Why does my dog eat faster when other dogs are around

A dog does not need to see actual theft happen to speed up. Simply having another dog in the room, even one eating from its own bowl a few feet away, is often enough to trigger faster, more anxious eating.

Feeding dogs in separate rooms, crates, or at a distance with a visual barrier removes most of the pressure and lets each dog eat at its own pace. Feeding at the same time rather than staggered also reduces one dog rushing to finish and move toward the other's bowl.

Stiffening, hard staring, or growling when another dog approaches during a meal is resource guarding rather than simple competitive speed, and is worth managing separately with distance and, for repeated or worsening cases, help from a qualified trainer or behaviorist.

Timing the same dog's meal alone on one occasion and with the other dog present on another gives a clear, individualized comparison, since some dogs show only a mild uptick in pace while others speed up dramatically, which helps decide how much separation is actually needed on an ongoing basis. It also helps to note whether the faster pace continues even once the other dog has already been fed and finished, since a dog that only speeds up during the other dog's actual presence at a nearby bowl is showing a more specific, manageable trigger than one that stays anxious about food more generally throughout the day. This distinction is worth mentioning to a trainer if guarding signs are also present alongside the faster pace.