- I know you get dogs who are not greedy and all of mine have slowed down as they have aged. Trip is actually quite sensible about food now!

Although Skip never did!

I just find it interesting - I may try free feeding next pup and see if it makes a difference ......

I have done both.

When we only had Holly we free fed here and she grassed all day on her food. She soon realised not to do it though when we had other dogs to stay.

Our pups now get fed 150g in the morning and the same amount at night. Thistle won't eat her food straight away but her brother will eat his and god forbid if he ever goes near her bowl.

My cousins dogs share the same bowl of food and free feed. I thought this was a bit odd as she has a boxer (gorgeous red/white) and a wire haired JRT, but they are both in good health, neither are over or under weight so it must work for them.

See Sadie has only ever had one meal at a certain time for 8 and a half years (she was fed 3 times a day for first six months then weaned onto one)

and she is a very fussy eater - she has biscuits at my OH's but when her owner tried to change her onto biscuits at her home she wouldnt eat them yet she'll eat anything at mine and at my OH's.

Of course she has no choice all I have is biscuits - she either eats them or starves

I only free feed in this weather now cos all the bounding about in the snow has made them uber hungry - but I only put a cup full out to last them the day instead of the dish full they get when I set time them and then they get another at meal times but they can go and get the little they have when they are hungry. But are still pretty much on a set time.

I know I shouldnt do it cos they'll end up getting used to it - but Sadie can get into our fridge and has when she was hungry stolen food from it and now we have Louie - she's teaching him things - I'm sure she is But as I am at my paretns and most of Louie's food is at my OH's and I only have the 4 days I was going to be here with me - I'm rationing it lol, I have managed to get some more though - although it isnt his usual.

I would never free feed, but couldn't even if I wanted to. I'd have bloated obese hippos instead of dogs!

Never done it myself. My main fear would be bloat with them over-gorging themselves, which would be easy for my oldie, I like to know how much they have at each meal, and I would also be worried about walking them coz I'd never know whether they'd eaten or not - no, not for me I'm afraid.

I feel so at home with you lot

Before I came into the picture and up until we got Louie, Benjie was always free fed and it annoyed me and I was there thinking - he doesnt even eat whats put down and it's meat so it goes off quicker than biscuits...

So now Louie's here and he is on biscuits only (I'm mean but I find dog meat to be rubbish) Benjie is fed once a day and eats the lot - but no more wasted meat

I dont get why people leave food down unless they have to for reasons. I suppose like CM says "There are dog lovers then there are Knowledgable dog lovers" - I thought that was a good quote from him

My OH's parents excuse for leaving it down was cos then he;d always have food and if people came round he wouldnt look not looked after - I guess it was another "He's a rescue" excuse

I personally would never free feed any of mine as I think it's difficult to maintain the weight of your dog, they wont have a routine of going to the toilet thus making accidents more likely to happen and it devalues food.

My dogs get set meal times of 8am and around 5pm.

My dogs are fed more or less twice a day due to both breeds being prone to bloat/GDV and I like to maintain blood glucose levels at a steady level.

However they often get fed when they are being trained rather than just being given food for free in a bowl and I have no set times as I do not like my dogs telling ME when it is time to do anything let alone eat!

None of my dogs would ever graze anyway, they gobble it up because it has a great deal of value to them because it is never freely available.

I also like to the be the one that controls access to all valuable resources at all times!

Control freak me?!

Ollie my GSP was an only dog for a while as a pup and he was free fed because he was so skinny. Free feeding stopped when we got another greedy dog but Ollie grew up with a very relaxed attitude to kibble. He would happily allow another dog to eat out of his bowl at the same time as him and would often leave some. That all changed dramatically when I changed them over to raw. Now he gobbles his down as fast as he can and watches Dusty from a polite distance in case he leaves any. There is no sharing now at all!

I feed around 9ish in the morning and then again at around 4pm, they eat then i take up the bowls.