By Nathaniel Rhine
Yes, you read the title of this blog correctly. One should feed your American Pit Bull on time and I will tell you why and how to do so. Firstly, let’s make it very clear that dogs are not humans; yet, they are very similar to humans, in a sense that both humans and dogs do things out of habit, be they good or bad. Let’s think positive, shall we.
As humans, we on an average eat three times a day; once in the morning, again around noon time and again in the evening. We have cultivated this habit since we were very young. Actually, our parents helped to instill that in us. The American Pit Bull Terrier is no different. In no way am I suggesting that one should teach one’s dog to eat three times a day at the same times that we do. What I am suggesting is that as responsible American Pit Bull Terrier owners, we should teach them to eat at a scheduled time, everyday.
Please bare in mind that not all American Pit Bull Terrier owners will feed their dog three times a day. Some do. I personally feed Soldier, my American Pit Bull Terrier once a day, in the late evening. The reason being is that it takes the stomach approximately 24 hours to fully digest a meal. It takes approximately 24 hours for the body to utilize the nutrients and vitamins and all the other good things that comes from a good meal. So logically, if the American Pit Bull Terrier is to eat three meals a day, he then would not be able to receive a complete breakdown of all the vitamins and nutrients that he will need from his meal. One would be putting a tremendous amount of work on the dog’s stomach to digest such a great amount of food daily.
Therefore, I have chosen to feed Soldier once a day. If you are one to feed your dog two or three threes a day, I am not saying that it is wrong, but it may be wise to reduce the size of each meal. I intend to talk more about that in future articles, God willing.
As I mentioned earlier, I feed Soldier once a day in the late evening. Without fail I would feed him at that time, because that is the time in which I return home from praying. It works well with my daily routine and schedule. That’s the key word; routine or shall I say habit. Make it a habit to feed your dog according to your daily routine. Make your dog’s eating time a routine as well.
As humans, when we have our meals, we do not sit at the table all day to eat do we? We have a period of time in which we eat our meals. Breakfast may be for 20 minutes. Lunch may be about 30 minutes, minus all the small talk we may have with our colleagues etc. And dinner may be 40 minutes to an hour, depending if you eat as a family at the table. In general we have a time frame in which we eat each meal. Likewise, when it comes to feeding our American Pit Bull Terrier, one should set a time in which he should finish his meal. For Soldier, I give him a maximum of one hour to eat. Actually, after I walk him for about 45 minutes to an hour before he has his meal, he is starving. After a good workout, he usually finishes his meal in several minutes. It’s even scary at time to see him eat like there’s no tomorrow.
What do I do after the one hour has elapsed? I remove the food bowl. That’s right. I will remove the food bowl, indicating to Soldier that his time is up. Meal time is over. By making it a routine, your American Pit Bull Terrier will get the point. There is no need for him to wear a watch either. He will know what time it is automatically.
The key here is that you as a responsible American Pit Bull Terrier owner will have to be consistent in the time(s) you feed your dog and the time you remove the food bowl from your dog’s reach. It may appear to be hard to do at first, but once you see the benefits, you will be glad that you did.
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