Many dogs’ lives seem to revolve around mealtimes and in their excitement, they will wolf down their kibble in seemingly a matter of seconds. But eating this quickly is often not good for dogs. It can put them at risk for choking and can cause indigestion, upset stomach, and bloat, which can be extremely dangerous.

Luckily, there are several ways to slow your dog down during dinner time and help establish healthier eating habits.

Solutions for Slower Eating

It can be difficult to simply train a dog to eat more slowly since it is hard to convey to your dog what behavior you are looking for your dog is already eating, making it challenging to manage rewards. Instead, physically limiting how much and how fast your dog can eat will be more effective. These are some ideas for how to do this with your dog:

• Use a Slow Feeder Bowl - A slow feeder bowl has ridges or objects in the way so that the dog has to pick around them in order to get each piece of kibble instead of simply scarfing it all down. You can buy a variety of slow feeder bowls in different sizes, shapes, and difficulties to match what your dog needs. You can also make a slow feeder bowl by putting a smaller bowl upside down in your dog's food bowl. You can also use a toy instead of a bowl.
• Feed During Training - Instead of putting all of your dog's food down the ground at once, you can turn the dinner into training time. Practice all of your dog's different commands and reward her with a few pieces of kibble for every command she follows.
• Feed in a Snuffle Mat - A snuffle mat has a bunch of cloth strips that the food is scattered between. Your dog has to use her nose to search between the strips to find each piece of kibble. You can buy or make your own stuff mat.
• Use a Toy - Toys like Kongs or other puzzle toys that your dog has to throw around in order to get the kibble out of our a great way to slow down your dog's eating. It is easiest for you if you can buy one large enough to hold your dog's full meal and one that is challenging enough for your dog's skill level.

One great benefit to all of these feeding methods is that they also provide enrichment for your dog, requiring her to use her brain and maybe other senses like her nose in order to eat. This can make your dog happier overall, reduce boredom and anxiety, and give you a happier and healthier dog.