Do dogs require a literal time for feeding or is it more a pattern?

[trentak]

or "the importance of circadian rhythms in canids?"

I really want to get a dog, I miss having one in my home. I know dogs should be fed at the same time every day but is it a literal time or more a matter of pattern?

I basically live on a 26ish hour schedule rather than a 24 one so this means the time I wake up, have meals, go to bed, etc changes over time.

If I do get a dog he/she will probably be fed around breakfast & dinner (IE at a specific point in my "day") but breakfast & dinner won't be be the same time (8am&6pm, 10am&8pm, 12pm&10pm, etc)

Not looking for anecdotal advice, I tried AskAVet but I'm not sure if this is medical enough and they don't seem to have many actual vets.

EDIT: It's been mentioned I didn't explain my odd schedule well enough. Since it's 26+ hours long and the day is 24 it shifts forward 2+ hours every day. EX: I woke up at 10am today (april 20) and I'll hit the sack at 4am (april 21). Tomorrow I'll wake up at noon (april 21) and go to sleep at 6am (april 22). I find the day is over too fast on a 24 hour clock and I'm self employed so nothing is stopping me from doing this.

 

[boymom925]

@trentak All I know is my dogs have never died from being fed 2 hours late. But I'm interested to see what others have to say on this topic. I think size and age of the dog is probably the most important factor. A puppy or an older diabetic dog, or even a toy breed, all benefit from a stricter regimen due to blood sugar concerns. A healthy md/lg adult on the other hand can handle some fluctuations without incident.

 

[drew2ube]

@trentak Someone else said this, but feeding at/around specific times of day can help prevent behavior related issues in dogs. For puppies, it's also helpful to feed at certain times of day to help with potty training. Some dogs need to be fed at certain intervals for medical conditions.

In general, an hour or two difference won't hurt. Some people do a lot of training with their dogs and don't feed out of a bowl at all - their dogs get their daily rations throughout the day. Feeding out of food puzzles can extend the time it takes for a dog to finish consuming a meal.

So long as the dog is healthy and potty trained and is fed at fairly regular intervals (like morning and evening), I wouldn't worry so much about the "when". It's more important to make sure the dog is fed a high quality food that is a good match for the dog (in terms of digestion, bowel movements, taste, etc.) and that the dog is fed no less than 2 times per day.

 

[pudhayavan]

@drew2ube On the flip side of this, there are also those that advocate against having a schedule, because it can lead to the dogs patterning the day, and getting distressed if you deviate.

i.e. if you always wake up, feed, drink coffee, go walkies - then the day that you have to skip walkies because you have a doctors appointment and were going to walk them after, that's the day you come home to a destroyed house.

Obviously not in all cases, and obviously I'm exaggerating for effect, but those folks advocate for no pattern/schedule because then you can work for 'it's always time to chill, food and play will come when they come, not at 5pm, don't get worked up'

 

[drew2ube]

@pudhayavan This is totally true too!

 

[trentak]

@drew2ube

fed at fairly regular intervals (like morning and evening)

To be clear, since my day is essentially 26 hours long the dogs meal times, and other things, will end up moving forward 2ish hours every day. In other words, at some point in the cycle it'll be something like breakfast at 1am, dinner at 11 in the morning, and bed at 5pm.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@trentak Food-related stress depends on a dogs food drive, some really just dont care about when they eat.. Others care about food too much, like labradors. The dogs wont starve, obviously, and occasionally you'll see it remarked that it doesnt hurt for a dog to occasionally miss one meal - not that you plan for it.

AskAVet threads sometimes just dont pick up traction, but they occasionally get asked odd questions like yours - I'd post.

Or, call around to local vets in your area. You'll need to know one after you get a dog anyway.

 

[pastorjal]

@trentak My dog and I eat on my adhd schedule. Two meals happen, But they happen at weird times. Hes not a big foodie though and skips meals by person choice sometimes

 

[legend28]

@trentak My dogs are fed dinner any time between 4pm and 10pm. They don't need to be fed at a certain time, and feeding them at the exact same time every day usually causes them to start to demand dinner (pestering you, vocalizing) and throw up bile.

Puppies need to be fed ideally 4x/day until they are about 3-4 months old, then 3x/day, and at 6 months you can go to twice a day. If you get a toy breed that is less than 10-15 lbs you might want to continue 3x/day as they are more prone to hypoglycemia.

 

[trevamerocki]

@trentak I rarely eat my meals at the same time everyday. I think I turned out fine.

Jokes aside, if you are very concered about this issue or the dog u get may display behavior that is best suited for fixed-time feeding, get one of those auto feeders. I mostly work from home these days, but somtimes I need to leave home for long periods (12hrs+), I turn on the auto feeder so my dog can still have regular meals.

 

[trentak]

@trevamerocki 12+ hours? Your dog must have a cast-iron bladder.

 

[trevamerocki]

@trentak It's only for rare occasions, like once or twice a month. I've been looking for a school that can help me train him to go potty on pads so he doesn't have to hold it but couldn't make an arrangement atm.

 

[freerangechristian]

@trentak Shifting a dogs feeding schedule by a couple hours to accommodate your work schedule is just fine, your dog will acclimate to your lifestyle. They won’t become ill or food insecure simply because they’ve had to wait a couple hours for their meal, they’ll begin to understand and trust you’ll feed him everyday. They really are very smart! What a dog might do is start bothering you for a meal earlier, but they can wait until you decide to feed them, it won’t cause a medical problem. Hence, why the vets on the r/askavet subreddit probably didn’t answer you; It’s not really a medical question but a lifestyle choice question. They kinda just gloss over those. Dogs do thrive on routine; knowing what to expect and when is how you’ll get a dog trained and living a balanced happy life. And given you’re still keeping a routine, just shifting it, that seems perfectly doable. Be prepared though that the dog might start to wake you on the late days when they start to feel hungry. But it won’t hurt him to have him wait an hour or two. You just might not get the sleep you’re wanting on those late mornings, as they can really be persistent little rascals

 

[americandeist]

@trentak There are electric feeders you can program for the same time…

 

[trentak]

@americandeist I know those exist but the problem there is I will end up waking up to either my dog demanding to be let out, or crapping on the floor because it fed him a few minutes after I hit the sack.

 

[americandeist]

@trentak Yeah, your issue is not feeding but an impossible schedule for walks etc.

I would recommend a cat with an automatic feeder. Cats won’t care about your schedule and just adjust.

Edit: I don’t think people understood your schedule until you added that it shifts every day 2 hours. So their advice is kind of moot. I didn’t get it at first either.

I really don’t think a dog is the right pet for this schedule.

So why in the world do you have to follow it?

 

[trentak]

@americandeist I don't mind being outside at night, I live in Canada where it's relatively safe. Don't like cats much.

I don't have to follow this schedule, I find the day is over too soon with a normal one and since I'm self-employed I don't have to base my day around a 9-5.

 

[americandeist]

@trentak Just based off this short thread, I feel like a cat would fit your personality.

You like things the way you like, you don’t want to adjust your lifestyle to others. Maybe a bit stubborn…

But maybe you just remind me way too much of my brother who has a similar schedule except he is doing something along 30 hour days…

He is very happy with his two cats now. They play fetch and are so engaged and fun. Just got to pick a good personality and get two of them.