This post may contain Amazon® product affiliate links. We may receive a commision if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links but at no cost to you. Please visit Our Privacy & Disclaimer Page for more information. Thank you.
We are a nation of pet lovers. We buy them toys, beds, treats, and special food. Clothing remains optional! We often rate our dogs as family members, their needs sometimes coming before our own.
A necessity for any dog is appropriate dog bowls. Whether we decide to cave into our desires and look for a bowl compatible with our home décor or style, the goal should be obtaining a dog bowl suitable for our pet. To determine what makes a bowl suitable, we should first consider the size of our dog.
Large dogs need bigger bowls. A dog bowl should be big enough to hold a full feeding, but not much more than that. A bowl that is too big can lead to over-filling, and that can result in your dog becoming overweight.
Most dogs love to eat, and therefore they spend more than a little time at their food and water bowls. Emphasis should be on providing comfort as your dog eats. A bowl with a flat bottom will help to prevent any tipping and spilling of food. Many bowls have rubber rims or feet that help to keep the dish from sliding across the floor. Dog bowls made of dishwasher-safe materials are preferable because the high water temperature in the dishwasher aids in killing bacteria and germs. Your pet’s bowls should be cleaned after every use – just as you would clean your own.
Research has shown that elevated dog bowls can be beneficial – especially for larger dogs. The dog does not need to bend the neck toward the bowl by elevating the bowls—this aids in posture and digestion. For an older dog, this may help to alleviate pain from sore or stiff joints or arthritis. To determine the appropriate height for the elevation, you will need to measure your dog’s height at the top of his front shoulder. The bowls should be located about 6 inches below that level. For smaller dogs, the bowls should be about four inches below that level.
The dog’s water bowl should be about twice the size of the food bowl. Water is an essential nutrient for your dog; therefore, he should always be encouraged to drink water, and a larger bowl will assist with that. The bigger sized bowl will also decrease the number of times you will need to refill the bowl. Everyone wins! Dogs lose water through panting and elimination, which means they constantly need to replace that water.
Are you forgetful, or are there times you have to be away from home for more extended periods than your dog can go without food? If so, you’ll probably want to invest in an automatic feeder. These innovative bowls hold a substantial amount of food that slowly dispense food into the feeding dish. As the dog eats away the food in the dish, more will fall into place. Similar water bowls are also available.
Dogs do rule! As responsible pet owners, we all try to meet the needs of our dogs. By providing the appropriate dog bowls, we can help them in various ways while helping ourselves at the same time. Adding to your dogs’ comfort and contentment and lets them know how important they are to us.
Below is one of the dog bowls we use and love.
https://youtu.be/8TwlLExWrjY
We use this product for our new puppies until they reach adulthood. Our furbabies love it.
Here is the Amazon link to the item shown in the video: Pet Zone Designer Diner Adjustable Elevated Dog Bowl