exactly what i am seeing. i see him being a long lean boy

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Vinnie was long and lean like that and then he quickly filled out.


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Jodi

Personally, I would feed him more. He looks kind of skinny, and better to error on the side of too much than too little, at least he'll be happier. Then if your vet says he's gaining too much weight or something at the next exam, you can discuss with your vet whether or not to cut back the food or give a diet food in the same quantity or something like that.

I feel lucky: My dog simply doesn't overeat, so I can keep refilling his bowl whenever it is looking mostly empty, the way one would a cat. He gets to have as much food as he wants whenever he wants, and because he naturally limits himself, I don't have to worry about him eating himself into an early grave or whatever. In fact, he's kind of on the small side for a golden. My vet said it's because he's unaltered (not neutered) and that unaltered dogs often stay trim and monitor their food intake on their own- they know when to stop eating. I wish I had my dog's level of self-discipline when it comes to food matters, actually!

I used to worry when he was young and wouldn't always eat at meal time or with regularity when I used to follow the strict training protocols about putting the bowl down at meal time and then pulling it, and so and so forth. I wasn't sure he was getting enough food. Then I just laid the bowl down permanently and he started eating enough (but not too much) almost immediately when he realized could do it on his own schedule and that it would always be there. Wouldn't work with every dog, obviously. I'm glad it worked with mine.

Don't get me wrong, my fella has his behavioral issues and quirks that sometimes drive me nuts, but this is a quirk that I am really glad he has. I'd really stress about whether I was feeding him too much or too little if he didn't take care of it on his own so well.

We give Jasper about 4 cups a day seperated into 2 meals, and one of those meals has some cooked mackeral on it. I would agree that you have to feed them more if the food isnt that good and I am currently looking into alternative foods for our dogs as I dont think what we buy is good enough, but all the decent foods that I have researched I cant even get here (south Korea)! and if I manage to find something that isnt Korean and is a good quality dog food it is in absolute fortune as its all imported, but hopefully I get a pay rise very soon so that could solve that problem.
Anways I digress, because Jasper is such a big dog compared to Poppy I never really knew how much to feed him so I would constantly monitor his weight and change it gradually to more or less and once I found a quantity that seemed to be right for him I stuck with that.

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So you are feeding him only 2 cups total per day? Or 6 cups total per day?

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What are the differences between two and three feedings? If 3 cups (2x2/day or 1.5x3/days) is the total amount, what are the drawbacks or benefits of the different schedules.
I ask because I know my Sandy should be switching to adult food soon and is already on a 2 feedings a day schedule. She eats a little more than three cups 1.5 twice a day and she is 5 months old.


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I have the same question about how many times a day. When do people usually switch down to 2 meals? Zoey's breeder recommended she stay on fromms puppy until about a year old. She currently gets 1.5 cups in the morning around 8, 1.5 cups at about 12:30/1, and 1 cup at around 6:30/7. So 4 cups but she sometimes only eats 1/2 of the last meal. I'm wondering about going down to two times a day because she use to always be starving in the am but lately it's like she doesn't want to eat anything until ten and then it just throws the whole day off.

I think the general rule is 3 times per day until about 6 months. However, we have always fed Max twice per day.

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Dave

I have been feeding my dogs Purina Pro Plan for years, as have many people on this forum, with excellent results. It's a good food, and I'm sure that some of the other ones are better--there is always something better--but my dogs do well on it and I have to no plan to switch.

I think your little guy looks slender but good in the picture, but you are the best decider because you can put your hands on him. You could up his food a bit with no problem. GR puppies are so active that he'll wear it off. I fed Tucker PPP puppy until he was one year then switched to PPP sensitive skin and stomach. I have Bella switched to that now, also and she loves it. I'd have Tess on except that she requires a prescription diet.

Here is a body chart and instructions to determine if your dog is the correct weight (note that it was done by Purina...).

How to Tell if Your Dog is Overweight, in Ideal Body Condition or Too Thin

Here are 3 simple ways to tell if your dog's diet needs an adjustment.

Rib Check: Place both of your thumbs on your dog's backbone and spread both hands across his rib cage. You want to be able to feel his ribs. Actually feeling your dog is important, as the coat of many dogs will make a visual check difficult.
Profile Check: Examine your dog's profile – it’s best if you are level with your dog. Look for the abdomen to be tucked up behind his rib cage - this is ideal.
Overhead Check: Looking at your dog from overhead, identify whether you can see a waist behind his ribs. Most dogs at a healthy weight should have an hourglass figure.
If you find that your dog's ribs and waistline aren't where they're supposed to be, adjust the amount of food offered accordingly.

And here is their chart: http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com.../dog_chart.pdf

The best advice I've gotten on this site from long-time dog owners and breeders is to find a food that works for your dog and pocketbook and stick with it.

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Kathleen, mom to one human, age 17, three canines, and a bunch of fish.