Your dog is only eating at night, and that might cause you some concern. Is that normal or something that you should worry about? Why does your dog only eat at night, and is it okay for your dog to only eat once a day? Well, don’t worry because you’re certainly not the first dog parent to have these questions.

We’ll give you all the answers you’re looking for today in this article “My Dog Only Eats at Night, Is That Okay?” Soon, you’ll know everything you need to know, including what (if anything)  you should be doing about this behavior that you’re seeing from your dog. So without further ado, let’s get to it!

What Should I Do If My Dog Only Eats at Night?

If your dog only eats at night and you’ve been able to tell that they’re doing so due to fear and safety issues, then you need to address this right away by giving them the confidence they need to face the world without needing you right by their side at all times. Do so, and your dog will be able to eat without you by their side, and you’ll also end all other sorts of behavioral issues.

Let’s start by thinking about why your dog being fearful and lacking confidence would cause them so many issues. Well, you’ve probably heard before that dogs are pack animals and that in every pack there is a pack leader. One of the leader’s responsibilities is not just to watch over and protect everyone, but also to instill this confidence in the other members too.

This makes the entire group more secure and safe, and this sort of thing applies to your own family pack too. Rid your dog of their fear issues while giving them confidence, and you’ll both be happier and experiencing a more loving, positive, and obedient relationship than you ever thought possible.

“Well that sounds great, but how am I supposed to do that?”

Through behavioral training, which is actually fairly simple when you’ve got the right instructions of your own to follow. That’s why I’d recommend an excellent free video series that’s on just this subject — how to be your dog’s pack leader — by a renowned trainer named Dan. In it, he’ll show you everything you need to know in ways that are very easy to teach to your own dog.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of time for this sort of thing, because he’s made the videos just for people like you. Dan gets right to the point and doesn’t waste time, meaning you’ll start seeing real results with your dog in a hurry.

Why Does My Dog Only Eat at Night?

Your dog only eats at night, because this is just the habit they’ve developed. Dogs are creatures of habit and routine, so if this is what they’re accustomed to they’ll stick with it. They also love to run around and play (which is natural, since they’re cursorial mammals), and they likely do more of this at night because that’s when you and others are home.

They’ll of course, then, get hungrier during the times at which they’re more active. As long as this is not something that’s a change from their usual eating schedule, then you have nothing to worry about if your dog only eats at night. (Related: here’s what to do if your dog doesn’t want you to watch him eat.)

Is It OK if My Dog Only Eats Once a Day?

If your dog only eats once per day, don’t be alarmed. There are actually plenty of dogs who eat once per day and do just fine for themselves. However, if they normally eat throughout the day and haven’t been lately, then there may be an underlying health issue that you’ll want to look into.

Think about what other things you’ve observed from their behavior lately. Are they sleeping more? Are they not interested in playtime, or do they quickly lose interest? If your dog is eating once a day and this is a new thing for them, their loss in appetite could be a sign something is wrong. Take them to the vet for a check-up right away.

Do Some Dogs Only Eat at Night?

Some dogs do only eat at night. For most, it’s just because it’s what they’ve gotten used to, and also because it’s the time of day during which they need fuel the most because that’s when they’re taken out for walks and are having more playtime with you and others. Younger dogs may only eat at night because they want you there to watch them while they eat.

Dogs feel very vulnerable while eating as they can’t give their attention to anything else. Most won’t have any significant issues, but younger dogs or those that are very fearful (the won’t leave you alone types), might need you to watch them while they eat so that they feel safe while doing so. You’ll address this through behavioral training, which we went over in the first section.

The sooner you start working on this, the sooner you can have ridden your dog of their issues with fear, so I’ll let you get going. Good luck with everything, and thank you for reading!