Feeding, before or after walking?

[rebecca]

just a quick one, what does everyone think about feeding before or after walking? i get up at 7 to take brewster for a walk and have been feeding him once we get back from our walk  is it better to feed him, give it time to settle then go? only doing short walks at mo, only been walking since friday, and he's loving it so far!!

[caro]

I read somewhere that they should eat an hour before or after exercise - which I think is very unrealistic when you have to do it all before you go to work.

I feed Fern after our walk - we go at about 7 for half an hour and she eats about 8 but it varies - sometimes when OH is home he doesn't walk her til later in the day and she has her breakfast at about 9.30.

I think if they are hungry when they go for their walk they tend to be more responsive to recall etc, particularly when using treats as rewards (as we do).

[LurcherGirl]

In the morning, I feed them about 30 - 60 minutes after the walk. In the evenings I make sure that there is at least one hour either side of a feed.

Vera

[Cazzie]

My lot get fed after their big walks as the first one is at 6amish, they get fed around 9am and they hang around till I feed them   If they are going out working I will only give them some of their breakfast as I dont want them running around 1st thing with full tums, they will get a snack at lunch time and then their dinner when we get home. My lot run everywhere when we are out so dont like them to do it after a meal, but if they do go out after a meal I normally wait 2 hours before taking them  

[clairep4]

Mine get fed before their walk, at 6.45am, then walked around 7.45. I used to do it the other way round but Bella just used to drag me home from the park for her breakfast and this way they're still responsive (for sausage) but don't drag me home. 

[cockahoot]

I would never attempt to run on a full stomach myself so I apply the same principle to my dogs.  During the week when they're exercised early I feed them after their walk, at the weekend when they still wake me up early but I walk them later, I feed them early to stop the barking and then walk them a couple of hours later.

 I do know someone who always fed his dogs before exercise but one day one of his dogs ended up with a twisted gut, not a cocker I hasten to add but a large deep chested variety which I can't spell   The dog survived thankfully, but he was advised by his vet never to feed his dog immediately before exercise.

[cazza]

My two get their breakfast bout 7.30am then aren't walked till after the school run bout 9am

Altho for the next two weeks it'll be up in the air as no school run to do

As this morning we've been out at 5.30am and back at 6.30 so I'm just waiting for them to tell me it's breakfast time as they are both asleep at the mo 
I like to vary their routine - so if I'm up early we go out first etc, but it all depends on what OH is doing and the kids (as don't like to leave the kids on their own, so OH is either still here or I'll wait till kids are up and we all go for the walk  )

edited to add - next six week not two, suppose that was wishful thinking 

[Kimberley]

I've always given my dogs food after excerise, we couldn't run around after a big meal so I think we would be asking to much for them to do it also.

[Rhona W]

My two get their breakfast bout 7.30am then aren't walked till after the school run bout 9am

Same here.  I feel if I fed them after their walk it would be a long wait as they wouldn't get fed until about 11a.m. 
 
Then they have tea at about 5.30p.m. and are walked sometime after 7.

[CraftySam]

Always fed after their walks, regardless of what time it is.

[bluegirl]

I feed after a walk, usually we come in, I wash them and towel dry their feet then it's breakfast.

[DennyK]

The rule is leave at least one hour before or after exercise as others have said - otherwise, you risk torsion (the twisting of the guts to which Cockahoot referred).  I asked the vet which was the biggest risk and he said - if you've got limited time, then you're better off letting them eat immediately after exercise rather than immediately before.  Common sense really - like everyone's saying, humans shouldn't exercise after eating, neither should dogs.