I'm dog sitting and need help

[Anonymous]

Labs always think they’re hungry lol. This dog is fooling you.
Mine eats 2 cups a day too usually around 7am and 3pm. Right around 2pm if we’re home he gets up and sits and stares at us. Then everytime we move he bounces around thinking we’re gonna feed him… it’s all a trick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a 2yr lab and feed him 4 cups of dry food per day ( split b/w 2 meals). 4 cups is what the manufacturer recommends on the back of the bag. 2 cups seems entirely too little to me. Given all dry dog foods have different recommended daily feeding guidelines, but I cannot imagine 2 cups being correct.

It’s well known that manufacturers recommend more food than dogs actually need.
Our two 55lb poodles each get 2 cups/day.

[Anonymous]

You do what his owners said about feeding.

Labs will eat eat eat and act like being starved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Labs are considered very trainable. Want to know why? Because they are bred to be hungry so that they are food motivated and will train.

Do not feed the dog more than the owner requested.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t feed him more than the owners schedule. And ask the owner.

He’s a lab? My lab would eat herself to death if given the opportunity. Don’t fall for his tricks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Labs are considered very trainable. Want to know why? Because they are bred to be hungry so that they are food motivated and will train.

Do not feed the dog more than the owner requested.

There's sounds awful. Breed a dog to be in permanent state of suffering so it becomes a willing slave?

This is not quite right. Breeders of many types of dogs select for trainability, which us not hunger specifically. Meanwhile, researchers think about a quarter of all labs have a genetic mutation that makes them hungrier and also slows their metabolism (why you see some fat fat labs). I doubt anybody is intentionally selecting for this, because the slower metabolism isnt really desirable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How big is the dog. 2.cups of dry a day seems a little low unless the dog is generally not active.

This is not for anyone here to say. Owner gave instructions. Dog sitter follows instructions.

And agree, OP, super nice that you are dog sitting!

I agree with the pp 2 cups for a big dog seems low. I would contact the owner to see what they say.

I agree, I wonder if the owner uses a scoop that is bigger than a measuring cup? We have a 1.5 cup scoop that someone might generically call "a cup". Our small lab gets 3 measuring cups a day.
So I'd ask. But don't change anything unless the owner says. The dog won't starve.

This is why everyone has overweight dogs. Sigh. Two cups a day is plenty for an adult lab that does not get much exercise (maybe 2 walks per day?).

[Anonymous]

If it makes you feel any better my mutt 75 pound 1 year old dog eats 6 cups a day. And she is skinny! You can see her ribs!

[Anonymous]

And my 40 lb hound gets 1 cup per day under vet instruction, because she is a fattie. She also snarfs table scraps and whatever my kids drop. She’s still overweight. Follow the owner’s instructions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And my 40 lb hound gets 1 cup per day under vet instruction, because she is a fattie. She also snarfs table scraps and whatever my kids drop. She’s still overweight. Follow the owner’s instructions.

That’s so little food. I know it’s what the vet recommends but sometimes I think they are so extreme. My 30 pound dogs get 2 1/2 cups a day.

Op, I think you need to feed what the owner has specified but if you have questions about measurements, ask them. Labs are notorious eaters, so they will gobble up any food you give them and will train you to feed them more because of their puppy dog eyes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it makes you feel any better my mutt 75 pound 1 year old dog eats 6 cups a day. And she is skinny! You can see her ribs!

You need to feed a better quality food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How big is the dog. 2.cups of dry a day seems a little low unless the dog is generally not active.

This is not for anyone here to say. Owner gave instructions. Dog sitter follows instructions.

And agree, OP, super nice that you are dog sitting!

I agree with the pp 2 cups for a big dog seems low. I would contact the owner to see what they say.

It blows my mind that people are giving advice here about the dog's food. It's a 2 year old dog. I can see OP texting the owner: Are you sure 2 cups is enough food.

Why not? It can't hurt to ask. Notice I didn't say ignore what the owner said. Perhaps op walked the dog longer than the owner and its a bit hungrier? I get labs are big eaters but wouldn't you feel bad if you were underfeeding them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it makes you feel any better my mutt 75 pound 1 year old dog eats 6 cups a day. And she is skinny! You can see her ribs!

You need to feed a better quality food.

Pp - I am feeding my dog what my vet recommends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And my 40 lb hound gets 1 cup per day under vet instruction, because she is a fattie. She also snarfs table scraps and whatever my kids drop. She’s still overweight. Follow the owner’s instructions.

That’s so little food. I know it’s what the vet recommends but sometimes I think they are so extreme. My 30 pound dogs get 2 1/2 cups a day.

Op, I think you need to feed what the owner has specified but if you have questions about measurements, ask them. Labs are notorious eaters, so they will gobble up any food you give them and will train you to feed them more because of their puppy dog eyes.

And my 60 lb gets 2 cups per day and is happy and healthy.

[Anonymous]

OP- can you check what brand this food is?