Should I feed my dog once or twice a day?

Twice a day works for most adult dogs in New Zealand, and it's what we do at home. Breakfast and dinner keeps them from going fourteen hours on an empty stomach, spreads the digestive load, and gives you two moments a day to notice if your dog has gone off their food. That last one matters more than people expect. A skipped meal is often the first sign something's not right.

Puppies are different. They've got small stomachs and big energy demands, so three or four meals a day up to about six months is standard, dropping to two after that. Older dogs generally stay on two, though some do better on three smaller serves if they get a bit queasy on an empty stomach.

The part that trips people up is the maths. Feeding guides on the bag give you a total for the whole day, not per meal. If the guide says 240 g and you feed twice, that's 120 g in each bowl. Feeding 240 g twice is a fast route to a chubby dog.

One practical note: avoid a big meal right before or right after hard exercise, especially with deep-chested breeds. Give it an hour either side. And if you're changing routine and food at the same time, change one thing at a time so you can tell what caused what.