Why does my puppy eat so fast?

Hi All

My Jack Russell Pup Dennis eats his food so fast its like he thinks he will never see food again.

He is 11wks old & has done this ever since i have had him (6 wks old) He has 4x meals a day & is on Burns puppy. He is never sick afterwards which does amaze me!!!

Is this typical puppy behaviour? A friend of mine said it may have something to do with him being fed with his litter mates & that he may have had to fight for food??

Any ideas???

Many thanks

Amanda

Hi Amanda,

It could be like you say, used to competition when eating. My boy came from a large litter (10 pups ). He ate like your pup at first and kept looking behind him as if he was looking for puppies pushing in When we took him for his first vet check he day after we got him the vet said he was a bit thin so maybe he had been pushed away from the food by the more bossy pups. So I suppose it could be the same for your pup.

Such behavior is common in Labs and may show up in any breed. I won't speculate on why.

There are not one, but 2 easy, tested, effective ways to control rapid eating. You can spread the food out on a cookie sheet or something. Some of my friends just throw it on the floor of the crate. You can put large rocks in the food dish, much to big to swallow. Either way, the dog can't gulp down one big mouthful after another.

you can buy special bowls for them too, they have sectioned areas that stop them being able to eat their food so fast, most pet shops should have them

really, doesn't it fall through the wire rack and cause the dog great frustration?
You know the wire rack you suggest people use when they shut their dogs in a crate without bedding and water for most of the day..

...don't your friends use that method too, or is it just our members who are advised by you to treat their dogs with so little care.

(Labmans advice on leaving a puppy without water here..
http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php...49#post1823449
http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php...53#post1824453 )

Hi Amanda it is normal for some puppies to gulp food down.
I agree with Anna.
A litter of puppies will usually be fed together and as they grow some will eat quickly in order to secure their share of the food. When a puppy settles into its new home it will often learn to eat more slowly .

If I want to slow the speed at which a puppy eats I place a large round stone in the food bowl.

It's not common in labs, it is common in all puppies. I think I know more about labs than you and I have got loads and loads to learn.

I'd never seen these before till one of the visiting dogs that stay here got one to slow him down gluping. His had like three big "spikes" (for want of a better word, not sharp, but sticking up) coming up from the bottom of the bowl. It worked well for slowing him down.

Another idea is to use a treat ball or similar to put his food into. Then he has to work at it in order to get the food out. It slows down the eating and keeps the dog occupied for awhile as well.

HTH

There is also ones like this
http://www.dogpausebowl.com/
that are divided into quarter and a middle section

Do you add water to the dry mix ? because thats what i did when one of my pups started gulping his food and it slowed him down enough that it stopped him choking, plus you are ensuring that they have enough fluids. In the morning feed use to use warm water with one of the pups, he seemed to prefer it.