My dog has always chewed well but we found that she would burn some energy off by feeding her with a snufflemat. She gets half in the mat, the rest I hide around the house for hide and seek. So she only gets a couple kibble pieces at a time

 

I wouldn't switch to canned food, instead, get a slow feed bowl or food puzzle to feed him out of, it will slow him down eating his meals.

 

I have a 7-month-old who definitely went through a period of inhaling his food around this age. His kibble (Open Farm) works well for him, but I was also concerned. Puzzle bowls definitely helped — mine thought it was a puzzle toy that could produce more food and would carry it around when he was done, but still, slowed down the meal for sure. 😅 Probably just a growth spurt, I found he goes through phases of eating faster or slower as he grows!

 

Absolutely agree with food dispensers/slow feeders. My pup inhaled all types of food.

She was fed half of her meal in a rolling dispenser, which slowed her down and wears them out, and the other half was mixed with wet and frozen in a kong Quest (bone shape, since this is easiest to learn on vs. using a kong.)

With the frozen, licking behavior releases endorphins and helps a dog of any age relax as well as focus, keeping their brain busy.

Foraging for their food is excellent for puppy and senior brains..

Westpaw has some pretty tough stuffable feeders toys for freezing that hold up great.

My Golden in going on 7 and is still eating out of all sorts of different feeders.

I let her pick (out of 3) what dry will go in. She has favorites.

Same with her raw addition, packed and frozen in different holders.

 

Absolutely agree with food dispensers/slow feeders. My pup inhaled all types of food.

She was fed half of her meal in a rolling dispenser, which slowed her down and wears them out, and the other half was mixed with wet and frozen in a kong Quest (bone shape, since this is easiest to learn on vs. using a kong.)

With the frozen, licking behavior releases endorphins and helps a dog of any age relax as well as focus, keeping their brain busy.

Foraging for their food is excellent for puppy and senior brains..

Westpaw has some pretty tough stuffable feeders toys for freezing that hold up great.

My Golden in going on 7 and is still eating out of all sorts of different feeders.

I let her pick (out of 3) what dry will go in. She has favorites.

Same with her raw addition, packed and frozen in different holders.

I don't actually thaw my dogs raw food. She gets 2 4oz patties per meal and she licks and breaks of little pieces and then chews them. Guarantees chewing, but my dog doesn't gulp or swallow, she chews normally.

 

I would try the snow feed bowls or puzzles like others have stated. Though not everyone wants to switch foods but, Royal Canin has a maxi line (or at least had) that the kibbles are large rectangles (like small dominos) which makes it virtually impossible to swallow whole and forces then to chew. I'm not sure if the maxi puppy or just the adult, but it's an option if you continue to have issues with this.

 

Either a slow feed bowl or add water to it. Mine get theirs like you would make a bowl of cereal. It's still crunchy but when it's floating in water, it's hard to inhale.

 

The OP is talking about a puppy, and feeding kibble mixed with wet out of an open top stuffed feeder that is frozen for part of the meal is a great way to help a pup who is barfing slow down. Some slow feeders only do so much with a Golden nose, particularly a puppy.

You might get 1 minute vs. 20 seconds. I have tried out different slow feeders with my Golden before suggesting them to my students.

Not all Goldens are chewers. Mine gulps. She swallow eggs whole. Her raw portion and veggie/ supplements is formulated, but those raw patties as an adult...she chomps a frozen one in half and swallows each half.

She's very calm with a dispenser or frozen stuffed topplr, etc.

 

Mine inhaled Royal Canin Golden Retriever kibble. We dribbled on warm water to make it a bit softer, or covered it with a dollop of wet food, but this has triggered the side effect that he no longer accepts dry food treats in training. If we want obedience he now demands diced chunks of beef, and he is going through £5 per day on treats alone