# Puppy not hungry in the am



## gemini6774 (Oct 15, 2012)

I've had my puppy now for about 5 weeks. He is 7 months and doesn't seem to want to eat in the am. He actually seems pretty tired and sleepy still first thing when we are getting ready for work/school. He seems to shut down for the night sometime between 8 and 9pm. We are up at 6am. My kids get up at 7am. We feed him about 7:20am and then leave around 7:50/8am to go to school. Now I could just feed him later when I get home as I have a job where I work from home. But he doesn't seem hungry then either, or he's just too excited. I have a home daycare, so when I get home he is anxious to get out of the crate, but I don't let him out till all the kids have arrived and he's settled. Once he's settled he can come out but he then just wants to play and sniff whoever has just come in the house, etc. Now because he's a puppy he is training and getting treats throughout the day anyways. I also give him his Kong once a day which he loves. Should I just maybe feed him one time at night, or is it really better to feed him twice/day? And if I feed him twice per day, what time should I do this. Maybe at lunch and then dinner? My dd is getting a bit discouraged, as the am feeding is her "job" and he never eats then.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

If you are giving lots of treats he probably doesn't need as much food. Anytime we are doing lots of training, we usually cut back on the amount we feed them. 
As for treats, you should (maybe you already are) be using tiny, tiny pieces for training. We never ever use treats in their full size the way they come. We always make sure to break them in smaller pieces. The size of your pinky fingernail is plenty for training treats. You can also use pieces of his kibble for training (if that is motivating enough for him). That way, you know how much to reduce his meals. So, for instance if you feed him a half cup twice a day, but you use a quarter cup of kibble for training, you'd just reduce his daily food amount by a quarter cup.....


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## gemini6774 (Oct 15, 2012)

Yes, I am reducing the amount due to treats and the Kong. I do sometimes use his food as a treat but not always. And I do use small pieces. His puppy food says to give him 3cups/day. I have been feeding him 1/2 cup in the am and 1.5 cups in the evening so in total I'm giving him 2 cups of his food (I'm guessing the treats and Kong bring it up to about 3 cups in total). He doesn't even touch the morning feeding. He doesn't appear to be starving, looks good and is energetic. I just wondered if it's okay to just feed him 1 time/day. The bag says that some dogs eat just one time/day after 6 months. It just seems like such a long time to go between feedings.


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

How big is he? Or rather, how big do you think he is going to get? Someone dogs only do eat once per day but ideally you want to do it twice if only for the fact that there is some speculative suggestions that say more feedings a day reduce the risk of bloat. Bloat is one of those things that is really hand wavy as to causes but I personally like multiple feedings a day for other reasons too. 

Maybe try 1 cup in the morning, 1 cup at night. Maybe less "heavy" things in the Kong? Like instead of peanut butter, if you use it, maybe veggies or kibble+water to make mushy kibble as the sealer? If he only eats once per day then he may just do that anyway. But if it were me I would try to encourage two feedings a day and my first attempt would be to cut back on the Kong fillings and decrease the evening meal. That's just me though. 

My dog is sleepy in the morning too. Usually I wake up and get ready then take her on a run or a walk then feed her. Then she passes out to wake up at a more reasonable time.


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## seaboxador (Sep 23, 2012)

I'd look at his size. Some dog food bags will have will have pictures of a normal vs skinny size. Have you tried free feeding him? Some dogs can just eat at their own pace. Do you have a vet visit upcoming? They can give you input on the dog's size.


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