i hear an interesting noise coming from the area angus is eating.....

[nickerbokker]

what is it?  chewing!  WTF!

for 7 months now, i have been feeding the dogs by eachother because i wanted them to stay food friendly with eachother and other dogs and such....WELL.. ...they were friendly, but it only takes all of 3.7 secondsfor them to inhale the food. 

about 2 weeks ago, i started feeding them in separate rooms to see if the would eat slower...and today, today was my answer.....FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 7 MONTHS, ANGUS WAS PICKING UP FOOD AND CHEWING IT!  IM SO HAPPY! AND PROUD! 

what a nice sound!

[greek4]

Way to go!  He's finally a big boy.  I would clap for him but he couldn't hear and probably wouldn't even notice anyway if he could.

Rocco chews half of the food, inhales half.  Maia is very gentle and chews every piece before swallowing.  Lately, she has been waiting for Rocco to finish eating before she will start.  My guys eat in a raised feeder with a large bowl length between them.

[lins_saving_grace]

Maybe I should try that.  Lady and Grace just wolf.  if you touch Grace's throat while she eats you can feel the chunks rolling down into her belly.

[jabear]

Way to go Angus! I am so happy for you Nickers. What good boys you have there!

[RedyreRottweilers]

I'm glad you're glad.

BUT..... 

Dogs are not designed or evolved to chew. They are also not designed to be slow eaters. Slow eaters die in the wild. Dogs are rippers and gulpers. Kibble is not a natural food, but they do pretty well with it. It is designed to be gulped as that is how dogs eat.

They more they chew the more gooey grainy dog food buildup you get on the teeth, esp the molars, and the more dental care you have to invest in later.

Way back when I used to feed kibble, I made sure it was always very wet so the dogs could gulp it safely.

Be careful your dogs do not slow down eating so much you end up with the problem the pyr owner has with his dog not eating.

[nickerbokker]

thank goodness we do not live in the wilderness huh?!  shite, if we were, they would eat me!  good news is that we live in my apartment in hollywood, and we all like eachother.  they have no need to eat fast, because they are going to be fed 2-3 times a day as long as im around, and if i die, my family (or jaba lol) will do the same for them.  it isnt good for them to eat tooo fast, cuz they get too much air, and im glad they are both slowing down.  dont get me wrong, they eat mighty fast, but are getting slower.  and as far as the teeth go, they get cleaned by me daily, or weekly if im lazy, and cody gets them done at the vet and angus will too with age.  they also get way more than kibble.

thanks for the input everyone

[RedyreRottweilers]

I have to agree, not living in the wilderness, or the wild, is a good thing.

Be that as it may, your dog is much closer to a wild animal than you are. He is only very slightly removed from his wild cousins, and he is exactly the same on the inside.

It's great your dogs get more than kibble.

I think it's very sad that some dogs live their lives with no fresh food at all.

Mine sure enjoy their mealtime. It's their favorite part of the day!