Dropping from 4 meals to 3

[zobalina77]

My pup is now 16 weeks old and still on 4 meals a day. I was wondering when to drop down to 3 bigger meals. I've heard that they will naturally start to not bother about one of the meals and that's when to drop, but he's a staffie and I know from experience that won't happen 😂 Can't remember from previous dog when we changed.

He wolfs every meal down quickly, even a slow feeder doesn't slow him much. He does get sick in the car if I take him out within a couple of hours after a meal, so could avoid this more easily if on 3 a day.

I think we reduced from 4 to 3 at about that age with my labs. (Still feed 3 now even though they're 2&4)

I've never had a pup, only rescued older staffs, but my 9yr old can tell the time! How you cut out a meal, I do not know. My old lady taps my head in the morning at exactly 7am and starts dancing as it comes up to 5pm and that's having had a few treats along the way.

I just wanted to wish you luck. Staffies do love their food! Mine has even pulled over the bird table to get at the bird seed, sigh...

I dropped to three meals at 12 weeks and to two meals at 6 months.

My last staff knew the time as well, had to feed him like clockwork or he'd stare at me like I'd ruined his day.

I think I'm going to try 3 meals tomorrow and see what happens. I think it'll do him good to have 3 bigger meals.

I've always had Labs, which are the same about food. I took the food from meal 4 and added it to the meals at the beginning and end of day, then made sure the in-between meal was halfway. For a few days we went out and about at previous mealtimes to break the connection. It was then easy to drop the middle meal later, though again I would plan an excursion around lunchtime. They all have excellent clocks in their tums!