How to choose the right dog bowl

To some dog owners it might seem like a completely trivial topic, because after all, the hungry dog will eat his treat from anything. Indeed, when it’s just an occasional treat – it might not be that important. However, if we’re talking about everyday feeding throughout his entire life. It turns out that the wrong size or height of the dog bowl can have a negative impact on our pet’s health.

What should we pay attention to dog bowl we chose

Each dog is different and has its own individual needs. Our duty as his owners is trying to satisfy them. Nowadays, there are many dog ​​breeds that are very different. The most important features that we should pay attention to when choosing the right dog bowl is the size of the dog, the shape of his mouth, the length of his ears, as well as his temperament.

In every dog accessories store we can find a wide range of dog bowls. Everyone can find something suitable for their pet. There are a few basic aspects that we should consider when looking for the right dog bowl for our four-legged friend.

The material of the dog bowl is very important. There are three basic types that usually available in stores. Each of them has its pluses and minuses:

• plastic dog bowls

they are undoubtedly the cheapest, have different shapes and colors, and do not break easily. Unfortunately, they are quite difficult to clean and easy to scratch – which might cause the accumulation of grime and bacteria. In addition, plastic dog bowls are light and usually dogs move them along the floor while eating. If we have a high energetic dog at home, the plastic bowl can become another chew toy to destroy and eat. It also happens that the dog can get allergic to the plastic from which the bowl is made.

• ceramic dog bowls

they have different styles and colors, are heavier than plastic dog bowls, and their smooth surface ensures easy cleaning. They do not sensitize, so it is the best choice for allergic dogs. They can also be an interesting element of your house interior design. Ceramic dog bowls are the most expensive and the easiest to break. Microbes can accumulate in every crack, so we should immediately throw away the damaged bowl. Ceramic dog bowls are the best choice especially for small dogs.

• metal dog bowls (stainless steel)

are definitely the most durable, shatterproof and biting – resistant. They are also easy to clean and disinfect. Metal dog bowls are available in versions with a rubber bottom to prevent slipping or on various bases/frames (most often metal or wooden). It is more difficult to find them in the color or style that we are searching for. Although there are exceptions, such as the stylish DUO dog bowl. Some people don’t like metal dog bowls because of noise they make when pouring food or during dog’s meal.

If we have already decided on the material, we must now adjust remaining parameters of the dog bowl that will match our pet’s needs.

First of all, we must start with the size / capacity of the dog bowl. When the bowl is too small, it will not fit in the recommended portion of food or water for our dog, which can have tragic consequences in the form of malnutrition or dehydration. On the other hand, too large dog bowl, may make it difficult to eat or encourage your dog to put his paws inside. On dog food packaging you can find the feeding guidelines and the recommended daily portions suggested based on the weight and age of the dog. We must take them under consideration, before choosing the right dog bowl.

Another important thing is choosing the right height of the dog bowl. In the case of small dogs it’s simple, but it gets harder when it comes larger breeds. If the dog bowl is too low, your dog will have to bend down and even bend his paws during eating. It is very harmful – can cause difficulties in swallowing, digestive problems and destroy his joints. To adjust the height, the dog bowls are usually placed on various bases, such as, for example, the DELI dog bowl. There are also feeders with adjustable height, which is the best solution for a puppy- it will grow with your pet.

We must also take into account the shape of the dog bowl. This particularly applies to flat-faced dogs or pets with long floppy ears. For the former, the bowls are wide but shallow, which makes it easier for these dogs to grab food. For breeds with long ears, it is best to choose a conical-shaped dog bowl (deep and narrow), so that the ears of our pooch do not land in it while eating or drinking.

Only after matching the most important parameters adapted to the needs of our dog, we can think about the visual aspect of the selected dog bowl. In the end, it’s also good to remember that it will be part of our interior design. Some manufacturers create lines of accessories such as dog beds, dog bowls or even dog clothes that match together and bring consistent and harmonious style to the house.

Extraordinary dog bowl

Beside the basic types of dog bowls on the market, we can find many interesting solutions that can make life easier and even help to solve some problems associated with feeding.

An example can be a slow feeding dog bowl, designed for dogs that eat very greedily, which can cause health problems. Slow feeding dog bowl has many insets that make it harder to reach the food, so your dog can’t eat large amounts of food in one bite.

We can also find special dog gravity feeders or waterers, that allows our pet to have constant access to food / water. He can pick them up whenever he needs to throughout the day. However, when using such a solution it might be difficult for us to control the amount of food consumed by our dog, which is a bad idea, especially for pets that tend to overeat.

For the pet owners who spend a lot of time away from home and want to control the size and regularity of their dog’s meals, the best option will be an electronic feeder.  It opens as many times a day as you set it to, providing the planned amount of food. You can plan your dog meals even for a few days in advance.

There are many unusual dog bowls on the market. We can, for example, find feeders for puppies in breeding, as well as special heated dog bowls, designed for feeding outdoor dogs during low temperatures.

Even instead of a standard water bowl or a gravity-based dog waterer, we can use a modern solution, in the form of a special dog fountain in which water flows continuously (in a closed cycle) and is filtered by carbon filter. As a result, it is always fresh, which can be a useful solution in the case of dogs that don’t like to drink water that has been standing for a long time in the bowl.

A separate chapter among the dog accessories available on the market are so-called travel dog bowls. They come in many variants and can be useful during trips or longer expeditions with your four-legged companion. They are light, foldable and take up little space, so it’s easy to take them with you.

As you can see, buying a dog bowl is not an easy task at all. However, it’s a good idea to spend some time and choose the right solution that satisfies both: you and your pet. For dog, the new bowl will be an opportunity for a comfortable feasting, and for you – an element complementing the interior design of your house.