Mealtime Frequency

Obesity can cause your dog to have high blood pressure and an elevated heart rate. You can keep your dog lean by feeding him or her a well-balanced, quantity-controlled diet. The age and size of your dog determines the number of times he or she should eat each day.

Using the free choice method -- that is, letting your dog eat whenever and however much he or she wants -- could significantly increase your dog's risk of becoming obese. You might want to have set feeding times for your pooch so you can monitor your dog's diet.