“Oh, it’s suppertime, yes it’s suppertime, oh, it’s sup-sup-suppertime, happiest time of the day!” Remember Snoopy singing this in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”?
Snoopy probably ate way too fast, and chances are your dog does, too. Why? Because suppertime is an event!
Now, why should that be a problem? Well, because if your dog eats too fast, he or she could choke or gag on food. And if food is so incredibly important to your dog, anyone who gets in the way of their food could end up being bitten, because they could be seen as competition for the best meal that is being provided on any given day. Food should never be an event to a dog – it should just be something that happens in the normal course of life.
Bad Things Can Happen to Good Dogs
In addition to the dangers humans risk facing if food becomes the be-all and the end-all to a dog’s day, the dog could be harmed by gulping down food and eating too fast. This is because as the food is taken in, air can also enter the digestive tract. Selling can occur, and the stomach can actually twist around. Then, nothing can move from the stomach to the intestines. This condition is known as gastric dilation-volvulus, or GDV, and it can actually be fatal.
Make It a Non-Event
Food should never be an event to a dog. One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is actually to “free range” your dog from a very early age. Instead of bringing home a bag of dog food and parceling it out at regular intervals, dump it all in a big container. That’s right, just put it all out there! If a dog has never thought of food as an “occasion” or a reward, then he or she will eat as much or as little as they need to feel full. An added benefit to doing this is that your dog will be far less likely to develop obesity in old age.
Reduce Competition
Sometimes, if you have more than one dog in the house, they may compete for food. You could try feeding them separately for a while, and then go back to the “free range” system. If they’re full all the time, then chances are that they won’t try to compete for food.
What if it’s Too Late?
Okay, if you have been using bad feeding methods up until now, it is still not too late to change them. To keep your dog from gorging, you might try putting a ball or another toy in the food container so that your dog has to eat “around.” That will slow down the eating process. You could also consider a product like a slow feeder. This is a device that requires the dog to eat around a platform to reach the food, and encourages slower eating. This can also reduce anxiety, and make food a bit less of an event.
Don’t Use Food as a Reward
You should also avoid using food as a reward. A lot of people use food as a training aid, and this can actually encourage bad eating habits. Try to think like a dog. “Do this. Good boy, you get a treat!” Dog concludes that if he does something good, he gets food. Therefore, food is good. And that means that getting food means that he is a good boy. But that is a bad idea.
You can tell your dog that he is good without offering food. A pat on the head or words of praise work wonders in training, but keep food out of the equation.
Conclusion
Food should be just food. Never an event, and never a reward. Keep this in mind, and your dog will probably not gorge.
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