Beagles are notoriously fast eaters when they have the opportunity. When they feel like it, they can devour their food within a very short amount of time. There are some genetic reasons that factor into this, but there are also environmental causes that can contribute.

If you own a beagle, it’s likely you’ve seen them scarf down food at a worrying speed. While it might seem like there’s nothing that can be done, there are actually a few key steps you can take to help reduce their speed and even help them eat less food overall to avoid obesity.

To best slow your beagle’s eating down, you’ll first want to understand the reason behind this habit. In this article I’ll detail the reasons why beagles eat so fast, and offer some helpful solutions and preventative measures you can take.

In general though, most beagles eat faster than other dogs because they have higher metabolisms than most breeds. Beagles were bred as agile hunting dogs, and they’ve kept this high metabolism even though now they’re mostly bred as family dogs.

Why Do Beagles Eat Quickly?

The first challenge you’ll have with your beagle’s eating habit is determining why they eat fast at all.

It’s not always clear why a dog will eat fast or slow, but there are some key factors that play into this:

• Beagles Tend to Be Fast Eaters Because of Their Genetics.

Beagles were bred as hunting dogs, and when hunting they often didn’t have much time to go after their food, only being able to pounce and consume their prey as quickly as possible. As a result of this, their metabolism was slightly raised to enable them to eat food quickly.

Beagles needed to be able to exert a lot of energy to track animals for sometimes miles on end, and keep up that energy to actually hunt down and capture small game like rabbits and gophers.

This is why beagles also require a high amount of exercise, as they’re used to physically active jobs.

• Beagles Take Longer to Feel Full

It takes longer for your beagle’s stomach to let the brain know they’re full. This means that your beagle might keep eating, not knowing that they’ve already had enough food in their system.

This unawareness may lead them to eat faster than they actually should, as there’s an urgent sense to satiate that powerful hunger.

• Beagles Were Bred As Pack Dogs, And Can Be Territorial With Food

Beagles are an energetic breed that was bred to hunt in packs. As a result, beagles are territorial when it comes to their food.

In a group setting, they’d have to be more defensive over their portion of meals, and would therefore eat fast to ensure that other dogs in the pack didn’t get an opportunity to take food away from them.

• Beagles Are Predisposed to Medical Conditions That Cause Fast Eating

There are a few medical conditions that can cause your beagle to act out with faster eating as well. Hypoglycemia is a common cause of beagle over-eating, as when the sugar levels in their blood drop their hunger will increase.

If they can’t keep up with the blood sugar drops, they’ll likely find themselves overeating to replenish their stores and avoid hypoglycemia.

Beagles are also prone to being overweight if they don’t get a proper amount of exercise, or if they overeat.

When beagles are overweight, it takes more calories to make them feel full, which can increase their stress to eat food quickly, as they will be hungrier before meal time than average-weight dogs.

Lastly, beagles are prone to both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This disease has a variety of side effects, including excessive hunger and thirst. It’s also possible for them to gain excess weight as the disease worsens, which can increase the urge to eat as quickly as possible to make up for their unbalanced caloric intake.

Side Effects From Eating Too Quickly

You might not realize it, but eating more quickly than you should can actually cause some serious problems for your beagle. While the initial consequences might not seem intuitive, there are a few side effects that are directly caused by over-eating.

The most common side effects for beagles that eat too quickly include:

• Excessive Bloating

When a dog overeats, it can cause their stomach walls to stretch out. This can cause them to feel bloated and uncomfortable, especially after eating a lot of fatty food.

Beagles with bloat are more prone to vomiting, as their stomach is stretched so far and filled with so much gas that they’ll have to put too much pressure on their digestive system.

• Spikes in Blood Sugar & Weight Gain

Beagles can experience spikes in blood sugar when they eat too quickly. They might not feel the effects immediately, but eating quickly can cause them to gain weight over time.

Since their body isn’t used to eating so much food all at once, it causes a spike in insulin production.

While this might seem temporary at first, especially if your beagle takes a walk afterwards, it can eventually lead to an excess amount of weight gain if the habit is repeated often enough.

It can also contribute to developing type 2 diabetes as they get older.

• They Can Develop a “Twisted Stomach”

Beagles and other medium sized dog breeds are prone to a condition called Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV), a condition where the stomach turns 180 degrees after years of eating too quickly.

This condition is very unfortunate as there aren’t many ways to treat it, and is often painful for dogs. It’s best to encourage slow eating behaviors early to avoid this condition altogether. Below in this post I have some of the best methods I’ve seen to slow beagles’ eating down.

How Much Should a Beagle Eat?

On average, adult beagles require about one cup of food per day, usually split as a half cup serving in the morning and a half cup serving in the evening.

Most dog food companies have an average feeding chart as well that is helpful for proper measuring.

If you have a larger beagle (meaning taller and heavier than beagles in most cases), you might need to feed them more than that.

Beagles are prone to being overweight, and therefore should be fed less in order to avoid putting on weight. You can also opt for dog food geared for weight loss, which you can learn more about in my guide here.

Also, if you are very active with your beagle, giving them more than an hour of exercise each day, you’ll probably want to supplement their diet with more food.

This can be in the form of more treats, or up to about another half cup of food per day. Of course, you’ll want to confirm this with your vet before changing any diet plans.

How to Slow Your Beagle’s Eating Down

Now that you know how much your beagle should be eating, the next step is to encourage slow eating habits. This is important, as it will also help your dog feel more obedient to you as a provider, and will help them maintain a healthier and more active lifestyle.

• Make A Routine For Feeding Times

To encourage your beagle to eat slower, you’ll want to make a routine for when they eat. This will not only help them learn what’s normal, but it will also help them get used to eating in a certain method, and will ease their minds if they have any fears of not eating enough.

By sticking to the same times every day, your beagle will start to pick up on this routine, and will display less anxiety about when their next meal will happen.

Spacing meals out far enough will also help their bodies adjust to longer periods without food, and will make them less hungry over time.

• Consider Watering Down Your Dogs Food

If your beagle is eating too fast, consider watering down the amount of food you give them. This will make it take longer for them to eat, and their stomachs will not stretch out as quickly.

This will also keep them hydrated and lower their risk of choking while eating too quickly.

Even though beagles do take longer to feel full than other breeds, the volume of the water will also help trick them into thinking they are fuller sooner, which should help slow them down as well.

• Hand Feed Your Beagle

If your beagle is reluctant to eat slowly, don’t worry! This can be a perfectly normal reaction to eating too fast, as their metabolism has been trained to first eat quickly then be calm.

By offering them treats on the other hand, they will still get the reward of eating in a relaxed manner. You will get to control just how quickly they eat, and it will strengthen your bond with your beagle in a productive way.

• Try A Slow Feeder Bowl

A slow feeder bowl is a great way to slow your beagle down while they eat. It can be used for treats, or as an alternative to water if your dog doesn’t like it. It will slow them down, and maintain their health at the same time.

These bowls can have intricate puzzle-like shapes that will require your dog to work a little harder for their food. My personal favorite is the Interactive Training Slow Feeder from Mondon

Final Thoughts

It’s important to keep in mind that a beagle’s metabolism is geared towards fast eating, so it might take some time to get used to feeding them at their own pace. You should see results eventually though, and best of all, your beagle will be happier.

Training your beagle to eat slowly will take dedication, but will lead to a healthier life for your dog. If you are interested in learning more about proper dog care and training, consider subscribing to our email list here for more tips!