You should definitely at this point only be feeding him twice a day. You can feed kibble for one meal and wet for the next. He’ll eventually get use to the two meals a day. He also may be gulping his food at dinner time afraid your other dog will get it? Possibility. I have three dogs as I’ve said before. Katie and Lola each eat their meals in their crates with the door shut. Hannah eats her food bowl on the floor between both crates near the water bowl. I have a small area rug on one side of the kitchen counter with the water bowl in the middle and one crate on either side. That insures me that whatever amount I gave to each of them I know that they ate it and not one of the other dogs. Also feeding this way I know if one of them is under the weather and is not eating. It also takes away any anxiety that any may have if they eat a little slower than the others worrying that one of the others will come along and eat their food. NO! Do not spoon feed your dog. YES, your dog is training you to spoon feed it. Unless it’s sick, when your dog is hungry then he’ll eat. If he’s leaving food in the bowl then you’re feeding him too much. They are like people, some meals your hungrier than others but you don’t then have someone spoon feed you the rest and force you to eat it all even after you’re full.
What you’re doing with the water bowl breaks is what I’ve always done when I first get a puppy. I find that otherwise they some times just entertain themselves with drinking water. Not that they are thirsty. Just something to do. Don’t forget that drinking way too much water is also not good for him so until you’ve got the potty training a little more under control then I would continue with the water breaks.
