Border Collie Feeding Amount Guidelines: How Much To Feed?
“How much should I feed my Border Collie” is the first thing comes in mind for all the first-time owners. Too much information, different opinions and conflicting answers makes it even more difficult for dog owners. Therefore, sticking to your vet’s advice is the best way forward. Feeding amount depends on several factors such as dog’s age, physical activities, and particular type of dog food you’re feeding him.
Generally the biggest mistake first time owners commits is that when they bring home a puppy, they judge how much they should feed their dog based on his hunger level. A puppy or an adult dog never refuses for food, but that doesn’t mean he is always hungry. This can lead to bad behavior problems such as “begging for food” and hyper-active behavior when he see you eating. They are always hungry and no matter how much you feed them, they will still ask for more. Therefore, make sure you don’t let him develop this bad habit of begging for food.
Feeding a Border Collie Puppy
There is not much difference between our kids and puppies when it comes to feeding them. Border Collies are energetic and requires lots of physical activities; therefore we have to feed them enough to keep them healthy and a bit more for nutritional requirements to help their body grow stronger and bigger.
Generally the best way to measure feeding amount is to follow recommended amount given on the food package. They suggest it according to dog’s weight and height. If you notice your Border collie putting on extra weight, then reduce the amount of food a bit. Never let your dog go overweight, because that is when they start picking diseases and severe health problems.
Next concern is “How often one should feed a border collie puppy throughout the day?” We recommend feeding your puppy at least 2 times a day. Make sure you make a proper feeding schedule and follow it strictly. Sometimes when first-timer owners see their Border Collie puppy chewing and biting on their shoes and clothes, they think their puppy is hungry, which is not correct, because they are not hungry but teething. It is absolutely normal and naturally happens to every puppy.
How much to feed an adult Border Collie?
Feeding an adult Border Collie is a lot easier compared to feeding a puppy. When a puppy grows into an adult dog, we don’t have to depend on dog food package instructions, because you’ll feed him based on his weight. The moment you notice your Border Collie is gaining excessive weight, immediately reduce the amount of food you give him. Or else simply cut down on his treats to keep a check on his weight. On the other hand if you think your BC is skinny, you can increase the food quantity.
If you’re asking my personal opinion, I give my dog 2 cups of dry dog food in lunch and dinner and in breakfast I give her 1 cup of oats in milk.
Every Border Collie owner should take his/her dog to vet for regular health checkups, because it helps you fix their food amount, as the first thing a vet do is to weight the dog. Based on his weight, the Vet will be able to suggest whether you need to cut down on his food to lose weight or his current weight is perfect.
Don’t blindly trust misleading recommendations of dog food packages
Let’s be honest, every dog food brand is in the business to earn money by selling their products, and the more they sell the better it is for them. Generally dog food package instructions overestimate the amount of food you should feed your dog, so the package gets finished fast and you buy a new one. Their business runs on a fact that, the more you feed your dog, the more food you’ll buy. Therefore, don’t fall in their trap and always consult your vet about how much you should feed your Border Collie.
Package instructions don’t have any idea about how physically active your dog is. For example if you have a dog that runs, plays, jumps and barks all day long, you’ll have to feed him more compared to a lazy dog that is not that active. If you feed him the suggested amount, you could turn him into a fat pig.
So in conclusion what we suggest is to use the label instruction as a general guide, but never depend on them too much. The best way to feed your border collie is regularly monitor his weight and fat percentage and accordingly increase or decrease his feeding amount.
