Free-feeding means making food available to your dog at all times and your pet can eat whenever they choose. It’s a bad idea because you can’t manage their nutritional intake. They will start overeating even out of boredom, which can lead to weight gain. If there is more than one pet in your home, it is hard to know who ate how much. It can also cause stress to the dogs that guard their food or bowl and they may feel that they must be ‘on guard’ at all times. Don’t free-feed your dog. Instead, offer them a meal, and if they haven’t finished it in 15 minutes, pick up the bowl.