2 meals per day is a healthy regimen

My dog is about 18 months old and quite active. Should she be eating once or twice a day? She seems to snack all day. Someone told me to regiment her water drinking times too.

Feeding twice a day and picking up the food if it hasn't been eaten in an hour or so is the optimal schedule for an adult dog. Physiologically speaking, it's tough on a dog's metabolism and body to only eat once a day and to try to store the food. Think of eating a buffet, having that big surge of sugar, going into a food coma and then starving yourself for the rest of the day. A dog's digestive tract and metabolism are really no different from ours, so it would be tough to live this way.

On a once-a-day feeding schedule, you'll notice your dog is hungry and she'll be begging whenever she sees you eat, and you'll inevitably end up feeding her anyway.