How often should I feed my adult dog?

Twice daily feeding - one meal in the morning and one in the evening, roughly 8–12 hours apart - is the veterinary consensus for adult dogs.

**Why twice daily?** - Maintains more stable blood glucose levels throughout the day - Reduces hunger-related anxiety and resource guarding - Allows you to monitor appetite changes, which can be an early sign of illness - For large and deep-chested breeds (Great Danes, Weimaraners, German Shepherds), smaller, more frequent meals help reduce the risk of bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus), a life-threatening condition

**How much to feed?** This depends on: - Your dog's current weight and ideal weight (if they're overweight, feed to their ideal weight, not current weight) - The caloric density of the food (varies enormously between brands and formulas) - Activity level (working dogs and highly active dogs need more; sedentary indoor dogs need less) - Life stage and health conditions (pregnant/nursing dogs need more; those with kidney disease may need restriction)

**Avoid free-feeding** (leaving food out all day) as most dogs will simply eat whenever food is available, making portion control impossible and obesity very likely.