We just got a new rescue dog, an Australian Shepherd. This thing eats like a pack of angry velociraptors. Its insane. She wasn't abused or starved, she is super fat. The owners husband died and she just couldn't take care of her. She needs some discipline and has food aggression. Fortunately I am used to having very large dogs so this little thing doesn't scare me a bit.

We bought one of those slow feeders, and make her sit and go in her cage so we can feed her and the other dog at the same time. Even with the slow feeder its like nothing I have ever seen. She goes absolutely ape shit sucking in food like a vacuum. Doesn't even chew it. Ive never seen an animal eat like this and we have rescued and fostered a lot of dogs with food issues.

We tried breaking it up from twice a day to smaller amounts 4 times a day to help digestion.

How else to slow her down a bit?

Wicked smart dogs for sure… I ain’t got nothing here other than they won’t die by skipping a few meals.

I would make sure she does not have a medical issue at play.

A lot do dogs are fast eaters. I would talk with your vet about it. Sure they will have good advice.

Walk her - lots, and cut her down to 1.5 cup twice a day.

She will learn no other dogs will get her food and she’s not getting anymore. If you have other dogs, feed them separately.

^^^ solid. +1

My daughter uses "slow feeder bowls" for dogs. (she does rescues and has experiences with some dogs with food aggression and fear of "not getting any" due to coming from multiple dog environments.)

May have to find one with a "pattern" that works.

And the "feed her separate" but at the same time, might help.

(she has been doing rescue/training for many years, and especially with boarder collies, let me ask her what she finds works best.)

What about water consumption?

I thought the OP mentions that is using a slow feeder bowl…

These guys, seen here catching some rays and Zs in the back yard, were my parents', circa 1990.



The lop-eared one on the bottom, I don't think ever ate normally. He would inhale his food and seemingly swallow it whole. I can't remember his jaws ever moving.

Did you read the ingredient panel….it will list the amount of food the pup should be getting daily.

If you are feeding enough a slow down bowl should help. My best friend Buddy that lab was a crazy eater. The slow down bowl totally stressed him out. We used his regular bowl after that and put a couple of tennis balls in the dish.

Edited to add: I missed the overweight part. If you reduce the amount of food try adding fresh,cut up, raw green beans to help fill her up without adding calories or fat.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
I thought the OP mentions that is using a slow feeder bowl…

He did. I mentioned my daughter also uses them, but has had to try different "patterns" to find one that works with some dogs. Some are like ice cube trays with small separate compartments, and others are like rings (like a target) and others look like a maze with walls, and others have "pegs".

Any idea of her age? Our pup was a very eager and fast eater early on. This began to wane as he aged and he's now bit of a picky eater. We did employ a puzzle feeder at one point which he enjoyed and became so good at finding the hidden food we gave it up. We bring it out now and again and hide one or two small treats just to keep him sharp.

If your dog is near adult hood, you might need some other tactics, many which have already been suggested. Good luck.

more walks, feeding separately. patience.
if the vet says shes healthy. id try those and add a low calorie option to the bowls.
one of my dogs(vizslas), since a pup, is just a fatty at heart. walks, swimming, low anxiety all of it, and she just wants food. all the time. my kids didnt help with the "treats" either. i always top her meals with carrots, she loves them. they are low calorie, fill her up, help her slow down due to the crunchy chewing. she eats at a regular pace now, just will never say no to more. the carrots/peas etc options help fill her up without her gaining weight. also their gut health can go downhill with too much dry/wet high protein dog food. depending on breed.

id say you can get her to calm down a bit over time, if you stick to a program. she may never eat like the other dogs you've had.

they are an awesome breed. so many working breeds are rewarding to own and care for. they love to work though, on anything....

I don't think it's cruelty to ration the food and skip meals. If they were running free, they would go for days without eating until they take down a prey, right?

We feed our dogs extra, like they get a share of what we eat. Especially in the morning, we put it in their bowl. But when we notice they're not eating their own dog food, we stop feeding them until they clean up their bowl.

You didn't say but are you feeding the new dog less so she loses weight?

Feeding kibble by hand is great too (use it as the treat for basic training) You can make it a game to find them and even get those puzzle treat dispensers in addition. Feeding by hand is a great way to slow the consumption, train and get their attention on you. There are many videos from trainers who swear by it. So many folks miss this opportunity by just tossing kibble in a bowl.

Green beans are great filler additions
Use moderation with carrots (high sugar content and won’t help the diet)
Good luck

^^^ Green beans worked great when we needed to slim our two retrievers down.

The slow feeder and green beans are great ideas, I also give mine carrots for snacking. Consider getting her into the vet though to check and see if there’s something like a thyroid issue that might be triggering her to “feel” like she needs more food. Should be a “full” signal that’s sent from the dog stomach to the brain; maybe that trigger isn’t happening..
Perhaps the resident vet here will check in, but otherwise, if it’s simply behavioral, limiting the food, and offering healthy fillers like green beans, carrots, etc.. have a very consistent feed schedule 2xday will help. These dogs will let you know of you’re off by a minute, God help you during daylight savings. I did have a Plott hound that inhaled; I have an Italian greyhound right now that does inhale as well- simply monitoring the diet and feeding separately is very helpful. Best of luck.

I second the vote for green beans to help fill up. I will add that both our labs have always inhaled their food. I’ve timed them and they take about 30 seconds from start to finish.