Automatic feeders

[mdbeagler]

How many of you guys keep your dogs on automatic feeders, compared to feeding everyday?

[Anderson Upland Beagles]

I have them in the kennel but just use them when i go away for few days also have someone check on them .while im gone ...

[Joeyman]

I use them on my kennels. I love them and the dogs do just fine on them. But they've been on them since they were puppies. I don't know what would happen if you were to switch an adult dog to and auto feeder. It may over eat.

[mdbeagler]

I think most adult dogs will adapt. Some will over eat; but most will eat what they need.

[Buckshot101]

I have had luck with my bassets and 1 coonhound with feeders........They were raised on a self feeder.

As far as the adult coonhounds, they are hand fed as they think self feeders means eat it all at once.

[chris fuson]

i dont use them beause my dogs arent smart enough to knw when to quit........kinda like the guy at the bar on a friday night.........just 1 more......lol....my uncle uses them and every year thru the summer his dogs get huge...........then it takes him most or all the gun season to really get them back in shape and the weight off.........dont understand him............ but thete not my dogs.....

[wildcatfan0309]

seen alot off guys that use them have overwieght dogs
i feed everyday instead

[xdawg2]

Personally i use feeding time as another chance to rub on thier heads (personal contact is important)..

Jack

[modock kennels]

i agree xdawg, i enjoy every evenin goin and feedin my dogs automatic feeders would take the fun out of it

[kgsc68]

I have always used feeders. My pups are weaned on feeders. I've had several types of hounds over the years and had only one that would not stop eating. I still interact with them every day when I clean the kennels. They also never fight over food because they have it 24/7.

[Buckshot101]

Personally i use feeding time as another chance to rub on thier heads (personal contact is important)..

i agree xdawg, i enjoy every evenin goin and feedin my dogs automatic feeders would take the fun out of it)

Guys, feeders don't cut out personal contact and interacting with your dogs.............I interact with all my dogs everyday.

Being lazy and ignoring the dogs is what keeps people from interacting with their dogs. I know a few guys who hand feed their dogs but that is all they do when they go to feed -- just throw the food in the bowl. Not much of personal contact.

What you make and do with your dogs has no bearing on how you feed your dog.

Dogs can be ignored with self feeders or hand feeding.

[Ky. Hunter]

I use feeders with my pups until they are 5--6 months old and then I hand feed them and I use feeders when I am going to be out of town for a couple of days. I keep my Rottweiler on an automatic feeder and he eats less per month if I keep him on the feeder than he does if I hand feed him and maintains the same weight rather on the feeder or hand fed.

[andrew_kirby]

ya you guys all have good points and a few of you mentioned about overweight dogs and that is true that some beagles just eat and eat but there is also some dogs that eat a little out of the feeders and still are overweight. The most important thing when using self feeders especially is your dog food selection. For instance i have two male and a female the males are 1 and 10mnths the female is in the other above ground and is 3 yrs. The males in probably two to three times the food she eats out of the feeder but shes the one i have a problem with weight. The males metabolism are faster and the food better fits them but she doesnt even close to as much and keeps a little more weight on than they do because her metabolism isnt as fast shes older and just likes to lay around in her kennel. The overweight dogs you see come hunting season are from the guys that feed cheap food or dont let there dogs out all summer and then expect them to be able to run.

So pretty much self feeders are a great thing they dont consume as much food they control when they eat but you have to have them on a good food for them and atleast let them out of the kennel just to run around everyday.

O and fresh water everyday it helps to keep them processing there food and helps the food expand to control hunger
JUST MY TWO CENTS

[S.R.Patch]

So the moral of the story is, if you've the time to interact with your hounds every day, don't throw their food in a tin box to sit for days and go stale and grow mold, or draw birds, bugs or other disease carrying rats and rodents, give it fresh each day and tell them how much you think of them.
For over thirty years I watched as time honored anniversary gifts were hand delivered to employee by head of plant Superintendent, now, you check a box on the gift selection card and it's mailed to your house for your convenience, how special is that ...by the way, when they started this practice, I never selected my 30 year anniversary gift, it never got mailed to my house, and they never even noticed... ... I wonder now, for "who's" convenience this practice was started...
The old saying, "throw the dog a bone" has great meaning to the Dog...

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

So the moral of the story is, if you've the time to interact with your hounds every day, don't throw their food in a tin box to sit for days and go stale and grow mold, or draw birds, bugs or other disease carrying rats and rodents, give it fresh each day and tell them how much you think of them.
For over thirty years I watched as time honored anniversary gifts were hand delivered to employee by head of plant Superintendent, now, you check a box on the gift selection card and it's mailed to your house for your convenience, how special is that ...by the way, when they started this practice, I never selected my 30 year anniversary gift, it never got mailed to my house, and they never even noticed... ... I wonder now, for "who's" convenience this practice was started...
The old saying, "throw the dog a bone" has great meaning to the Dog...

Very good reply Patch, very good indeed. +1