Hi everyone, I got Eli a week ago now and he's going to be 8 weeks this Wednesday. The breeder was open feeding the puppies with Diamond puppy food. I'm looking to switch over to Taste of the Wild and scheduled feeding times. He's just under 10.5lbs, but he doesn't seem to like to eat a whole lot at a time.

My main question is how do you recommend switching from open feeing to scheduled times? I was thinking about 2.5 cups divided into 3 meals. Should I give him the portion and just take it away after like 10-15 minutes if he doesn't finish it? Then when the lunchtime meal comes around give him the second portion alone, or add to the leftovers?

Second, he loooves to splash is little paws in his water bowl making a big mess everywhere. Anyone has suggestions on how to stop that?

I had to do a double take on your picture, you're the spitting image of a fellow who lives down here - he's only about 18 though.

Dogs are really different. I have one I free feed (which is what I presume you mean by "open feed") and one who would eat hers and his, too, if she could. Avalanche would not work on a schedule, if he's not hungry he won't eat, and if he is hungry it's just to nibble - so he nibbles his way through the day.

7.5 cups seems like more than he needs ... and since you say he doesn't seem to like to eat a lot at a time, he may be telling you just that. At 8 weeks, 1.5 cups four times a day would be better for him, his gut just isn't that big.

To make the transition, I think what I'd do was to put his food down at your desired times - and initially just leave it. If he eats it all, great, if he doesn't then I'd add enough to make up the "allotment". After a few days of him realizing that there might be some time between meals, then I'd start picking it up.

However, since I do free feed one and the other is on a schedule and I haven't had a puppy in a few years, let's see if someone else has a comment. (( BTW, we're slow on weekends, everyone's off playing with their dogs ... ))

Thanks for the reply! This morning he ate about one cup between 6am-10am and hasn't since. I'll work on doing the scheduled times, but I think he might be more like your dog Avalanche where he just eats when he needs it. He does drink a lot though, that is for sure!

Haha no no, not 7.5 cups! 2.5 cups total divided into 3 meals throughout the day. I couldn't imagine a dog eating 7 cups of food.

Yep, that is what you said, isn't it ... people read the labels on the dog food and I have no idea where they come up with their numbers from. << Now, where'd I put my reading specs??? >>

Dogs who are in more desert like climates and those who spend a lot of time outdoors tend to drink a lot more than "city dogs" and looking at the background in your picture, I'm thinking you might be in the lower midwest<?> (Iowa / Illinois?)

Actually, Western Mass. Live in a farm town so we have a lot of fields around. He loves to run around a lot and has a lotttt of energy so drinking more was expected.

The thing I just get frustrated with is that he splashes his paws in the water bowl

@EliTheHusky wrote:

Thanks for the reply! This morning he ate about one cup between 6am-10am and hasn't since. I'll work on doing the scheduled times, but I think he might be more like your dog Avalanche where he just eats when he needs it. He does drink a lot though, that is for sure!

Haha no no, not 7.5 cups! 2.5 cups total divided into 3 meals throughout the day. I couldn't imagine a dog eating 7 cups of food.

Whew... that sounds much better! As a puppy, archer ate 1 cup of food 3x daily for a total m of 3 cups per day.

As for the water thing. Archer drove me CRAZY as a pup. I would put a water bowl out for him...10 minutes later he was digging in it, splashing and tipping it over. Repeat throughout the day Now, 8 months later, not a problem. Nothing I did, just maturation.

Good to know Amy, I was hoping that would be the case.

Leo did the same when he was small too. he doesn't do it in his bowl any more, but dose do it at the dog park water bowl or in a tub that is big enough to dig and splash in. it still makes me laugh when he dose it; then he will carry it over to me to get more water in the tub.