Does Your Dog Eat Too Fast?

Eating too fast can cause a dog serious problems. If your pet seems to inhale rather than eat food it is at risk of choking, vomiting or swallowing excessive amounts of air, which may lead to bloating. It is best to try to catch such a habit early, as puppies are always more responsive to training than older dogs, and there are many steps you can take to slow down the eating speed of any dog.

One option is to divide each meal into two or three smaller portions. Give your dog the first portion, waiting five minutes before giving another and doing the same a third time, forcing your dog to take breaks whilst still eating a meal of the same size. You could also consider swapping to three smaller meals throughout the day instead of one main meal. This way your dog will be less hungry at mealtimes and may therefore be less desperate to get the food down as quickly as possible.

Another way to slow your dog down is to purchase a specially designed ‘slow-feed’ dog bowl, or alternatively place a large rubber ball in your dog’s current food bowl. Both work in the same way, providing an obstacle in the bottom of the bowl that the dog has to work around, thus forcing slower eating.

Finally, if you currently feed your dog with other pets, try a little isolation. Dogs view any other living thing as competitor at meal times, causing them to eat as fast as possible. Placing your dog alone in a separate room may well allow them to relax and to eat at a more leisurely pace.