# Raw feeding in the winter



## MeredithLee11 (Oct 29, 2012)

I know many people who feed raw do so outside, so there's little to no clean up involved. As it's starting to get pretty damn nippy in Maine (esp. at feeding times), I'm thinking the last thing I'll want to do it sit outside while Layla eats. What does everyone do in the winter? Bring feeding inside? If so, what's the best way to make clean-up easy?


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

We have one who loves the cold, so he eats out back on our covered deck. The other three eat inside in the kitchen. that way I'm not out in the cold watching to make sure no one steals anyones food. 

Clean up is easy for us since our floors are all tile.


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## MeredithLee11 (Oct 29, 2012)

naturalfeddogs said:


> Clean up is easy for us since our floors are all tile.


Mine are too. Do you just mop after every meal? I have an old shower curtain that I could put down too, though cleaning it after meal seems like as much work as mopping after every meal. It's not that I'm being lazy, just some mornings I have to get to work.


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I will still be feeding outside through the winter, the only time I bring things inside is if it is raining hard. If feeding inside one option is to feed in a crate. When I feed inside, I just wipe up the floor with vinegar/water solution when they are done.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I just use a wet hand towel or dish rag and wipe the specific places they ate. There usually isn't mush to get since they tend to lick the floor pretty clean themselves. 

You could put down your old shower curtain if you want, or towels and teach them to eat on those. That would work also.


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

i feed in a crate inside and clean it with a water vinegar solution when I think of it, but not every time. If I didn't have a crate, I would probably train my dog to eat on an old towel because I don't want my dog licking what's on the bottom of everyone's shoe soles. He licks the kitchen floor anyways when I am cooking or eating but I don't like to encourage it


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## MeredithLee11 (Oct 29, 2012)

Do you train a dog to stay on the towel by pulling them back to it every time they try to wonder off?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

MeredithLee11 said:


> Do you train a dog to stay on the towel by pulling them back to it every time they try to wonder off?


Yes, but the smaller the space you give them with the towel the faster they will learn to stay on it. If you have an x pen or a bunch of chairs, barricade the towel off with things so that they have really no choice but to stay on the towel. Then gradually move them away until the dog knows to stay on the towel. Another thing you can do is get a crate or kennel and feed in there, put your towel down for feedings, then remove. Or have a dedicated raw kennel LOL

That said, we live in Northern Idaho with short haired, whimpy Danes....they don't even care about the cold when its DINNER DINNER time LOL! That said, I don't monitor them much anymore while they're eating but it doesn't take them long to eat either, few minutes at most.


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

unless it's chucking it down they will still eat outside if i feel like it otherwise i just chuck it to them and they eat where they want.

And no i don't clean up after, the boys do.


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## MeredithLee11 (Oct 29, 2012)

Thanks, everyone. My parents have me all paranoid about bacteria...


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

MeredithLee11 said:


> Thanks, everyone. My parents have me all paranoid about bacteria...


Yes, parents are good like that!!
If it was me and I was running short of time I would feed boneless meal inside in a bowl and when I had more time a bone-in meal outside as it normally takes longer for them to eat.
If it's raining then as the others have said somewhere easy to clean up, either towel, plastic or tiled or lino floor.
(my dog isn't very good at cleaning up every scrap - I wish he was)


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

My lab and mastiff eat outside. The cold doesn't seem to bother them. I have seen the mastiff lay down in snow and eat! Usually only takes a few minutes.

My scantily furred dachshund/poodle mx shivers and looks miserable in the cold so I got him a crate. When its too harsh outside he eats on a blanket in his crate, then I just toss the blanket in the washing machine. Easy peazy!


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

MeredithLee11 said:


> Thanks, everyone. My parents have me all paranoid about bacteria...


Bacteria is a normal concern at first for everyone. Don't worry. Feeding your dog raw meat is no different than you handling raw meat to prepare for yourself. Just normal clean up as usual. As for the dog, their bodies are designed by nature to handle bacteria in raw meat.


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## zontee (Oct 12, 2012)

i feed indoors all year i feed them in their ex-pens i just take away their beds till they finnish eating they clean things up pretty well i bleach the floor of the dog room evryday so i dont worry about spreading germs.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Since we moved to a bigger area, the dogs eat in the laundry room. Tuck eats in his kennel, the girls share a blanket. I wash the blanket a few times a week.

Before we moved, there was no space. The dogs ate on the living room carpet. No clean up afterwords. Just swept. I'm not one to worry about bacteria. Now that I have roommates, they are more so worried, which is why I have started feeding on a blanket.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

If it's not bad outside I throw out the youngest girl and make her eat outside-she loves to eat and doesn't mind the cold. Otherwise I feed one dog in the kitchen, one dog upstairs in the crate or xpen and one in living room on tile or towel. I could do one in the basement I suppose.


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