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Dog Behavior: How Your Dog's Hunger May Result In Problematic Behavior
Many dogs switch themselves to once-a-day feedings between 6 months and 1 1/2 years of age by turning up their noses at either the morning or evening meal. Most people interpret this behavior as a clue that the pet needs only one meal a day. What is probably happening, though, is that the dog no longer needs rapid growth nutrients and is entering the maintenance stage. In many dogs, maintenance requires a little more than one-half of growth needs.
So the owner naively starts feeding once a day, which leaves the dog with an empty stomach for most of its waking hours. This results in "hunger tension," a phenomenon not hard to imagine when nature's fuel gauge reads 'empty' for more than 12-14 hours a day.
Dogs digest food in their stomachs longer than humans, probably because canine saliva has no discernible digestive enzyme function. Dogs, as carnivores, are designed by nature to rip, tear and gulp, so it makes sense that their gastric juices require more time to sufficiently break down food before it enters the small intestine. It is not hard to imagine the consequences of cutting an accustomed two feedings down to one per day. Some dogs adapt to the change, though many owners give their once-a-day eaters tidbits around the time of their former feeding. Dogs often develop oral behavior problems, such as pica, chewing, stealing food or begging at the table.
The reason some animals require only one, and others two meals a day is mainly due to the rate at which they metabolize their food. Other elements of the environment can bear on the situation as well. The amount of exercise a dog undertakes spontaneously, or is stimulated to undertake, affects food intake; even the temperature. For these reasons, two meals a day are recommended in problem cases. This requires feeding half the once-a-day ration twice daily.
Coming Up With A Feeding Schedule
Feeding schedules can play a significant role in problem behavior. If these are too near to the regular departure or arrival times of the owners, any change in the schedule because of unexpected delays or early departures can upset the routine - and the dog. This is especially true when feedings are given immediately after the owner's arrival at home in the afternoon or evening. If the owner is late, the dog has double-trouble. The emotional ritual of the greeting is frustrated and the gastric schedule of the animal is violated.
Therefore, even though this practice may not appear clearly to be part of the problem, it is worthwhile to schedule feedings at least an hour before the owner's departure and an hour after homecoming on regular workdays. The same schedule is used on weekends, at least until the problem is cleared up. This affects the social schedules of some owners, but it can help to solve problems.
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