But I think he's hungry?

[Kissyperry]

My boy will be 10 months old tomorrow, he weighs a bit over 80lbs. He looks to be in perfect shape, not chubby, not thin- coat is shiny and soft. He's very active and usually very well behaved. I switched him over from TSC's 4 Health Lamb and Rice- which I really, really liked -but he pooped too much and usually not very solid. He ate 6 cups of that divided by 2 feedings a day. He's been eating Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice for about a month now. He's only eating 4 cups of that a day. It seems to be doing really great for him, staying happy,healthy,shiny, good weight, much better poops.....but he seems really hungry now :-( He runs to the food container more than he ever used to ,he sits and watches us eat now (he doesn't ever get people food) , he stole a burger off the counter last night. This could be total behavior, but as good as he's been and remains with everything else, I just have the gut feeling - he's hungry. I thought about trying to divide his feedings into 3 again, like I did when he was little- but it's not very plausible right now, 2 works well for the household...is that my only option? I don't want to feed him too much and get his system all messed up. Any ideas?

[bocron]

By 10mos, once a day is fine. Dogs are ALWAYS hungry, it is programmed! Especially teenagers, if you've ever lived with a teenaged boy you'd see the similarities. Food does not mean love to dogs, so don't let your emotions fuel your response when it comes to food. He is eating a good food, is at a healthy weight, so you are doing what is right. Sounds more like a boredom issue, take him out and work on obedience or some fun but educational activity. My current pup will be 11mos old tomorrow, she eats once a day, but gets worked in obedience or tracking at least 2-3 times a day. Usually for some treats, or for her suede tug toy.
My 2yo male GSD weights 84 lbs and is a big boy, he eats 4 cups of Nature's Variety Instinct once a day. He also spends all day, every day with me at our dog park and daycare so gets a LOT of exercise.
Annette

[Stosh]

He's going to be a bottomless pit at this age and he's probably having a growth spurt besides, and some cooler weather too. You could always make some brown rice, greens beans, sweet potatoes and give that as a lunch or bedtime snack

[BlackGSD]

I feed all dogs twice a day after about 6 months of age.

Keep doing what you are doing. Acting hungry does NOT mean the dog NEEDS more to eat. If I fed Siren as much as she wanted, she would be a barrel with legs. She LOVES to eat ANYTHING. Just keep doing what you have been doing.

[Cassidy's Mom]

My dogs are always hungry too. They would both eat until they explode. It's up to me to decide what the appropriate amount of food they need to be in optimum condition.

[Cheerful1]

That's what I keep wondering about Joey: is he hungry, or just a vacuum cleaner?

I can see his ribs, but they don't protrude. He also has a defined waist.

He eats twice a day, with occasional treats. He weighs 75 pounds.

I'm just amazed at the appetite on these GSDs!

[evybear15]

We monitored the way Baxter behaved when trying to find the right amount of food - he was typically very happy with what he was getting (per the recommendation of breeder and vet), but then he started pawing at his dish every time it was empty. We upped it by 1/2 cup total, and that has kept him happy ever since. By no means would I ever give him all the food he wants, but sometimes they need a little more when they're growing, and then taper it off once that slows down. Just my suggestion based on what we did with our pooch!

[NewbieShepherdGirl]

Sasha would eat until she exploded. She gets fed two cups a day (she's two years old and at the moment we're not real active) and looks and feels very good. She even hears the word kibble and it's game on. She's a nut. If I a 30lb bag of kibble out I know she'd eat it all or die tryin' lol. I'd say as long as he looks good, feels good, and doesn't have a worm problem then he's fine just a little glutton

[Good_Karma]

Niko is two and a half years old and I still feed him three times a day. He's ALWAYS willing to eat more! But a food driven dog is so nice to train, so enjoy your hungry boy.

I keep Niko lean, he's 85 lbs, 28" at the withers, and he runs 5 - 8 miles a day. He only eats 1 1/2 cups of kibble (Evo or California Naturals Grain Free) a day, but then he gets 5 oz of boiled chicken and two scrambled eggs for dinner. And lots of treats throughout the day.

Lean is always better than fat with a big dog (with any dog!) to reduce wear and tear on the joints.