# Best way to get my dog to chew his food?



## DGerry (Sep 12, 2014)

I'm trying to figure out the best way to get Chester to chew his food. He eats slower than he used to but he still doesn't really chew that much, I know he's swallowing the majority of his food whole. I'm thinking about either a puzzle bowl or maybe trying to soak his food before he eats it. What would you do, or what have you done if your dog used to not chew his/her food?


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

I don't think many dogs actually chew their food. I just let mine eat and don't really worry about it.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Dogs cannot chew the way we do, the jaws don't go back and forth. Dog guts are designed to get the food to the stomach and let it do the work. They don't have amylase in the saliva the way we do and their guts are designed to break down chunks of meat and bone rather than veggies and grains. Kibble companies know that and the veggies and grains in kibble do break down properly for most dogs.

Best we can do is slow them down with special bowls, feeding from puzzle toys or even just having them hunt it down by tossing it across the floor.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

As long as he isn't choking himself don't worry too much about it. I've only had a few fosters who actually chew their kibble at all, most just inhale it. I use dispensing toys and slow feed bowls to entertain/slow meal time but most dogs I've dealt with just don't chew kibble.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

Yeah, I use a toy to prevent Kabota from choking himself by trying to swallow an entire bowl of kibble at once, but he doesn't chew the individual kibbles no matter how slowly he gets them.


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

Just curious.. by not chewing do you guys mean they don't crunch the kibbles at all? I don't know if Luna 'chews' per say, but I do hear her crunching the kibbles as she eats them. (from a food toy, so 1 by 1)


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

ireth0 said:


> Just curious.. by not chewing do you guys mean they don't crunch the kibbles at all? I don't know if Luna 'chews' per say, but I do hear her crunching the kibbles as she eats them. (from a food toy, so 1 by 1)


Mine crunch, but don't chew completely the way I do.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

ireth0 said:


> Just curious.. by not chewing do you guys mean they don't crunch the kibbles at all? I don't know if Luna 'chews' per say, but I do hear her crunching the kibbles as she eats them. (from a food toy, so 1 by 1)


Rarely if ever hear a single crunch when Jubel eats kibble. Only a few of my fosters chewed as in a good amount of crunches per meal.


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## DGerry (Sep 12, 2014)

ireth0 said:


> Just curious.. by not chewing do you guys mean they don't crunch the kibbles at all? I don't know if Luna 'chews' per say, but I do hear her crunching the kibbles as she eats them. (from a food toy, so 1 by 1)


I mean he doesn't crunch his food at all when he's eating from his bowl. If I'm feeding him one by one, during training, he does. From his bowl? He just swallows it, no crunching, no chewing, nothing; swallows it 100% whole and in-tact.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

ireth0 said:


> Just curious.. by not chewing do you guys mean they don't crunch the kibbles at all? I don't know if Luna 'chews' per say, but I do hear her crunching the kibbles as she eats them. (from a food toy, so 1 by 1)


He crunches a kibble or treat once or twice, yes. Unless he just swallows it. Which is why I break up treats into small pieces, because he'll swallow a larger treat whole and then choke it back up when it doesn't go down because it's too big. Then he'll try to swallow it whole again. 

I love Kabota dearly, but he is not the sharpest stick in the stack.


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## sharpei (Mar 15, 2013)

look at the back teeth they aren't designed for chewing they are designed for shredding, some dogs may crunch up a bit of kibble usually the smaller breed dogs crunch more because of the size. but in most cases they dont have a need to nor are they physiologically capable of mashing their food up between flat topped molars that they arent equipped with.

this is one reason I prefer food with a smaller kibble size, (i know its probably just me) but dogs digestive systems move far faster than our own so with a smaller kibble its faster to digest so they get the most out of the food. I love the size of solid gold kibble, I love the natures balance food but the kibbles are pretty big unless you get the small bites, lol I could go on and on with my favorite features of each food, but I shall leave it here.


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## fourdogs (Feb 3, 2014)

Yeah, dogs are gulpers by nature, but I use a Kyjen Slow Bowl to slow my Echo down. Simply because she will eat her food in about 12 seconds and then shove everyone else off their bowls or stand over them drooling overtop of them LOL. 

So, she is still eating out of her slow bowl when the other littles have finished their food in regular bowls.


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## heidizag (Dec 1, 2014)

I love threads like this, I learn so much! Argos crunches his kibble but training treats are just straight down the hatch.


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## NicoleIsStoked (Aug 31, 2012)

Levi eats out of a normal bowl. It usually only takes him 30 seconds or so to eat his whole portion but I definitely hear a little bit of crunching. But if I soak it in water or mix it with pumpkin he will gulp it all back even faster, no chewing. And canned or raw he eats so fast that he actually gives himself trapped gas and walks around whimpering with his tail down until he either burps or I pat his back until he burps. What a baby lol.


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## sharpei (Mar 15, 2013)

nicole I would recomend getting a raised dish for your dog, that may help with him swallowing so much air.


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