By Maria Morava
A puppy’s remarkable self-discipline has captured the internet’s hearts.In a TikTok video, a woman’s pup is seen eating a bit of her food, taking a reflective break nearby, and then going back for more. The adorable and uniquely self-aware approach has melted hearts, with nearly three million views and over 627,000 likes.”She won’t eat if her food is in a slow feeder, so she’s self-aware and takes breaks in a big girl bowl,” the creator captioned the video. “My self-aware Petunia.”This behavior struck a chord with thousands, some of whom shared their own dogs’ less-than-refined eating styles.”Meanwhile, mine is tryna self-delete every time she eats, so I have to put water in it so she doesn’t choke to death鈥攂ecause she too refuses to eat out of a slow feeder,” one person wrote. “This is precious. I’m gonna go show her.””We used to have to force our Weim into sit mode and watch him gag and choke on the kibble he inhaled, all while still staring at his food bowl,” another person shared. “Eyes wide, never blinking, because dogs who blink might miss a kibble.”Other dogs have their own methods of managing rapid consumption.”My dog would take mouthfuls to another place, drop them, go back. And repeat until he had the bowl empty and then eat from the pile,” shared another user, describing another self-regulating technique.”Who needs a slow feeder when you can have discipline?” one commenter wrote. “Greatest good girl!”Petunia’s self-paced eating is endearing鈥攂ut it’s also crucial to her health.According to a blog post from the American Kennel Club (AKC) eating quickly can be dangerous for dogs, posing several health risks like choking. More seriously, the AKC stated that “eating quickly may increase the risk of a serious medical condition called bloat,” formally known as gastric dilatation-volvulus or GDV, which occurs when the stomach expands and may twist, becoming “immediately life threatening.” When a dog eats too fast, they gulp down a large amount of air along with the food, increasing the chances of bloat.To combat these dangers, pet owners often turn to solutions like slow-feeder bowls鈥攊f their pup will oblige. Other methods suggested by the AKC include using a cookie sheet or muffin pan to spread out the food, or even hand-feeding.Petunia, however, seems to have found her own unique solution without needing special equipment, demonstrating a level of control that many owners strive for. As one user aptly put it, “My pregnant self could learn a thing or two from her.”Newsweek reached out to @delilahondamove for comment via TikTok.