My Puppy Eats Too Fast! 5 Tips to Slow Down a Dog's Eating | Pupford

Help, my puppy dog eats too fast!

One great thing about dogs is that they are very food motivated.

One challenging thing about dogs is that they are very food motivated.

So while it’s great that our dogs love their food, it also can also make mealtimes a pain. Especially for those of us whose dogs gobble their food in two seconds flat.

Which, according to chats within our community, is a lot of us!

So, if you’re one of the many whose dog eats way too fast, you’ll want to keep reading. We’re going to dive into why this behavior isn’t ideal, and – more importantly – how to slow down your dog's eating.

But first, a little fun. Rate your dog with -3 being “is this a slow-motion video?” and 3 being “did you even chew that?”

Now let’s break down why a lot of our dogs are ending up on the higher end of that scale, and how to slow them down!

🐶 Slow down your dog's eating the EASY way with a Snuffle Mat. Get one here! 🐶

WHY DO DOGS & PUPPIES EAT SO FAST?

As with most behaviors we talk about, we want to get to why dogs eat too fast before addressing how to change it.

So how come dogs, especially puppies, seem to be in a rush to finish their food? It can be baffling, especially in a home environment where they’re always fed an appropriate amount at predictable times.

There are a few explanations as to why your puppy may resemble a turkey with the way they gobble up food quickly – let’s take a look at them:

1. COMPETITION, ESPECIALLY FOR PUPPIES

If your dog lives in an environment with other dogs, they may feel an instinctual threat that if they don’t eat their food quickly, someone else will.

If you don’t have other animals in the home, this could still be a habit from when your dog lived with their littermates or an instinct from dogs being pack animals.

2. HEALTH CONDITIONS

While rare, some instances of fast eating stem from health issues like parasites or Cushing’s Disease. Since these cause food not to be properly digested, your dog may feel ravenous even if they’re being offered enough food.

This is, of course, not common but should be ruled out if your pup eats extremely fast all the time.

3. NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES

If your dog’s food isn’t meeting their nutritional needs, their bodies could be sending extreme hunger signals as a way for them to ingest more volume, therefore more nutrients.

🐶 Slow down your dog's eating the EASY way with a Snuffle Mat. Get one here! 🐶

4. OVEREXCITEMENT

For food-driven animals like dogs, mealtime can excite them into overdrive. We’ve all been there.

WHY EATING TOO FAST CAN BE DANGEROUS FOR DOGS & PUPPIES

Unfortunately, your dog’s fast eating is more than just poor manners. It can actually be quite dangerous.

Risks of eating too fast include:

• Choking, which can be fatal.
• Gagging, vomiting, and indigestion.
• Bloat, formally known as Gastric Dilation-Volvulus (GDV), happens when the stomach or intestines expand and twist due to increased air intake from eating fast. This is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
• “Food bloat,” which is not as serious as true bloat, but involves large amounts of food sitting in the stomach and causing discomfort.

The consequences of your dog eating too fast range from uncomfortable to life-threatening, so it’s important to get that habit under control!

Related Reading: 8 Reasons Your Dog's Stomach Is Gurgling & Making Noises

HOW TO SLOW DOWN A DOG'S EATING - 5 HUMANE & EFFECTIVE WAYS

It would be nice if you could just explain the dangers of eating too quickly to your puppy and kindly remind them to slow down.

But since that’s not likely to happen without mind-blowing technological advancements, you’ll have to take a different route.

Luckily there are a handful of things out there to help our pups slow down their eating – and have a little more fun with it.

Here are 5 things you can do to slow your dog’s eating:

1. Hand feed
2. Use a slow-feeder bowl or food puzzle
3. Make a game out of mealtime
4. Space out meals
5. Use a snuffle mat

Let's look at each idea below.

Keep in mind that what works for me and my pup might not work for you and your pup. So, experiment, be patient, and try new ways each meal to slow down your dog's eating!

1- HAND FEED

Skip the bowl altogether and feed your dog a few pieces of food at a time right from your hand. A lot of people who go this route use their dog’s food as a reward during training to be efficient and save time.

While hand feeding is the best route for slowing down your dog's eating because you're in control of the food, some dogs can get frustrated if all their meals require training!

2- USE A SLOW-FEEDER OR FOOD PUZZLE

If hand feeding doesn’t work for you, you can buy a specially designed bowl with ridges and spaces so your dog can only get small amounts of food at a time.

Similarly, food puzzles have nooks and crannies for your dog’s food, making it impossible for them to gulp down large amounts quickly.

3- MAKE A GAME OUT OF MEALTIME

Most dogs and puppies love a fun game! So why not make mealtime a game?

Have your dog forage in the grass for food, play hide-and-seek and scatter its food around the house, or put its food in muffin tins and cover them with tennis balls. Learn all about the muffin tin game for dogs here.

4- SPACE OUT MEALS

Puppies often have not yet come to understand their habits and daily schedule. This often leads to them feeling as if they need to scarf down every meal! So, know that with time, they will better understand and predict when their next meal will come.

If your dog is older and still eats too fast, it can be helpful to space out their meals. For example, if you plan on feeding 1 cup at breakfast and 1 cup at dinner, try breaking it up into three or four meals of 1/2 cup.

The multiple meals throughout the day can decrease the intensity of eating speed.

5- USE A SNUFFLE MAT

Our favorite way to slow down a dog’s eating is by putting your dog’s food on a snuffle mat. Why do we love this option?

• Your dog only eats a few pieces of food at a time
• It works your dog’s nose and mind while they eat
• It keeps them busy for a long period of time
• It redirects problem behaviors
• It’s machine washable

Sounds awesome, right? Get your Pupford snuffle mat now!

🐶 Slow down your dog's eating the EASY way with a Snuffle Mat. Get one here! 🐶

Already have one? Use it for mealtime and see how much more slowly your dog eats – while having so much fun at the same time.

MY PUPPY EATS TOO FAST! HOW TO SLOW DOWN A DOG'S EATING – RECAP

As a quick recap, here are some reasons dogs eat too fast:

1. Competition (or the thought of it)
2. Health conditions
3. Nutritional deficiencies
4. Overexcitement

And, here are 5 ways to slow down a dog's eating:

1. Hand feeding
2. Use a slow-feeder bowl or puzzle bowl
3. Make a game out of mealtime
4. Space out meals
5. Use a snuffle mat

Remember, when a dog or puppy eats too fast, it can actually cause some health concerns, so it should be avoided.

Has your dog used a snuffle mat or other slow-feeder tool? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

🐶 Slow down your dog's eating the EASY way with a Snuffle Mat. Get one here! 🐶