The advantage of feeding dogs before going for a walk is that they don't have to go out at night, they tend to be more obedient and there is no morning sickness. Feeding after the walk, on the other hand, prevents stomach problems and stomach upset.
Both methods therefore have advantages and disadvantages. Since the dog's organism works fundamentally differently, it is only comparable to humans to a limited extent.
Below you will learn which method is more suitable in which situations. You will also find out what you should pay attention to.
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Benefits of having a dog before to feed the dog
In total, there are four main reasons for feeding beforehand:
- Prevents going to the toilet at night
In humans, it takes on average between 20 and 30 hours for what has been eaten to be excreted in the stool. Eating just before going to sleep is therefore not a problem.
Things are different with dogs. Here the average “transit time” is between 6 and 8 hours. So it is around ⅔ shorter than in humans. [1]
Therefore, if you only feed your dog in the evening after a walk, it can cause him to go into the house at night or wake you up in the middle of the night.
The former is usually the case with young puppies, while housetrained dogs whine restlessly or even bark at you. But most of it is digested just 2 hours later.
If you feed your dog in the evening and take him for a walk two hours later, going to the toilet at night is rare.
Regardless of whether you feed your dog before or after a walk, you can prevent this from happening with reusable diapers. This is especially true for puppies.
- Ensures more obedience
You've probably noticed how quickly your mood can change when you're very hungry. In English-speaking countries this is called “hangry” (hunger + angry).
It's similar with dogs. If they don't have enough energy, they are unfocused, don't follow, and like to bark at everything.
This has already been proven in a study on sniffer dogs. The search performance of hungry four-legged friends is significantly lower than after eating. [2]
According to magazines, if you feed your dog before the walk and not after, they will enjoy it more. Because all needs are met.
We don't know to what extent this is actually the case in practice. With our Alex, for example, I have the feeling that he doesn't care about how hungry he feels while walking him.
At least he's so absorbed in sniffing the ground and chasing birds that he never strikes me as hungry. His energy level is also almost constant.
- Prevents morning sickness
Some dogs with sensitive stomachs experience morning sickness more often. You can recognize this by the fact that they vomit something yellowish in the morning.
These are digestive juices from the gallbladder. Fasting too long is usually the reason for this. It is therefore relatively easy to prevent. [3]
This means feeding your dog early in the morning before the walk and not just afterwards. By the way, dogs usually survive for 5-7 days without food.
- Prevents walking twice
In young puppies, the sphincters are often not strong enough to hold stool for more than 30 minutes after eating.
If you only feed your four-legged friend after a walk, young dogs often have to go out again a short time later. Both morning and evening. [4]
- Prevents obesity (myth)
To this day, many people believe that eating too late or eating carbohydrates in the evening causes them to become overweight – including dogs. At first glance, this sounds logical.
Because all food is converted into energy in the body. However, if you don't use this energy, it is stored in the form of fat and glycogen.
From this perspective, it would be better to feed a dog before going for a walk so that the energy consumed does not lead to unnecessary fat deposits.
The fallacy is that these fat deposits are always broken down when the dog needs more energy. The timing of food therefore hardly plays a role.
The fact that late eating is strongly correlated with overweight people is primarily due to the choice of food. Because in the evening we tend to eat chips and other high-fat snacks.
What is crucial, however, is the calorie balance. If your dog consumes fewer calories than he burns, he will lose weight. And vice versa.
It has already been proven in humans that exercise on an empty stomach burns more fat. This is because there is not enough glucose available. [5]
The body therefore primarily relies on the fat deposits. But this effect is also only short-term. Because in the long term, the calorie balance also determines the result.
Feeding a dog before walking prevents nighttime trips to the bathroom and morning sickness. In addition, dogs tend to follow things better than if you feed them after the walk. However, it has no influence on the weight.
Benefits your dog after to feed the walk
The benefits of post-walk feeding are twofold:
- Prevents stomach problems
Imagine eating a big meal and then running a marathon straight after. Surely you would get a stomach ache or even vomit.
It's no different with dogs. For this reason, a short digestive break of at least 30 minutes is always recommended before physical activity. [6]
Ideally it would even be a full 2 hours. Especially with larger meals. However, this is rather impractical in practice and, in my opinion, too conservative.
On the other hand, if you only feed your four-legged friend after a walk, you can prevent this. The only important thing is that the pulse is approximately at normal level.
What you should definitely avoid is a wild chase immediately after feeding. The same goes for intense hikes, long swims, and so on.
- Prevents gastric torsion
Perhaps the strongest argument for feeding after a dog's walk rather than before is the fact that it reduces the risk of life-threatening gastric torsion.
The dog's stomach rotates along its longitudinal axis, so that the blood supply is cut off in all directions. If left untreated, it leads to death within a few hours.
Even with treatment, only 4 out of 5 four-legged friends are expected to survive. [7] In addition to eating before physical activity, there are also other risk factors:
- Old age
- Eating too quickly
- Great breed
- Raised feeding bowls
- Hasty drinking
- Frequent overeating
- Severe stress [8]
Having said that: Gastric torsion is relatively rare. So if you avoid the strongest risk factors, then you don't have to worry about them as much.
Feeding after a walk can prevent stomach problems and fatal gastric torsion. Both can also be prevented if there is a certain break for digestion between feeding and walking.
Conclusion
When it comes to the question of whether you should feed your dog before or after a walk, there is no “right” or “wrong.” In practice, feeding beforehand is usually more practical.
The only important thing is that you stick to the “30 minute rule”. So that you give your dog at least a break from digestion of 30 minutes.
You should also avoid feeding your dog when his heart rate is elevated. It's better to wait 5-10 minutes after going for a walk. This prevents cocky gobbling.
Of course, it always depends on the quantity. Small snacks are perfectly fine both during and before walking.
However, I would advise against it if the effort is very intense. In this case, a digestion break of at least 2 hours is advisable. [9]
More tips
Regardless of whether you feed your dog before or after a walk, the following tips are also recommended:
- Don't feed the dog too late
Eating a meal shortly before going to bed ensures that the digestive organs are still very active even while you sleep. And that in turn reduces the quality of sleep. [10]
You've probably already noticed this yourself. For example, if you got a full 8 hours of sleep but still feel completely unrested. Or not?
- Divide the food into several small meals
Several small meals instead of one large one prevent elevated blood sugar levels. This is not only beneficial for the blood vessels, but also prevents diabetes.
If 2-3 meals a day are too stressful for you, you can simply use such an automatic food dispenser. It couldn't be more stress-free.
- Feed your dog at fixed times
The more precisely you stick to the times for walking and feeding, the more your dog can rely on you. This is particularly advisable for sensitive breeds.
Because it reduces the release of unnecessary stress hormones and prevents anxiety. However, other needs such as employment and attention can be more flexible. [11]
Are you unsure whether you should feed your dog before or after a walk? Then try both and listen to your dog’s feedback.
When does he seem happier? What changes in his chair times? Can he easily handle it overnight? Trying is more important than studying.
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