Can't you just feed the same food to any type of dog, no matter their age, breed, or size. Actually, no! Large and small breeds of dogs have very different nutritional needs. These needs are about much more than just how much food goes in the dog bowl.
Small breed dogs need more calories and nutrients per pound of body weight than large breed dogs. While it's not harmful for small breed dogs to eat large breed food, they will not get the specific nutrition they need to maintain their high metabolism and support their overall health.
Because smaller dogs have more energy than larger breeds, they need extra calories to meet those needs. Large dogs may wolf down more food but they have different nutritional requirements, including ingredients that support joint health and overall movement.
Do Big Dogs See Small Dogs As Prey? Dogs typically recognize another from their own species, though it is possible for large dogs to think small dogs are prey, and they may lunge, chase, even kill small dogs. Stop immediately if either dog shows signs of prey fixation: stalking, stiffness, staring and lunging.
If your dogs are similar in nutritional needs, size, and activity levels, you can feed them all the same food, but you should not force the same food on all of your dogs just to simplify your life. This guide covers the best dog food for different breeds, ages, and sizes.
Sharing or Stealing Food
First, it's important that dogs each have their own food bowl. It's okay to have a community water bowl, but each dog should get their own helping in a separate bowl. Ideally, each dog gets their meal at the same time and finishes at the same time.
Only mix foods for the same species and life stage (i.e. don't mix dog and cat food, or puppy and adult food together). Make sure both foods are nutritionally complete and balanced, with similar nutrient profiles.
Smaller breeds may choke on large pieces of food if they're in too much of a hurry to chew their food into manageable bits. Large dogs may clog their own throats with fistfuls of too-small kibble as it hits the back of the throat.
The overall size of the kibble is important too as smaller dogs will struggle to chew on to large of pieces of kibble, and larger dogs may end up swallowing small kibble without chewing. You can often find kibble formulated specifically for your size of dog to ensure it meets his needs.
Unless they are fast eaters, there is no real danger of choking. If bigger dogs are fed small kibble, it might result in them swallowing without actually chewing the kibble. However, small kibble is very beneficial for their smaller cousins.
Dogs should eat at least two meals each day, about 12 hours apart. But a breakfast, lunch, and dinner schedule is an equally great option. If more than 12 hours elapses between meals, the stomach can become hyperacidic causing nausea.
Small breed adult dogs require more calories-per-pound than large dogs, and they also need smaller kibbles, which is why diets especially formulated for small breeds are usually best. However, while small dogs might need more calories per pound than larger dogs, that does not mean that owners should overfeed them.
Most large adult dogs should be fed two or three times per day, depending on your schedule and your dog's specific needs. Leaving food out for dogs is not generally recommended, as it can lead to obesity and other health problems.
Giant breeds (those that weigh 90 pounds or more when fully grown) may benefit from continuing to eat a large-breed puppy food until they are around 24 months old. Your veterinarian can help you determine the right time for your pup to make the transition to adult dog food.
The main difference is that large breed puppy food has less calories as compared to regular puppy food to support their slower growing large breed needs. This is because larger breeds are not considered adult dogs until they are 18-24 months old, explains pet nutritionist Mark Finke, PhD.
Adult dogs – particularly the large and giant breeds – can be maintained on one meal a day, while small breeds, which have a higher metabolic rate may require two feeds per day to meet their energy requirements.
Feed the dogs in separate rooms. Only let the dogs interact with each other under supervision. Usually different size dogs have different nutrition needs and kibble sizes, so keeping their feeding areas separate will also keep costs down.
How much do I feed? We understand every dog is different. We recommend that in general your dog should consume around 2% to 3% of its body weight per day. Therefore a dog weighing 5kg should be eating approximately 100g of food per day.
Unlike us, our canine pals don't need variety. They're fine eating the same thing all the time. Once you find a food that works well for your dog, stick with it. Changing types or brands of food can make your dog sick.
This is why mixing wet and dry food can be so beneficial. It's the best of both worlds. Combining the two will bring balance to your dog's diet, offering up a complete and more rounded mealtime that covers a wider range of nutrients. More variety, different textures, contrasting flavours.
Other than when you are switching from one food to another, it's not a good idea to feed different foods at the same time. Your dog might enjoy a mix of half this and half that, but if he suddenly exhibits a digestive problem, it will be harder to track down the offending ingredients.
To create and maintain healthy habits and relationships between pets, make sure they eat separately. Don't allow dogs to share bowls at mealtime, and create different locations in your home where you feed each one so that they don't feel like they need to scarf or protect the food.
Have ALL of your dogs SIT/DOWN while you prepare their food bowls. Next, place the food bowls in front of each dog in the designated order. Release your dogs to eat saying your chosen release word. Lastly, have each dog SIT/DOWN after they finish eating and STAY until you pick up the bowls and release them.
Separating and Supervising
When it's time to eat, start off by supervising your pets. Place their bowls in different locations in the same room, and keep a physical separator between the two. If your dog is overzealous but not aggressive, you can simply guide them away from the other dog's food.