Shih Tzu – Should You Free Feed Or Feed By Meals?

It is medical fact that a dog’s digestive system is designed
more to gorge. For this one reason alone, I suggest feeding your
shih tzu by “meals.” If you leave food out all the time, and I
have fed my shih tzu with free feeding, so I know about what
they will do…..they will eat, and eat, eat….until they will
become overweight and have soft, runny stools. Most of us just
hate “runny stools.” One way to avoid them is to not “free
feed.” You need to divide your shih tzu’s food into meals. So
how many meals should that be? Try feeding an adult shih tzu 3/4
cup to 1 cup of dry kibble “twice” per day. This would mean a
morning meal and an evening meal. Some dog nutritionists even
suggest just one meal per day. So you would divide your 3/4 cup
or 1 cup of dry kibble into 1/2 cups for two meals.

Another good reason to feed your shih tzu in meals is that you
will know exactly when the shih tzu slows down eating or stops
eating, which is a sure warning sign, the shih tzu may be ill.

If you have more than one shih tzu or other pets in the house to
feed, you minimize your pet’s opportunities to guard his food.
If there is always food in the bowl, your pets, or just one of
them might decide to protect this valuable resource and the
territory around, thus creating some behavior problems. If the
food bowl is picked up when it’s empty, the feeding area becomes
neutral to all the pets in the household. Unless you have a
“Duke” in the house. Duke believes all food bowls belong to him,
all food belongs to him, all the girls belong to him, and that
he should be a privileged shih tzu to be able to go through any
door that is opened, etc., etc. Duke is a whole other story at
Stain Glass Shih Tzu. Duke also walks with me by putting his
head through my legs and actually walks along with me for a few
minutes. I think he is saying to me: “I am right up there with
you, I can even take the same steps as you take.” I think Duke
really, really admires me or something. And I sure do like Duke
also. That is why I sort of play his games of him wanting to
lead the show with me. I am not certain, however, that he truly
realizes between he and I, that I am the actual leader. Then
again, maybe he does. Duke is such a character. I have a lot of
fun with Duke just watching him be himself. Visit us at Stain
Glass Shih Tzu website to see what Duke looks like. Every now
and then, you will have a shih tzu that is extra unique in some
way. Duke is one of them.

You can take advantage of training your shih tzu about the
higher-ranking member of your social group. You are not the
“alpha dog.” Your shih tzu knows you are not a dog. You are a
member of his social group. You are the leader of the entire
pack, whether your pack consists of you and 4 shih tzu or other
pets, or whether your pack consists of just you and one shih
tzu, you are the leader of your particular household pack. The
leader controls the “good stuff.” If the “good stuff” (the food)
is available all the time, your dog controls it. If you, as the
leader, choose to share some of your food with him out of the
goodness of your heart, and he performs a deference behavior
such as sit or down to get you to share, you’re reinforcing a
healthy relationship.

I had a comical experience with one of my pregnant moms lately.
She was residing in the cottage, where she actually loves to
stay. She never tries to go anywhere else. Since she has become
pregnant I want her in the house so I can give her extra meals
separate of the rest of the gang. The first night I tried this,
she fought me like crazy as I picked her up to bring her in the
main house. The next night, she hid under the cottage porch at
the time she suspected I was going to bring her in. I had to let
her dwell there for a couple of nights. I couldn’t catch her in
time. She outsmarted me on this and I imagine she was delighted
she did. The next time I tried to catch her, I did it at a
different time of day and caught her off guard (I outsmarted
her). I brought her in and each time I would get her inside, I
would take her straight to an extra bowl of food with something
enticing added as well (I do this for my pregnant and nursing
moms). Finally, she started just preferring to come in where I
wanted her to be. Bianca thought she did not need me for
anything. She is pregnant, but she thinks she has no use for me
even in her pregnancy, until she figured out I was a hand that
was feeding her. And not only that, I was giving her extra
attention and extra feed, of which she could not get hid under
porch. She is now convinced I am important to her, and
cooperates as she should. Incidentally, Bianca is expecting
babies by our famous Dukie Boy (Duke I talked about above).
Bianca is the daughter of my Cindy. Cindy has a keen
intelligence about her and many of her offpsring have been just
like her. Bianca is one of them. Bianca’s father was Bert (of
whom I no longer have). Bert was a gorgeous silver/blue. The
match of Bianca and Duke went so well the last time, I decided
to mate them again. They both have the imperial/teacup genes in
their background and they produced imperials and teacups, even
though they themselves are the standard size shih tzu.

You can use their meals as a training method to suit your needs,
that is, if you serve them meals, rather than to free feed.

You can also control their weight. If they look too skinney,
increase the amount. If they look like they are getting too fat,
decrease the food.

I favor feeding shih tzu in meals as you can tell from reading
this article.