Five Ways To Slow Down Your Dog’s Eating

Looking for some good ways to slow down your dog’s eating?

Here are five ways to help your pet eat at a slower pace.

Dogs Who Are Fast Eaters

Some pets eat their meals slowly, but others inhale it in seconds.

If you’re a dog owner concerned about how quickly your pet has been eating their food and wishing it would slow down, we get it!

It’s not a severe medical condition, but it can lead to some problems. We’re here to share some ways to encourage your pet to slow down and enjoy their dinner.

One: Feed Your Dog Smaller Portions

Instead of giving your dog one or two large meals per day, try dividing them into three or four small meals a day.

Breaking up their feeding time will help them slow down and ingest less air. Although they may still speed-eat, it will reduce the risk of bloating.

Two: Use A Slow Feeder Bowl

Slow feeder bowls are perfect for dog parents who want their pets to eat slower. This feeder spreads the food out so the dog is forced to take smaller bites, encouraging slower, more intentional eating.

Spread the kibble out evenly so your pet will eat just a few pieces at a time.

Three: Puzzle Toy Dinner

Pick up a small puzzle toy at your local store and use it for your pet’s next mealtime. Remove the puzzle pieces and incorporate kibble throughout the toy tray to help them work for it.

Having your pet solve the puzzle and play with the tray will slow down their meal time. It’s a great way to help them engage with what they’re doing.

Four: Cookie Sheet Or Muffin Pan

Pouring small bits of kibble into a muffin pan or spreading kibble across a cookie sheet will significantly slow down your dog’s meal.

They will have to use their tongue more, making it more challenging to speed eat. This helps eliminate excessive gulping and is a great home remedy that you likely already have.

Five: Feed By Hand

While this will require more time investment from you, it is another way to engage your pet at mealtime.

Hold a few pieces of kibble in your hand and slowly give them small bites over fifteen minutes. As your dog learns to be hand-fed, it will also learn to eat slower and ultimately will not speed eat when it returns to eating from its food bowl.

We hope these tips were helpful and wish you and your pet marvelous mealtimes!