Which Type Of Dog Food Bowl Is Best For Your Dog?
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Time to read 11 min
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Time to read 11 min
For some pet parents, shopping for a new dog bowl can be like stepping into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. 🎶 “Come with me. And you’ll be. In a world of pure imagination!” 🎶 There’s an endless amount of choices—your imagination really is the limit. So, how do you know which dog bowl is best for your dog? Let’s figure it out!
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Luckily, when it comes to finding the best dog bowl, there’s an avalanche of safe options for your dog in every color, style, function, and price range you could imagine. The biggest obstacle is making sure you avoid certain dog bowls that may cause possible health and safety risks.
Without making you dig through the entire article, dog bowls you should avoid include bowls made of ceramic, aluminum, plastic, and copper —as well as free-feeding bowls (for most dogs). Other than these, the dog bowl that’s best for your dog simply depends on your and your dog’s needs.
For example, maybe your dog treats their water bowl like a deep diving expedition each time they go for a drink. In that case, a splash-proof or tip-proof bowl is probably the wisest choice to save you from the dreaded wet-sock-syndrome. But you might also want something that looks nice in your kitchen.
The right dog bowl is out there somewhere for you, so we’re here to help you land on the right one. Here’s what you should consider before buying:
Your pup is the most important factor here. So, before you start shopping for colors or styles that you like best, it’s important to think about what your dog needs, first.
Once you’ve figured out your dog’s specific needs, you may still be torn on a decision between a few dog bowl styles. To help, we’ve broken down the pros and cons of some of the most popular style dog bowls:
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The OG dog bowl. We all know it. It’s your no-frills, no-gimmicks dog bowl made to do nothing more than hold the food your dog wants to stuff in their face.
Best Suited For: Everyday use
Pros: Simple, functional. Wide variety of price ranges, colors, and materials. Suitable for most dogs.
Cons: No additional functionality to make eating more comfortable for certain dogs.
Spill-resistant/tip-resistant dog bowls often have a wider bottom, a rubber rim, or some other mechanism, like magnets, to keep your dog from tipping them over. In contrast, splash-resistant dog bowls have a lip or edge that curve inward to keep those little paws from flinging water and food overboard.
Best Suited For: Those goobers who like to tip their bowls over or play in their food/water, and puppies.
Pros: Prevents food and water spills. Protects your floors (and socks) from spillage.
Cons: Some dogs may not like the curved edges of no-splash dog bowls.
If they do their business, yay! It’s time for a big celebration with lots of kisses! Our dogs live to make us happy, so positive feedback will work better than any snack. If you do decide to use training treats, pick something small and low in calories—treats can add up!
Slow-feeder dog bowls have a raised center bump, ridges, or edges that look like a maze or puzzle. The raised ridges make your dog slow down, and work a bit harder to get to their food. These are perfect for dogs who have a tendency to scarf their food down so fast that they end up choking, vomiting, or having tummy troubles. Eating too fast can often be one of the culprits behind your dog’s cannon-blasting toots. Slow-feeders can also be used to give your pup a little extra mental stimulation.
Best Suited For: Dogs who eat too fast. Mental stimulation. Dogs with digestion issues.
Pros: Helps prevent stomach upset, excessive farts, choking, and vomiting from eating too fast. May help prevent canine bloat. Mentally stimulating.
Cons: Can be annoying to clean thoroughly between ridges. Some dogs refuse to use them. Often made of plastic. Some dogs get frustrated and tip the whole bowl over.
Raised/elevated dog food bowls can be great for dogs with certain mobility issues. Older dogs, and dogs with issues like arthritis, might find it easier to eat from an elevated bowl instead of straining to bend over. Some medium breeds may just find them more comfortable to eat out of. And others may have an easier time swallowing from a raised position. However, elevated and raised bowls have been shown to increase the risk of deadly GDV/canine bloat , and should be avoided with dogs prone to this condition.
Best Suited For: Dogs with mobility issues
Pros: Easier for dogs to reach without strain. Often more comfortable. Helps prevent spills.
Cons: Can increase risk of GDV in certain breeds. Can be bulky. Awkward for small breeds.
Some tall dog bowls are designed with narrower openings at the top to help keep your dog’s long, floppy ears from dipping into their bowl and becoming a sopping mess. #floppyearproblems! They’re often called “Cocker Spaniel dog bowls”, but we won’t tell if your basset hound wants to use one too.
Best Suited For: Dogs with long, floppy ears
Pros: Helps keep ears dry
Cons: Some dogs may not like the narrow opening. Fewer options available.
Free-feeding dog bowls keep the good times rollin’ by letting food flow out at all times without having to refill the bowl. Luckily, these bowls are getting harder to find, and for good reason! Most dogs really shouldn’t use a free-feeding dog bowl due to how easily they lead to weight gain and obesity. You might be able to get away with using one if you’ve lucked out with a unicorn of a dog who always stops eating once they’re full. But let’s be honest—although a few of these dogs actually exist, 99% of dogs do not have this much willpower.
Best Suited For: Dogs who self-regulate how much food they eat without gaining too much weight
Pros: Great for lazy pet parents. Have to fill bowls less often. Dog can eat any time they want.
Cons: Bowls tend to get cleaned less often and can build up bacteria. Can lead to weight-gain for dogs who don’t know when to stop eating. Other pets or kids in the household always have access to the food. Food loses freshness more quickly, and may become contaminated.
Automatic dog bowls have a few pretty cool purposes. These bowls automatically feed your dog on a schedule by releasing a pre-portioned amount of food. These are different from free-feeding bowls as they only release a specific portion of food at a time, while keeping the rest sealed. The pre-set schedules can be incredibly helpful for busy pet parents. Another bonus is that they can help keep your pets out of each other’s food. Some automatic dog bowls use RFID chips attached to your pet’s collar to recognize each individual pet.
Best Suited For: Busy pet parents. Multi-pet households.
Pros: Pre-portions your dog’s meals on a set schedule. Can help prevent other pets from stealing each others’ food. Helps keep kids out of the dog’s food.
Cons: Expensive. Some dogs are afraid of them.
Travel dog bowls are perfect when you’re on the go. Whether your pup is joining you for a weekend getaway, a camping trip, or you’re just out for a day adventure, these bowls make it easier for your dog to eat wherever they are. There’s a variety of designs for travel bowls—from collapsible silicone, to foldable fabric, and stackable containers.
Best Suited For: Pups on the go. Vacations. Walks, hiking, and camping.
Pros: Compact, easy to transport. Different designs and materials available.
Cons: Foldable and collapsible bowls can be more difficult to clean properly. Not much known yet about safety of silicone material.
This is an often overlooked aspect to choosing the right dog bowl. Once you narrow down the style of bowl that’s best for your dog, it’s incredibly important to consider the safety and quality of materials being used in your dog’s food and water bowls. Certain materials, coatings, glazing, and low-quality bowls pose health risks to your dog. You should also be careful to choose dog bowls from reputable companies with high safety standards. Remember, if it’s cheap, you’re probably getting cheap low-quality materials.
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Let’s face it, no one wants to look at ugly dog bowls! Your needs and preferences matter, too. Before making your final decision, answer a few questions that may matter to you: