# Going from grazing to eating a whole meal at once



## Bones333 (Sep 30, 2009)

I am having a problem getting my 4 month old dachshund mix puppy, Miles, to eat all of his food at once. The foster home he came from told me he was free fed and allowed to graze all day. This does not work for our schedule or with having another dog in the house that will eat his food if left out. The vet was a bit concerned about his weight gain, so I want to ensure he is getting enough to eat. How can I change this habit?


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## abi88 (Jul 2, 2008)

At 4 months old he shouldnt be confined to eating only 1 meal, it should be at least 2.(I cant tell from your post if you are doing multiple feedings or just one.)

I also have a 4 month old, Rhett my BC, he gets 2 meals a day, with the morning one(sometime between 9 and noon) being larger(2/3-3/4 of the day's amount) then the evening feeding(sometime between 6 and 9) being smaller(1/3-1/4 of the day's amount.) He also was getting free fed at his breeders, but that isnt an option here, so he just had to learn to eat when it was offered or it got pulled up!

Also what is he being fed?


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## Bones333 (Sep 30, 2009)

Sorry to not clarify, he eats two meals a day, thee if we can manage it mid day. He is on Innova Puppy.


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## abi88 (Jul 2, 2008)

Bones333 said:


> Sorry to not clarify, he eats two meals a day, thee if we can manage it mid day. He is on Innova Puppy.


Have you tried adding a little bit of warm water to the kibble? or topping it with some canned food?


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

I would start with the 15 minute rule. Only leave the food down for 15 minutes then take it up until the next feeding. Your dog should learn in a few days that if he doesn't eat when the food is put down, he doesn't get to eat for a while. 

Also, Sydney used to be a major grazer until we put her on Taste of the Wild. Apparently she really loves that stuff because now I actually have trouble getting her to eat is slow enough, lol.


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## abi88 (Jul 2, 2008)

kafkabeetle said:


> I would start with the 15 minute rule. Only leave the food down for 15 minutes then take it up until the next feeding. Your dog should learn in a few days that if he doesn't eat when the food is put down, he doesn't get to eat for a while.
> 
> Also, Sydney used to be a major grazer until we put her on Taste of the Wild. Apparently she really loves that stuff because now I actually have trouble getting her to eat is slow enough, lol.


Yep I agree with both! When the boys were on kibble(TOTW) they were only allowed to have their bowls for 15 min, what ever they ate in that time they got to eat, other wise it was put away till next feeding!


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## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

kafkabeetle said:


> I would start with the 15 minute rule. Only leave the food down for 15 minutes then take it up until the next feeding. Your dog should learn in a few days that if he doesn't eat when the food is put down, he doesn't get to eat for a while.
> 
> Also, Sydney used to be a major grazer until we put her on Taste of the Wild. Apparently she really loves that stuff because now I actually have trouble getting her to eat is slow enough, lol.


I, also, am a big supporter of the 15-minute rule. It worked for my puppy who was a slow eater when we got him. He doesn't gulp his food now (which is good) but he does eat it much quicker than he used to.


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