When you've got a gulper

MotherOfChickens

MotherOfChickens

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is there any way of teaching them to how to not gulp? Fitz is terrible, nothing gets chewed-its straight down (I had a nervous weekend soon after I got him after watching a duck neck going straight down).

He's fed from a good slow feeder and am careful about what else I give him. He's not resource guardy with food at all-although the dogs are fed seperately-but it does probably come from being fed with another in kennels? He does occasionally still pick up things he shouldnt in the house but his leave/give command is good luckily.

Its quite scary watching him inhale food (and remember the other dog is a retriever but he's got nothing on Fitz for speed and will actually break food up) although bowel movement wise he is very consistant, he looks fab and is well mannered around us when we eat (cant bear dogs begging).
 
I must admit I gave up with my gulper because his behaviour was getting worse despite slow feeder bowls, bashing up bones with a cleaver etc., he was a walking choking hazard and also managed to fracture a tooth. Trying to fish a slippery trachea out of his trachea was the last straw!

I still feed raw but he only gets mince (with bone in) or things in very small chunks.
 
he's mostly on kibble-the bowl helps but should I be worried? its easier to slow him down with wet food/mince but I'd like them both to be on the same thing and very happy with how Quarrie is on the Millie's.
 
Millies say wet it on feeding if you want to but don't soak it. I don't know if it really makes a difference but it makes me feel better. Ours usually have some stock or leftovers to add anyway.
 
Could you try feeding him in a puzzle feeder or snuffle mat? Alternatively feed him his daily ration while training? Another idea could be to scatter his kibble in long grass or lay it as a track around the garden or a field?
 
I do have a snuffle mat, neither seem to find it very challenging (quarrie throws it in the air or shakes it lol) but it would slow him down a bit-wont stop him swallowing whole though. because they get one meal at work scattering etc not really a goer-he's fed from a Company of Animals slow feeder (they both are, got one first for beagle cross lol but even she had nothing on him).

training him with food hasnt been as useful as not-he's so oriented on the food, he misses completely the action he's being rewarded for. probably my marking is off-we also tried with a clicker but its been far faster training on praise alone.
 
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My GSD always ate very quickly- we used a 'grass mat' slow feeder quite successfully. Often in the summer we would use a true grass mat and scatter food around the garden!
bones were some of the few things that he would slow down and chew, although he could swallow some quite sizeable chunks!

current dog is a slightly fussy collie and she is on raw complete minces to make sure she gets everything she needs as she prefers to bury bones, even with plenty of meat still on them.
 
Very interested in your problem MOC, I presume it's just him and not the breed in general. My retrievers eat perfectly, keen but not too fast , out of an ordinary bowl.
I have wetted kibble all my life and never had a dog that had a problem. What is supposed to go wrong? I think it releases the flavour.
 
I think wetting is fine Chiffy, soaking it isnt. it doesnt matter what you give him-wet, kibble etc it just goes down in as few mouthfulls as possible if left to his own devices-even biscuits just go down whole.At least with a slow feeder and wet food, he has to work a bit harder! I've no idea if its a breed thing, I expect its a being fed with others thing and I was hoping once he realised noone else could steal his food, he'd calm down a bit. If he dodnt have a slow feeder his cup of kibble would be gone in about 2s-no kidding. I'm not terribly worried about it-as I said, he looks amazing and has a cast iron GI tract-they also know that they have a kip/in their beds for at least 60mins after eating.

Quarrie arguably doesnt need a slow feeder-I had one so used it for him, doesnt hurt to make it last a bit longer and he does at least taste what he eats lol.
 
My dog is a singleton and a food inhaler, I think like most things it is probably genetic/a state of mind thing, he's a 100mph dog.
As mentioned he gets most of his food through work so tracking or hand feeding. For example yesterday he got 3/4 cup on the track in the morning and the rest as reward over three articles.
The second cup came in dribs and drabs over the evening and what was left got chucked into the crate when he went to bed. Same amount of food as would be put into a bowl twice a day, just a different mindset/way of feeding.
 
If you're feeding kibble put it in a Buster Cube; if you're feeding wet/mince put it in a kong and freeze or part-freeze; if you're feeding raw, hold one end of the duck neck or whatever.
 
gunnergundog said:
If you're feeding kibble put it in a Buster Cube; if you're feeding wet/mince put it in a kong and freeze or part-freeze; if you're feeding raw, hold one end of the duck neck or whatever.
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if you hold it, he wont eat it-too polite! I have one of those big wobbly kongs which I will try, think the Millies will fit. he didnt really get any toys until he came to me though so he's not that clued up with the ones he has to work out, he's done some scent work though so can use that as well.
 
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