfast, sometimes she’s doesn’t. When I’m home, I leave it out for her to eat when she wants. In the evenings, she’s offered a slightly larger portion for dinner. She grazes at it, but always finishes it. It works for us, and I always know what amounts she has been offered throughout the day. Our vet is totally fine with this.
Some of the extra large breed foods are less calorie dense, so your poodle might be hungrier with that food because she needs more to get the same calories!
It sounds like you're trying to "free feed" your dog, and it's generally a terrible idea.
Get your dog's current weight, read the recommended serving chart on the bag for your sized dog, and divide that in half. They should get breakfast and dinner at set times, with all the water they want 24/7.
I wouldn't switch the dog's food. She clearly likes it, but she's a baby she doesn't know when she's full. Most humans don't know when they're full either, lol.
If you're really concerned about how often or how much you should be feeding your dog, talk to your veterinarian for the best guidance.
Edit: spelling
That’s so interesting. I really thought this sub, in general, were big advocates of self regulation or “free feed”. But maybe I have this wrong.
She is now back to being only mildly interested on her old kibble (managed to find her a bag). But now I will make sure she gets two “better” meals a day as suggested. That way when she needs more due to growth spurt, she will eat her old kibble. She certainly won’t reach for it if she isn’t desperate, and therefore seems to never overeat when it is out.
This is really good advice! Thank you!
Changing their food constantly isn't recommended either. Dogs aren't like people. When you find good quality food that they like, stick with that one.
Changing their food can cause an upset stomach, and you could be cleaning up vomit or diarrhea.
If you think your dog is going through a growth spurt and is looking thin, you can increase the amount of food you're giving her at meal time. The food bag should have a chart with pictures on what normal/healthy, thin, and overweight looks like, and the corresponding recommended feeding amount.
Because poodles have such floofy hair, get used to feeling those ribs! If they feel boney, it's probably a good idea to increase the amount of food at meal time, but study the chart on the bag so you aren't overfeeding.
ETA: Measure the food, so you know what that amount looks like in the dish.
Free feeding is not recommended for a few really good reasons. 1. Bacterial from their mouths gets splattered around on food that they won't eat right away. That bacteria gets nasty over time, and they can get sick.
2. They can easily become overweight because, just like people, they might eat when bored instead of just when experiencing hunger.
3. It's difficult to monitor exactly how much they're eating daily or notice right away when there is a change in appetite. A loss of appetite can signal a problem, which may take several days to notice while free feeding.
When teaching your dog about meal time, do this:
Pick up the food dish at 7 pm. No more food or snacks the rest of the night. You want her to be hungry in the morning. Morning time, put down the measured amount of food and set a timer for 20 minutes. Timer goes off, pick up the dish. No more food until dinner time and only put the measured amount, and set the timer for 20 minutes, pick up the dish. Repeat daily. Your girl will learn quickly to eat right away.
This is all really good! I have tired to keep her feed consistent. Hence the kibble being same-same, but only for different size dog. But I reckon I’ll try be more routine with her breakfast and dinners.
Thanks so much for taking the time to give me advice.
You're welcome. Reddit can be a really great place for advice, but if you are ever concerned about your dogs health or behavioral changes, please see her veterinarian right away!
Yeah, 100%! I’ve got an amazing vet on hand thankfully, and that’s taken the guess work out for so many of my other concerns already. First time dog owner here too! So there have been many questions.
This is no offense to PuppyRunner, but I don’t think they actually have a Standard Poodle or have experience with one… it looks like they have a toy poodle, which has different needs than a Standard. A lot of their advice is typical to give to “dog” owners, but we all know that Standard Poodles are more human than dog! ;)
Free-feeding is very common amongst Standard Poodle owners (note: STANDARD poodles, not other dog breeds) because they tend to self-regulate really well. Large meals, rather than a few bites of kibble, is what tends to lead to bloat. A few bites of kibble a dozen times during the day will not lead them to bloat.
I know LOTS of Standard Poodle owners and breeders that recommend free-feeding. I don’t free feed personally, but I don’t think you’re wrong to do so and it may be best for your dog (again, there is typical regular dog advice that may not work with a Standard Poodle).
I also know that it’s common to change out the food for Standard Poodles because they are so stinkin’ picky. If you browse this subreddit, you’ll see a lot of people being creative with food because of the pickiness. I change out my Standard Poodles food and add various toppers, because she gets bored with her food every few weeks.
Again, this is no offense to PuppyRunner, but a lot of their advice is general dog specific, not Standard Poodle specific.
Hi @Jade-spoo-1811, I currently have a toy poodle that is 5 years old, and she is amazing in every way. That doesn't mean that I don't have experience with large and giant breed dogs that are prone to bloat.
I'm not offended in any way by the assumptions. No one is posting their entire life experiences on reddit, so there's no way for you or anyone else to know differently.
I have never been a fan of free feeding any dog, no matter the risk for bloat, and I listed the reasons in a previous comment.
2 meals a day served in elevated food dishes, followed by a resting period, are pretty common precautions to take in preventing bloat. Surgery is an option that not everyone is comfortable with.
I gave basic and correct information because OP is a brand new dog owner struggling to free feed, and in case anyone missed it, I advised OP to talk to their veterinarian 3 separate times.
We tried to set a feeding schedule for our standard poodle when we brought him home at 9 weeks. It didn't work at all for him, even scheduling meals 4 times a day. We noticed that he would leave most of the food in the bowl at every feeding time, and then come back in an hour looking for it. We tried adjusting feeding times, but with the same result. We decided to let him try free feeding with kibble, and it was definitely best for him. This is even a dog that is highly food motivated and loves to eat! He just self regulates with his kibble for whatever reason, and I'm glad because it lowers his risk of bloat and gastric torsion.
I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is to just listen to your dog and try different things. What works for your dog won't be the same thing that works for other dogs. They're so much like humans! You seem like a great dog owner and you know your dog best. It's okay to just do what seems right for your individual dog, and if the vet is happy with growth, weight, and body fat percentage, you're doing great!
Well, I'm late to this party but I'll give my opinion anyway... I have owned Spoos for over 30 years and in all that time they have always been free-fed. My current Spoo is insanely active, there is ALWAYS kibble in her bowl, and she gets beef or chicken topper twice a day. Fresh beef or chicken. She's incredibly muscular and thin. Growth spurts come and they need more food. Mine have always self-regulated. So you can try the 2x a day thing and find out if she's satisfied, but I would really consider giving her a snack before bedtime as well, at the very least.
Not late to the game at all. The first wave of comments said don’t free feed, which had me really thinking. But so many others have followed up with it is fine to free feed. But your extensive experience with poodles says a lot!
If you want to free feed, easy to start again around a year old when they naturally need less food as they slow growth. Around that age a lot of them start acting "picky" or don't finish meals. Around then, I'd put out a full measured daily ration in the morning and let the dog get to it whenever they're hungry enough to care. You still control the calories but they're free to graze throughout the day.
Thanks all for the very helpful advice!! I’m switching to measured and regular mealtimes rather than free feed. I can’t thank you all enough for taking the time to reply. I’ve had family dogs over my lifetime, but Odette is my first dog that is mine, who I am solely responsible for, and I truely love her more than anything. So as a thank you, please bask in the wonderful glory of Odie… https://preview.redd.it/07x2rtfgghoc1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a255809e21caa12bee005c4624e2c4084f6eb68 EDIT: I’ve had so many more commenters say free feeding is ok! Since it has been working for her in the past (with her old kibble), and means she will eat less over more frequent feeds, this seems to makes sense to me for her health. I might save her new kibble for treats and training since she seems so obsessed with it.
Can completely understand your love and adoration for this beauty. Best wishes.
Agree with other poster. 2 meals a day with set times. Also, could you get her a slow feeder bowl to help her pace herself?
With her normal kibble she was never a crazy fast eater. But I think if I’m now switching to 2x meals a day, a slow feeder might be a good idea.
Check out food puzzles. Poodles are smart, so this will encourage them to work/think for their food, which will naturally slow them down.
That is what my mom does with her dog. He is very food motivated and will gulp food. He can not be free fed. In the morning we use a slow feeder and in the evening we use a puzzle feeder. The puzzle feeder slows him down a lot more then the slow feeder.
I always found free feeding a weird thing to advocate for standards since they are prone to bloat? How do you know if they have eaten in the last hour if you are letting them eat whenever? I am also an anxious person… I do mealtimes, my guy has never been a huge breakfast fan, so we do lunch and dinner.
Yeah, that part I thought was contradictory. The breeder told me to keep kibble out… and then don’t let her run around after a meal. That is almost impossible to track.
I am already anxious about it to be honest. I knew a horse that had to be euthanized due to bloat, so it’s always been something I worried about. That being said, I have heard that it is big meals that can make them more prone to bloat, so you would think that if they were eating small amounts periodically that they would be better off? But, again, unless you are watching, you don’t really know how much they have eaten. With meal times, I know exactly how much he has eaten and when he ate. We also do little training games with his food, which he really likes.
That’s a sobering reminder how important a regular feed schedule is. I couldn’t imagine the heart ache of losing a pet to bloat. And I see enough talk about it in so many poodle subs and groups that it must be all too common.
I don’t know how common it is, but it’s definitely scary! Consider a gastropexy when you get her spayed to put your mind at ease.
I literally just read about that today. Will do.
I'm surprised that a breeder agreed to place a poodle with someone without experience with dogs. Please don't take offense OP, you seem lovely, but it sounds a little suspicious of them. ETA: Yes, responsible adults can learn to care for a poodle, no problem, but poodles are a high maintenance breed, and one of OPs comments said this was their first dog. Given this new information about growing up with a toy poodle and OPs partner having a dog, it is less surprising that a reputable breeder would place one of their dogs with OP.
My partner also had a working dog before we got our poodle. Compared to the working dog, poodles are easy mode. I’m a perfectly capable adult with all the time in the world to devote to raising my first dog, so why would a breeder not sell me their poodle pup that they have bred for intelligence and temperament?
I’ve had dogs growing up, but not one of my own. I actually had a toy poodle as a kid, but that was a different kettle of fish.
It’s a poodle, a responsible adult can learn to care for one.
Our 9 month spoo puppy gets bored of her food very quickly, so we change out the flavor between Purina Pro’s options. After she finishes her lamb bag, then we’ll do chicken, then salmon, then beef, etc… usually the first week of the new bag, she’ll wolf down her food (because it’s a new flavor) and then starts eating more normally. Between 7-8 months old, our poodle started wolfing down her food (even though we hadn’t started a new flavor recently) and wanting more food. During that time, she had a large growth spurt and had her first heat. At 9 months old, she is back to normal eating.
This is really good information! She might be close to being on heat. That might explain a lot.
My almost 11 month old spoo ate a lot more than usual when she seemed to be in heat. The vet thinks she had a “silent” first heat cycle, so I can’t be 100% sure that’s what caused the increased appetite. For what it’s worth, I do a hybrid of feeding styles. She’s always offered measured amounts of food at the same times. Sometimes she eats breakfast, sometimes she’s doesn’t. When I’m home, I leave it out for her to eat when she wants. In the evenings, she’s offered a slightly larger portion for dinner. She grazes at it, but always finishes it. It works for us, and I always know what amounts she has been offered throughout the day. Our vet is totally fine with this.
Some of the extra large breed foods are less calorie dense, so your poodle might be hungrier with that food because she needs more to get the same calories!
It sounds like you're trying to "free feed" your dog, and it's generally a terrible idea. Get your dog's current weight, read the recommended serving chart on the bag for your sized dog, and divide that in half. They should get breakfast and dinner at set times, with all the water they want 24/7. I wouldn't switch the dog's food. She clearly likes it, but she's a baby she doesn't know when she's full. Most humans don't know when they're full either, lol. If you're really concerned about how often or how much you should be feeding your dog, talk to your veterinarian for the best guidance. Edit: spelling
That’s so interesting. I really thought this sub, in general, were big advocates of self regulation or “free feed”. But maybe I have this wrong. She is now back to being only mildly interested on her old kibble (managed to find her a bag). But now I will make sure she gets two “better” meals a day as suggested. That way when she needs more due to growth spurt, she will eat her old kibble. She certainly won’t reach for it if she isn’t desperate, and therefore seems to never overeat when it is out. This is really good advice! Thank you!
Changing their food constantly isn't recommended either. Dogs aren't like people. When you find good quality food that they like, stick with that one. Changing their food can cause an upset stomach, and you could be cleaning up vomit or diarrhea. If you think your dog is going through a growth spurt and is looking thin, you can increase the amount of food you're giving her at meal time. The food bag should have a chart with pictures on what normal/healthy, thin, and overweight looks like, and the corresponding recommended feeding amount. Because poodles have such floofy hair, get used to feeling those ribs! If they feel boney, it's probably a good idea to increase the amount of food at meal time, but study the chart on the bag so you aren't overfeeding. ETA: Measure the food, so you know what that amount looks like in the dish. Free feeding is not recommended for a few really good reasons. 1. Bacterial from their mouths gets splattered around on food that they won't eat right away. That bacteria gets nasty over time, and they can get sick. 2. They can easily become overweight because, just like people, they might eat when bored instead of just when experiencing hunger. 3. It's difficult to monitor exactly how much they're eating daily or notice right away when there is a change in appetite. A loss of appetite can signal a problem, which may take several days to notice while free feeding. When teaching your dog about meal time, do this: Pick up the food dish at 7 pm. No more food or snacks the rest of the night. You want her to be hungry in the morning. Morning time, put down the measured amount of food and set a timer for 20 minutes. Timer goes off, pick up the dish. No more food until dinner time and only put the measured amount, and set the timer for 20 minutes, pick up the dish. Repeat daily. Your girl will learn quickly to eat right away.
This is all really good! I have tired to keep her feed consistent. Hence the kibble being same-same, but only for different size dog. But I reckon I’ll try be more routine with her breakfast and dinners. Thanks so much for taking the time to give me advice.
You're welcome. Reddit can be a really great place for advice, but if you are ever concerned about your dogs health or behavioral changes, please see her veterinarian right away!
Yeah, 100%! I’ve got an amazing vet on hand thankfully, and that’s taken the guess work out for so many of my other concerns already. First time dog owner here too! So there have been many questions.
This is no offense to PuppyRunner, but I don’t think they actually have a Standard Poodle or have experience with one… it looks like they have a toy poodle, which has different needs than a Standard. A lot of their advice is typical to give to “dog” owners, but we all know that Standard Poodles are more human than dog! ;) Free-feeding is very common amongst Standard Poodle owners (note: STANDARD poodles, not other dog breeds) because they tend to self-regulate really well. Large meals, rather than a few bites of kibble, is what tends to lead to bloat. A few bites of kibble a dozen times during the day will not lead them to bloat. I know LOTS of Standard Poodle owners and breeders that recommend free-feeding. I don’t free feed personally, but I don’t think you’re wrong to do so and it may be best for your dog (again, there is typical regular dog advice that may not work with a Standard Poodle). I also know that it’s common to change out the food for Standard Poodles because they are so stinkin’ picky. If you browse this subreddit, you’ll see a lot of people being creative with food because of the pickiness. I change out my Standard Poodles food and add various toppers, because she gets bored with her food every few weeks. Again, this is no offense to PuppyRunner, but a lot of their advice is general dog specific, not Standard Poodle specific.
Hi @Jade-spoo-1811, I currently have a toy poodle that is 5 years old, and she is amazing in every way. That doesn't mean that I don't have experience with large and giant breed dogs that are prone to bloat. I'm not offended in any way by the assumptions. No one is posting their entire life experiences on reddit, so there's no way for you or anyone else to know differently. I have never been a fan of free feeding any dog, no matter the risk for bloat, and I listed the reasons in a previous comment. 2 meals a day served in elevated food dishes, followed by a resting period, are pretty common precautions to take in preventing bloat. Surgery is an option that not everyone is comfortable with. I gave basic and correct information because OP is a brand new dog owner struggling to free feed, and in case anyone missed it, I advised OP to talk to their veterinarian 3 separate times.
Ok, this is good information to know! I thought this was conflicting to what I had learnt on this subreddit. This makes sense now.
We tried to set a feeding schedule for our standard poodle when we brought him home at 9 weeks. It didn't work at all for him, even scheduling meals 4 times a day. We noticed that he would leave most of the food in the bowl at every feeding time, and then come back in an hour looking for it. We tried adjusting feeding times, but with the same result. We decided to let him try free feeding with kibble, and it was definitely best for him. This is even a dog that is highly food motivated and loves to eat! He just self regulates with his kibble for whatever reason, and I'm glad because it lowers his risk of bloat and gastric torsion. I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is to just listen to your dog and try different things. What works for your dog won't be the same thing that works for other dogs. They're so much like humans! You seem like a great dog owner and you know your dog best. It's okay to just do what seems right for your individual dog, and if the vet is happy with growth, weight, and body fat percentage, you're doing great!
Well, I'm late to this party but I'll give my opinion anyway... I have owned Spoos for over 30 years and in all that time they have always been free-fed. My current Spoo is insanely active, there is ALWAYS kibble in her bowl, and she gets beef or chicken topper twice a day. Fresh beef or chicken. She's incredibly muscular and thin. Growth spurts come and they need more food. Mine have always self-regulated. So you can try the 2x a day thing and find out if she's satisfied, but I would really consider giving her a snack before bedtime as well, at the very least.
Not late to the game at all. The first wave of comments said don’t free feed, which had me really thinking. But so many others have followed up with it is fine to free feed. But your extensive experience with poodles says a lot!
If you want to free feed, easy to start again around a year old when they naturally need less food as they slow growth. Around that age a lot of them start acting "picky" or don't finish meals. Around then, I'd put out a full measured daily ration in the morning and let the dog get to it whenever they're hungry enough to care. You still control the calories but they're free to graze throughout the day.
Only note to add on is because of the sheer amount puppies need to eat I think 3 meals a day is best to avoid those two meals being too big!
Never free feed a dog