I get a lot of dogs who free feed. Here is the thing, my dogs are on a feeding schedule so if they see food laying there, they will eat it. I will feed the dog in another room but I can't leave the food laying all day. Any suggestions?
When owners tell me that their dogs graze, I explain at our M&G that cannot be accommodated because another dog will likely eat their dog's food: either my dog or another guest dog. That is their nature. Moreover, many dogs are on special diets and/or have medications added to their food on a regular basis, so sharing of food would not be safe. I generally do the same thing, i.e., put the food down and then pick it back up if not eaten. Each dog's bowl is either in different rooms or far enough apart that I can monitor. The most problematic eaters are kept nearest to me in the kitchen. I will watch them eat and, as soon as they appear to be finished, I will remove the bowl. When there are two disinterested eaters, I will usually put a baby gate in the hallway to allow them more time. As Laura wrote, most dogs will adjust to the new arrangement in a short while.
I don't free feed dogs in my care because of the same issue. If I'm supervising closely, my dogs will leave the guest's bowl alone, but if I leave the room or get sufficiently distracted they'll sneak over and eat it. For guests who are normally free-fed, I offer food 2-3 times per day for around 10 mins, allowing them to eat what they will, then putting away the rest. The free fed dogs we watch also don't like being left alone in another room; instead of eating, they'll just stand at the door waiting for us to open it, so often I'll have to sit in the room with them and watch them eat. They may miss a couple meals, but usually after the first couple days they adjust to the routine. I haven't had a dog starve themselves yet. :)
I've experienced the same thing. I leave their food out for 10 minutes at a time. That seems to work but I wondered if anyone else did anything I haven't thought of yet. Thanks Laura :)