Puppy eating too fast

Question
Hello Labman,
I have a 12 wk old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. She is a food gobbler. I hand feed her a piece at a time to encourage her to eat slow and chew her food. She waits patiently between pieces, but mostly when she has a piece in her mouth she simply repositions it to swallow hole. I have even tried the large Science Diet Oral Care pieces and sometimes those go down whole. This is concerning as I don't want this to continue due to the predisposition large breeds have to gastric torsion and bloat problems. She is eating 2/3 to 1 cup each meal, 3X a day. She has no food aggression, just eats fast and doesn't chew. She is on a 50/50 mix of Natural Balance Adult Duck and Potatoes and Science Diet Large Breed Puppy. This combo seems to produce normal stools where the Natural Balance alone her stools were soft but formed. It was recommended that I give her adult premium food by the breeder and the vet recommended large breed puppy, I am meeting in the middle and making sure she doesn't gain rapidly. She is up to date on worming and vaccinations. Her activity is normal. I have had many dogs in my lifetime, and have 20 years experience as a vet tech. This one is a little perplexing for me. Any advice you can offer would be helpful.
Rene

Answer
I don't know that you can get them to actually chew their chow.  You can avoid some of the problems of eating too fast.  

There are not one, but 2 easy, tested, effective ways to control it. You can spread the food out on a cookie sheet or something. Some of my friends just throw it on the floor of the crate. You can put large rocks in the food dish, much to big to swallow. Either way, the dog can't gulp down one big mouthful after another.

There are other important factors, but note the calcium levels in the chow.  1% is good, and more than 1 1/2% can lead to problems.  If either chow has too much, drop it.  Many of the large breed chows are about the same as the adult version except for the price.  Keeping the puppy lean is important as well as avoiding an excessively rich diet.  

Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good illustrated guide, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx