Kibble Question

[Stacy, Bruno, Molly and Gracie]

We have a 15 week old goldendoodle puppy who literally inhales her food. We feed both dogs the Fromm 4 star grain free line. The kibble is pretty small in shape. We have the Kyjen bowls and  those only slow her down a little bit. I cannot hear her chew the kibble! Our 6 year old goldendoodle chews his food even with this small kibble.

I am considering switching to another food with a larger kibble that would force her to actually chew. Looking for input as to the size of the kibble! I would only be looking to use a food that is as high in quality as the Fromm 4 Star grain free line.

Any input would be appreciated.

[Nancy & Echo]

I only have one dog, not two, so this may not work for you.  Echo  (a mini ALD; she's 8 months old now) was a real inhaler too.(I feed her Orijen puppy.)  I started her out with a Kyjen  bowl, but her tongue wasn't long enough and it took her 45 minutes to get about 5 pieces of kibble.

I got her a Kong wobble https://www.kongcompany.com/products/for-dogs/interactive/wobbler-2... which really helped me.  I'm not sure how this would work with 2 dogs though.  At least it slowed her down.  You can put tape over the hole if you want to make it smaller and harder for the food to fall out.

At the moment, because Echo is having trouble with barking, I'm using an Autotrainer http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-training-aids/autotrainer-stop-bark....  She's usually chewing now.  I'll probably start feeding her an Orijen adult with the next bag.

Since you're looking for bigger kibble, this may not help you, but it may be an option for someone else.

[Stacy, Bruno, Molly and Gracie]

Thanks, Nancy, for the suggestion!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hi Stacy, if you are not a member of our DK Food Group, please join us! Best place to get info on everything related to our dogs' food and eating habits!
It's not at all uncommon for dogs not to chew their food. Many don't. As long as she's not gulping it down so fast that it comes back up, I would't worry. She might still not chew it if you switched to something with bigger pieces.

[Stacy, Bruno, Molly and Gracie]

Thanks, Karen. That is helpful information. The food has never come back up. I like the thought of her chewing to help clean her teeth but really she needs the nutrition and I already brush her teeth and she chews on her toys.

I am part of the Food Group and totally forgot I should post there! Thanks for the reminder.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's a common belief that chewing kibble helps clean their teeth, but in fact it doesn't, any more than eating crunchy processed snacks helps clean ours, lol. In fact, dogs who eat non-kibble diets (canned, raw, homemade, etc) usually have less tartar than dogs who eat kibble. :) 

[Stacy, Bruno, Molly and Gracie]

Wow, that is some great information! Thanks

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

Why Do Dogs Do That: A Collection of Curious Canine Behaviors suggests an explanation for this “chow-hound” attitude, stating that it lies in the competitive instincts whenever “social carnivores’’ — such as wolves — bring down prey. The animal that eats faster is in a better position to survive and pass along its genes.

Fun Facts About Dogs: Inspiring Tabs, Amazing Feats, and Helpful Hints states that unaware of when they would get their next meal, wild dogs ate as quickly and as much as they could to ensure that their larger rivals would not have much to steal.