Eating on holiday?

Hi,
Looking for some more advice from my Dogsey friends!

My once fussy dog now eats well when following a fairly regular routine, but won’t eat in the morning. In a few weeks, we’re taking her to a holiday cottage with us for the first time. I’m puzzling over how to deal with her feeding schedule when she’s “out and about” with us. The ideal solution would be for her to have a small morning meal before we go out, and be fed again in the evening. But as she rarely eats before at least 12 noon, I’m not sure how to handle this. Knowing her, she won’t eat on the go (unless it’s bits from our picnic!).

I’m contemplating exercising her earlier in the day to try and encourage her to eat at least a very small meal before we go out. I’m happy to let her have a few healthy titbits from our picnic, but don’t want her to see this as a substitute for her dog food (I had this problem when she was a puppy, although people food works well now as a reward).

Any suggestions? Perhaps I’m just being too anxious about this issue?

HHmmm, Max is a little like this. He generally doesn't like change, and often will not eat breakfast for a few days on holiday.

I tend to set breakfast down, and take it up again if he doesn't eat. We'll then go off for the day. I usually take treats with me anyway, maybe a dentastick or small chew for 'down times' as well as tidbits was walking etc.

I'll then do tea as normal. I find that after a few days, Max eats in the morning, as he knows we are doing exercise/outings etc. and doesn't want to be hungry.

Could you feed a small meal of tasty wet dog food in the morning (my two love wet food, though it's a rare treat) just to give her something in her tummy?

My dogs eat like starving wolves on holiday. I`d be tempted to relax the rules and see how it goes. Some dogs only have one meal a day any - but I bet after a couple of days she`ll be joining you for a Full English in the morning!

That's a tricky one - maybe, as long as she won't be excercising on a full stomach you could take her food with you and feed her first meal after 12noon, perhaps some tasty wet dog food when you are having your picnic?

At the end of the day, if she is not having her brek, but a slightly larger meal at tea time she won't starve for the time you are away. You could her two teatimes a few hours apart, say at 5pm and 8pm?

She has wet food for her dinner (dry at lunch) and used to have wet for brek also. Trouble is, when she isn't hungry, she won't even eat her favourite dog treats, funny little thing.

I know I'm being neurotic but I do hate her going out on an empty tummy, so if all else fails, I might fall back on the Nutri Gel I used to give her as a puppy when she wouldn't eat anything else.

She'll definitely eat in the evening, so I'm sure she won't suffer from malnutrition if she misses a few meals during the week! Thanks for the reassurance.

Have you tried Nature Diet - most dogs like it, and it is in cartons so can be carried around if you are out for the day?