The Dog's Mechanics Of Eating His Dog Food

Article Title: The Dog's Mechanics Of Eating His Dog Food
Author: John Mailer

Many dog owners think that every different breed of dog must be
fed different, according to some sort of specification.
However, the eating behavior of a dog is characteristic of the
whole species, not of any individual breed, since all dogs eat
the same way. As a result, there are certain general
considerations that can be made when feeding any dog.

A dog is not required to eat its food the same way a man does.
A dog has no hands. It's jaws are suited for biting and cutting
rather than chewing. There are few "gag" reflex nerves at the
back of a dog's mouth, but many in a person's throat. A dog
has fewer taste buds on its tongue, but a much greater sense of
smell than a man has. There are many other differences as well.


How A Dog Eats dog food

While the eating behavior of a dog may seem strange or awkward
to some dog owners, to the dog it is the most comfortable and
satisfactory way of getting its food from its bowl into its
stomach. The normal pattern of swallowing in a dog is often
described as "bolting." The dog picks up a piece of food with
its front teeth and with a short, quick thrust of its head,
tosses the piece of food back onto the top of its tongue. The
piece of food is then rolled (without being chewed) to the back
of the mouth. As the piece reaches the base of the tongue, a
reflex causes the back of the tongue to push the food upward
and backward into the esophagus. From there it is carried
directly into the stomach.

When a piece of dog food is too large to be swallowed, the dog
holds the food with its paws and uses its front teeth to tear
off smaller pieces that can be swallowed. If the dog food is
too tough to be torn, the dog will cut it into pieces small
enough to be swallowed, using two specialized jaw teeth.

These teeth are called carnassial teeth and have large shearing
surfaces that act like scissor blades which can cut through such
tough substances as muscle, hide, gristle, and even bone. While
the powerful jaw muscles of a dog are useful for cutting chunks
of food into swallowing size, these muscles are used very
little for actually chewing those pieces. A dog's teeth are
few in number and poorly equipped for mastication.

About The Author: John Mailer has written many articles about
dogs and puppies and how to train and look after them. His main
business is as an internet marketer.
http://www.howtostartonlinehomebusiness.com
http://www.basicsdogtraining.com/dognutritionfood.html

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