Casual eater to can't get enough!

[Jennifer and Lily]

Hi! Lily has always been a casual eater. We tried timed feeding when she was young, but found that we all preferred free feeding. She eats just about what her bag of food states she should be eating, unless she was highly active that day, they she will eat more. She will typically always leave food in her bowl,  snack later and sometimes finish her bowl in the middle of the night. We recently changed the protein from venison to duck and she can't get enough! The last time we changed her food, she loved it, but continued her typical routine. I can't tell if she is actually hungry or begging for more yummy "new" food. 

Should I assume she has had enough after the bags recommendations since that has always worked before? I would hate if she was still hungry, but she is highly food motivated so maybe she thinks it is a treat. For those of you who give meals rather than free feeding, how do you know when enough is enough? 

Note: she is eating Natural Balance L.I.D Duck and Potato (I know that is not on the recommended list, FYI)

[Lynda Kamrath]

Decide on her right amount and put that in her bowl.  If she does not eat it all, take it away until the next meal.  Free feeding is like asking for an overweight dog.  Duck and potato sound good to me and it sounds like she is enjoying it also.  Just try to be sure she is getting enough nutrition and not high fat content (which does taste good).

[Jennifer and Lily]

She has been free fed for over a year and has maintained slim her weight. This food is a little higher in fat than venison, so that is probably why she is enjoying it so much! Thanks! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are many dogs who will eat as much as you give them, so as owners, we have to calculate the amount of calories they need, monitor their weight, and feed them accordingly, whether they are free fed or fed at specific meal times.. I am not a big fan of free-feeding, as it often creates a picky eater, but as long as you measure out the appropriate amount of food for each day, you should be fine. I would not give her more than the package guidelines recommend for the day. The new formula has slightly more calories per cup than the old one, so she really shouldn;t need more of it than before.

How old is Lily?

[Jennifer and Lily]

She is a year and 7 months old.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Then she's definitely not going through a growth spurt, lol. Most likely she just likes the taste of the new food. 

[Jennifer and Lily]

And she weighs 55lbs

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned was always a casual eater until we switched to Orijen.  Now, he still doesn't want to eat exactly when the others do, but when they are done, he eats and chows down!  We always monitored the portions of the others but didn't worry about measuring Ned's.  Now I do measure what he eats, I monitor  weight and if they gain, I cut down; if they lose, I increase portions.  I began with the recommended one for Ned.

[Jennifer and Lily]

Thanks for the response! I will be sure to monitor her weight.