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  1. #1
    Puppy
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    When to transition from feeding pan to bowl

    Our yellow lab pup is now 15 weeks old. We were instructed by the breeder to feed him using a jelly roll pan instead of a bowl. Is it time to introduce him to a dog bowl? Also, should I add a little water to his kibble as I do with our adult dogs?

    Thanks. It's been 14 years since we had a puppy and so much has changed.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Our breeders have never suggested using anything other than a dog food bowl since the day we brought them home. Some folks do use a jelly roll pan or other strategies to get their dogs to eat more slowly, maybe that's the reason she suggested it at all. You could go ahead and start using a bowl any time you'd like. Don't be surprised if your puppy vacuums up his food like he's never eaten before. Both my lab puppies ate like that. I do add some water to my dogs' kibble as well but I do not let it sit and soak in. I haven't read that there's any risk involved in letting your puppy chow down like that.

    If you decide you are uncomfortable with the pup hoovering up his food, there are specialty bowl with humps built into the bottom to slow them down. You can put a ball or other obstruction in there that he needs to try to eat around. You can buy treat dispensing balls to put his meals in that will slow him down and make meal time last more than 7.3 seconds, or you can go back to the jelly roll pan.

    Thanks for joining us. I hope to learn more about you and your new pup!
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    Chase 9/29/2006- 6/30/2017 Always in our hearts
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    “Because of the dog's joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as well as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would this world be like without dogs?”

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    Annette47 (09-26-2015)

  4. #3
    Puppy
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    Thank you for this information. Finley, (our new yellow lab pup), is our 3rd lab. We've always used a bowl for feeding so the jelly roll pan was new to us. We lost our almost 14 year old lab, Bailey, last January and missed having that sweet lab presence in our home. I'll post some photos soon and try the food bowl for his noon feeding.

    This was very helpful as I feel a bit rusty in raising a puppy.

  5. #4
    Senior Dog Maxx&Emma's Avatar
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    I never heard of using a jelly roll pan for a puppy either. I do have to giggle at the slow down bowls! Maxx can eat from one of the "hump in the middle kind" just as quickly as a regular bowl. The plastic ones that look a bit like a flower, he just dumped over and looked at me in disgust! I have always added water to kibble for my dogs when they do eat kibble. If a dog is completely kibble fed the extra water is really important. Maxx does eat raw much slower than kibble or home cooked.
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    Maxx and Emma Jean

    Ozzy - 10/2002 - 06/2011 - Rest well my sweet boy. You are forever remembered, forever missed, forever in my heart.

  6. #5
    Senior Dog MightyThor's Avatar
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    Thor hoovers up food so we got a Kong Wobbler. It's great - it takes him as long as 10 minutes to eat!
    Mighty Thor, "So Much Dog", born 1/6/2014
    And baby Barley, born 3/9/2018

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  7. #6
    Best Friend Retriever SoapySophie's Avatar
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    I used to use the orange treat ball to feed Sophie her meals, but stopped when I noticed the velvety-soft fur on top of her nose had been worn off from nudging that ball! :O

    After hand-feeding her when she was really small, we now use a regular stainless steel dog bowl but put a rubber ball and bone in there so she eats around them...some water is added for hydration, but again, don't let it soak in. She hasn't figured out that she could just remove the toys to get at the food quicker.
    Sophie: Born July 28, 2014
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  8. #7
    Puppy
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    These are all great ideas. He seems to like eating the moistened kibble out of the bowl. I'll try some of these hints to slow him down a bit.

    Thanks everyone. It's so nice to know this forum is here to answer my questions.

 



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