# Gulping Food



## GoldenGratitude (Jan 25, 2007)

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a golden to S L O W down eating? Arching (almost 10 months old) is such a scarfer. It's like he's afraid someone is going to take away his food. He is not aggressive about it (as in meaning I can put my hand down and take the bowl or put my hand in the bowl etc and he would never bite me) - he just scarfs it, then tries to get Theo's food - which of course I don't let him - but if he sneaks in he will "grab" the food and just scarf away. He does the same thing with water and even with treats he "snaps" at them - again, not aggressive just wants the food. I work with the command "gentle" and sometimes he will be but not always. I just thought that someone might have some suggestions. We've had Archie since he was 7 weeks old, and his breeder was great, so it's not like he has issues with not getting enough food. I just worry about him choking or even worse bloat. Any suggestions are appreciated. I should mention that Archie is an extremely gentle dog in every other way. I just worry when he gulps his food. Thanks for any advice.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I have steel bowls for my two. Tucker inhales his food. I turn the bowl over and make them both eat from the underside. It actually works!

As for treats, I have to be sure to always say, "Easy!"


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

I put nice warm water on their kibbles (just until it floats) and it does seem to slow their scarfing down -- 30 seconds instead of 15.


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

If you feed him outside you can feed him on the ground. If you feed him inside you can use a 12 cup muffin tray and distribute his food evenly in the little muffin cups. The bigger tray with the bowl in the middle and food around it also works well. If he snaps treats I give him a tap on the nose with my knuckle and say "Be Nice".


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

I've seen a bowl in the pet store for gulpers. It's got little pillars in it so the dog has to slow down and eat around them. I' venever used it, but know a few dogs who could benefit!


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## Merlins mom (Jun 20, 2007)

We used a cookie sheet for Merlin for a while and that worked okay. Now we just divide each meal in half and feed about 15 minutes apart. He NEVER lets us forget that we owe him more food. Hahaha!

The muffin pan is a good idea!


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## GoldenGratitude (Jan 25, 2007)

Thanks - there's definitely a few suggestions I will try. Does anyone know who carries the bowl with the pillers? I've heard of that before but haven't been able to find one.


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## MisterBailey (Jun 28, 2007)

We had the same problem with Bailey. He is growing out of it though, and takes longer to finish, but I mentioned it to a woman who works for a pet food company and was doing a promotion thing in the pet store one day. She suggested wetting the food, like putting a gravy on it. You can buy them, but I made up a weak mix of an oxo cube and warm water. I also used can soup warmed slightly. It made the food not to dry to eat, so he didn't then gulp down water afterwards, and since it was watery he had to try harder to pick it up.

I sometimes put some on his kong for him to chase around the floor to slow it down too.


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## HoldensMom (Dec 3, 2007)

what if you put a tennis ball or two or three in the bowl... same concept as the barriers?


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## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

GoldenGratitude said:


> Thanks - there's definitely a few suggestions I will try. Does anyone know who carries the bowl with the pillers? I've heard of that before but haven't been able to find one.


YUP!! I have your answer! Me and my mom were looking into this for Maddie this past weekend. Here is their website. 

Welcome to brake-fast.net! 

There is a video on there too. I checked it out...but hey if it costs around 25 dollars...I'd get it, anything for Maddie!


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## Joanne & Asia (Jul 23, 2007)

Asia does the same thing my little pig girl/ I divide her meal into three portions and put enogh water in each portion to cover the food. I also make her sit and wait for the food. She still scarfs but it does slow her down a bit. She has been like that ever since we brought her home at 7 weeks. The breeder said it would probably slow down but never did.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Gone in 60 seconds, Brooks is the same way.
In a way, it seems good that he likes his food so much that he eats it quickly....since he does have to eat the same old food, meal after meal after meal


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## Shining Star (Jan 7, 2007)

*I was told by a breeder that when the puppies are old enough to eat puppy food*
*some breeders will put all the puppy food in one big food bowl for all 8 puppies*
*The puppy that eats the fastest gets the most.*
*Thats how they learn to eat fast and gulp there food down fast.*
*The fasts pup gets to eat the most food.*


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## goldensmum (Oct 23, 2007)

I would put something in his bowl - something heavy that he can't push out of the way and so will have to pick his food up from around it. Good Luck


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

CreekviewGoldens said:


> YUP!! I have your answer! Me and my mom were looking into this for Maddie this past weekend. Here is their website.
> 
> Welcome to brake-fast.net!
> 
> There is a video on there too. I checked it out...but hey if it costs around 25 dollars...I'd get it, anything for Maddie!


that bowl is a cool idea but i wish they made it in stainless steel instead


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

Samson is a gulper. He is fed out of a pie pan and we use a choke chain collar in the food. It works!


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## twins&golden (Jul 14, 2007)

Kimm said:


> I have steel bowls for my two. Tucker inhales his food. I turn the bowl over and make them both eat from the underside. It actually works!
> 
> As for treats, I have to be sure to always say, "Easy!"


I must have gotten the suggestion from you ~ thank you! I do the same thing and it's really slowed Izzy down. Before, she'd finish her dinner in less than a minute. I'm not kidding, we timed her. Now, with her bowl upside down she is much slower. Also, we wet her food and that helps too.


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## Denali and Gretzky's Mom (Jun 26, 2006)

We do something similar - I'm sure it was suggested on the forum somewhere. Gretzky was a scarfer too - put the food down, turn around, walk 10 feet and all of a sudden he's back by your side, bowl empty. What I've been doing is putting a larger toy in the bowl with his food so he has to eat around it. A heavier one seems to work best so he doesn't just pick it up and move it. It seems to help! Good luck!


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