Having raised 15 puppies for service work, we’ve had lots of experience with food gulpers. You know the ones: the food bowl is down for 10 seconds and the food is gone. The dog doesn’t stop to enjoy or even chew his food, it’s basically inhaled. Sometimes the food will come back up — the whole meal — in a foamy lump on your floor. (And if you have Labradors, they’ll re-eat it. Ewww, gross!)
There are several reasons to slow your dog down when he’s eating his food. First, digestively, it’s not good to eat that quickly. The result is often the aforementioned pile on the floor. The dog inhales lots of air as he’s gulping and the stomach says “Get out!” With that air comes all the food. Ick. Another reason to slow your dog down is to get more out of meal time. Meal time doesn’t have to be just about getting your dog the required nutrition and calories. Your dog’s meal can do double-duty — it can entertain, it can teach, it can tire your dog out (mentally and physically). Here’s how to get more out of your dog’s meal.
Scatter
Ease: Super Easy
Cost: Free
How: Scatter your dog’s food across the lawn. Your dog can look for each individual kibble and work to free those kibbles from the grass. Don’t do this if your lawn is chemically treated, obviously. If your dog has never found food in the lawn, take a moment to show him how to do it. With your dog close by, toss some food into the lawn very close to your dog. Point out the individual kibbles to him so he understands there’s food to be found. As he gets better at this, you can scatter the kibble farther and wider.
Cautions: Be sure your dog isn’t eating sticks or plants while he’s finding kibble. Also, don’t use this method if you chemically treat your lawn.
Obstacles
Ease: Super Easy
Cost: Free if you have toys or tennis balls on hand. Otherwise, the cost is minimal.
How: Put enough tennis balls (or other dog toys) in your dog’s bowl on top of the food. I like tennis balls because they fit nicely in a dog bowl and are harder to pick out of the bowl than other dog toys. The dog needs to eat around the tennis balls, which takes longer and slows the dog down.
Cautions: Use appropriate sized objects. Be sure the tennis balls or objects are too large for the dog to swallow.
Specialty Bowls
Ease: Super Easy
Cost: Pricey
How: Simply put the food into the specially made bowl. There are many different versions of bowls made to slow down eating. They each look a little different, but they all work similarly: there are built-in obstacles requiring the dog to work to get the food out, thereby slowing the dog down.
Cautions: These bowls are made of plastic and are generally safe.
Other Ideas
You can also put your dog’s food into a food dispensing toy such as a Kong. These ideas require substantially more effort on your part, as you have to fill the toys before each meal. There is some cost involved, although Kong’s are usually less expensive than the specialty bowls.
Your Turn: Have you ever had a food gulper? What solutions have worked for you and your dog? Please share!
My small dog gulps her food. I decided to go the toy in the middle of the bowl route. I put her food in her bowl and place a plastic bone on top of the food. Works like a charm and even though she takes the toy out to play with it, she always finishes eating first. She has not figured out she can remove the bone to better access her meal so she just eats around the obstacle.
I also stuff various dispensing toys and occasionally I will put the toy (with the food stuffed in it) in the freezer and the next morning, fun, fun, fun.
I do have a food gulper but he seems to do ok most of the time and doesn’t throw it up. He does throw up every now and then–usually not right after he eats so I never felt like this was related to his eating so fast. Your article and video is very helpful! I think I will try putting a ball in his bowl and see what happens! I had no idea those special bowls were available. What are they called? or do I just search for specialty dog food bowl?
I have a food gulper. I’ve used tennis balls, interactive toys, Kongs, and an empty and clean Gatorade bottle – a “homemade” interactive toy!
Another technique that I’ve found works with my dog is to walk up to her, lightly touch her side and “shush” her. I use this method in other areas of training and life when I want her to calm down, and it works well for her. I don’t think it would work with every dog, it’s just something that I’ve noticed she responds to really well. She usually takes a breath, chills out, and then continues to eat at a slower pace.
The best thing I’ve found? Shredded carrots. I initially gave her some shredded carrots as a “treat” over her food. She didn’t think that. They became an obstacle she had to eat around. It took her 15 minutes to eat, which I think is a record for her. My husband even looked at me with incredulous wonder at one point and said, “Is the dog still eating?”
Peaches, thanks for stopping in! Yes, I love the idea of putting their food in the toy and then freezing it! Excellent idea and it makes for a fun and intriguing breakfast for the dog!
Hi kybarb, thanks for stopping in! There are several different styles of bowls to slow down food gulpers. Here are a few: Brake Fast, Dogit Go Slow, Contech EatBetter Bowl, and Green Dog Slow Feeder. Or, you could put all his kibble in a Kibble Nibble, a Kong Wobbler, or a Tug A Jug, too. Lots of good options out there! 🙂
Ashlee, I love the idea of a “green” Gatorade bottle — so creative! And the shredded carrots idea made me giggle! That’s the best solution I’ve heard of! I feel about mushrooms the way your dog feels about carrots! I’ll pick out every last one of ’em! So funny!
Our dog’s a gulper and we just try to get creative. We’ll hide his meal in different areas around the house so he has to search for it (downside being that he’s not the best scent dog and sometimes he or we will find surprises around the house or we have to walk him to the next area to search), we’ll use what we call the wobbler or a kong (wobbler is like a kong, but treats come out both sides and we taped the bigger holes shut so it’s more challenging) but these need to be refilled several times and the dog gets annoyed when you stop with the refills, and I’ve recycled plastic coffeemate creamer bottles by cutting off the top part of the lid – I like that one best because I only have to fill it once and the food only comes out of one hole, but depending on how or how quickly he tips the bottle, a little, a lot or no food might come out. He seems to get frustrated with the coffeemate bottle when no food is coming out, but he enjoys chomping on the bottle and making noises anyway so his tail is wagging like a lunatic even if he is he biting, growling and barking to get the food out! haha Other times we use his meal for training – best with recall because I’m not hesitant to dole out handful of food after handful which he thinks is AMAZING, just for coming around the corner to the sound of his name!
Thanks for sharing your ideas, Dyan! Yes, hiding the food around the house is a great way to slow your dog down. We like the Kong Wobbler, too! In fact, lots of the food stuffable toys are terrific for this very purpose! I love the recycling of the coffee creamer bottles — that’s fabulous! And of course, earning his dinner gets two thumbs up from me! 🙂 I love it! Sounds like you and your guy are doing great stuff together, keep up the good work!
Our dogs have always been Gulpers, too! I don’t know what the rush is!!! We have always had large dogs, and that seems to be inherent in the big Dog Breed! We used to feed our Beloved Lab, April Lilly, on a large dinner plate. It took more time to eat the kibble when it was scattered over a large surface. Now, with our Precious Pitbull, Hazel May, we divide her meals, 1 cup for breakfast and another for dinner, in half. It slows her down, as it did her sister, and we wait for 10 minutes or so for her tummy to settle before giving her the remainder! I have just, delightfully, came across your column/blog this evening! You are an Angel, Laurie, and I am so happy to meet you! Tomorrow, I will be baking Hazel May some Cheesy Applesauce Bisquits, which I know she will be delighted to devour!!! It will be the perfect treat for her to have Tuesday and Wednesday, prior to her “knee surgery” on Thursday. Baking will be a perfect way to help keep my mind busy and preoccupied! I will be sure to send some with her to the hospital to eat when she is feeling better! Happy Belated Birthday to Schooner! I just want to give that pup a hug & a wet kiss! (assuming he slobbers; thankfully I do not!!!). I miss my beautiful black Lab following me around the kitchen, as I watched in your cookie baking video! I made the mistake of letting her lick the batter off of the mixer one time, and from then on…you know the rest!!! We miss her lots, but I have a feeling she has befriended Rocky! Her name by the breeder was “Wide Purple Collar”! That was her color for 14 years! We were SO blessed for that time, but it’s never long enough! Happy Holidays to all, 2 & 4 legs!
PS to my note above; an Angel food cake pan is a great bowl for gulpers. The center obstacle makes it a challenge, and slows ’em down. A large rock in the middle of their larger dish helps slow the speed eaters! Why is it that they always throw up on the carpet inches away from tile floors???!!!
Hi Laurie! My wife and I have one dog. A 150lb Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Colder like the mountain! He’s a lover and thinks he’s a lap dog and I as a 5’8″ male only outweigh him by 30 pounds or so. He constantly gulps his food to the point of vomiting up whole pieces. We’ve tried the specialty bowl, he just knocked it over. He had no interest in the kong and he’s too dumb to find/look for food in the grass! We’ve soaked his food in hot water til it was soft and cut h is portions in half but he just won’t slow down. We’re a busy family with 3 girls 5-20 and a baby due in September! It’s not always feasible to spend a half hour to an hour feeding. WHAT CAN WE DO??????
We have giant lap dogs, too, David — ain’t it great?! 😉 There are LOTS of food dispensing toys on the market now, thankfully. Have you looked at the Kong Wobbler?
Have you taken a look at the video we did to help TEACH your dog how to eat out of the Kong? https://youtu.be/TdohXpguNxg
Also, how about putting a few larger tennis balls in the bowl — he’s gotta eat around the large tennis balls in order to get the food.
But my first choice would be to teach your dog that food puzzles are the coolest thing on the planet! Take a look at that video and here’s another that should give you some more ideas: https://youtu.be/jHuDeJZdNW0.
happy training!
laurie