Chapter 8: Establishing aFeed, Water and Park

Schedule

It is very important that dog guides establish and maintain a consistent feed, water and park schedule. In this way the dog can be monitored as to when it needs to relieve itself. It is generally recommended that a dog receives between four and five scheduled park times a day. In most cases dry kibble is given twice a day and water is offered between three and four times a day. By regulating the food and water the handler will better be able to monitor the dog’s weight and general well being. The advantages of a routine are listed below.

  • The food can be measured and fed in equal parts within a 24 hour period
  • The dog’s weight can be closely monitored
  • Accidental elimination in the home will be less likely to occur
  • By parking on leash the handler will be able to determine the status of the dog’s stools, firm, loose, watery etc.
  • The dog will remain healthy by allowing it to have consistent park times and avoid urinary tract infections

The instructors will outline the class feed, water and park schedule which will help to establish a consistent parking routine for the dogs.

Instructors will monitor each individual dog’s parking habits and adjust them as necessary. Some dogs may need to be parked before workouts, have additional park times added or stopped to park after several blocks and or be allowed to park on grass if need be. The main goal is that the handlers get the dogs to be as consistent as possible with their parking routines. By doing this it prevents accidental elimination during workouts or when working indoors. The students will quickly learn their dog’s habits and be able to monitor and manage their park routines independently of the instructors.

Once home some handlers may opt to feed the dog once a day instead of twice. Most dogs can adjust to this but there are many benefits to the twice a day feeding schedule. By feeding twice a day the dog’s stomach has fewer hours in a day where it will be empty. Certain dogs may begin to throw up bile, a yellow liquid substance that the stomach emits. If this begins to occur go back to the twice a day schedule. Most dogs seem to enjoy and look forward to the two meals a day. A Labrador is always thrilled to start of their day with a meal.

In addition once in the home some handlers will opt. to feed their dog in the morning and immediately take the dog out to park. This can be particularly helpful to those handlers living in apartments where they have to take an elevator down to the outside. Handlers will soon learn their dogs and be able to tell if this system will work for them. It tends to work well if the handler is an early riser, needing to get ready for work. These handlers are generally feeding very early around 5 or 6 and then the dog is immediately taken out to park. In this case the dog has only been holding it for 7-8 hours.

For handlers that do not rise out of bed this early and may be taking their dogs out closer to 7 Am., they should opt. for taking the dog out first and then feeding. It is all about timing and learning your own dog. Keeping in mind that more park times is better then less. If you think about your own needs and if you were restricted as to when you could go to the bathroom, it will help you be empathetic to your dog’s needs.

If you end up cutting back on park times you again could be risking the health of your dog and the possibility of having accidents on route, indoors or inside the home.