Bowls for dogs: how to choose and where to place?

Any dog ​​breeder tries to make sure that his pet has the best. This applies not only lounger and equipment for walking, but also dishes. Despite the fact that the choice of bowls seems simple business, it has several features. Let's look at what should be dog bowls, what are the key criteria for their selection and placement.

The opinion that size is the only important selection criterion is wrong. Despite the fact that dimensions are important, there are other nuances that a dog owner needs to know before buying dishes for his pet. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to such moments as the type, the height of the sides, the material of manufacture, the shape of the product, the type of operation, the degree of convenience and reliability. And in each case, you have to select the product, taking into account the characteristics of a particular dog.

For example, options for large dogs will be suitable to accommodate the required portion of the amount of food. If the pet is fed with a granulated product, the bowl may be smaller, since the granulated food is a concentrated food. In comparison with natural food its volume is less, although the saturability is the same. As for the water packaging, it has its own requirements.

Such bowls should not be too small, since the liquid from them should not be poured out. You can not make a dog feeder from a regular plate or saucer, as well as buy ordinary dishes for a dog. Much depends on the age of the animal. For example, for feeding puppies you have to take smaller dishes, since babies are physically difficult to eat from bowls for adult dogs. For large breeds, tare sizes will be separate. They have higher sides, they are large and designed for pets of specific breeds. Given the fact that the dog may not easily calculate its strength and turn the plate over, these dogs should not take double options, in which the containers for food and liquids are connected on the same platform.

Regardless of the size of the dog, the product must be stable, and therefore the breeder needs to pay attention to the material of manufacture. If this is a marching option for a decorative dog, the capacity for feeding or drinking should be closed, or even completely automated, which is most appreciated on the road.

Their owners often pay special attention to colors and packaging design. Someone is trying to pick up a bowl with such a condition that it fits into the interior of the room where the pet is fed. So the dishes are not embossed against the general background of the interior, and therefore does not create a visual mess. But when choosing a color solution, the breeder always pays attention to the degree of convenience of the dishes for the dog.

Also when buying a dog feeder it is necessary to take into account such a factor as the amount of packaging, because dishes can be used not only at home. Often, dog breeders have to buy hiking bowls that are great at feeding pets in unusual situations. For example, such situations include exhibitions, hikes, travel, trips to the sea or somewhere else.At the same time to such products make their own demands. For example, travel-type options should be comfortable on the road, compact and mobile. They should exclude liquid spillage or spillage of granulated feed. In fact, they can be compared in some way with baby pacifiers, which are comfortable on the road, modern, distinguished by convenience and aesthetic appeal.

To date, you can classify dog ​​dishes by type of design. On this basis, feeding containers may include a typical product and automatic feeders, with and without supports, interactive, conventional and hanging, wall-mounted, with a structural link and a wide bottom, with a dispenser (stopper), a timer and folding, portable. There are a lot of options invented today, which significantly increases the ability of customers to purchase the best product for their pet.

For example, some breeders like products of the usual type with a wide bottom, which do not turn over, as well as options for slowly eating food. Others prefer to buy counterparts on a stand, the package of which often includes two bowls. Depending on the design, it can be height adjustable, which is important for large dogs.

Double bowl is found in any pet store, but products of this type are suitable only for small dogs due to their size. Analogs from holders are designed specifically for cells. Owners of exhibition animals buy this dish, fasten it to the cage wall, and therefore the bowls do not turn over and overturn, no matter how the dog treats them. Non-spill water is used for water, they buy it for sloppy pets. In addition, this product is well suited for trips where the pet needs to be fed in traffic. Interactive models with a timer are good for puppies, each compartment closes after a set time. Folding options are good on the road, they instantly allow a flat plate to give high sides.

The sombrero is suitable for puppies that step right into the food or sleep in it. This is an option for feeding a large litter that allows you to feed all puppies at once. Automatic products work on time and are good for dogs that are dieting. They are used when you need to teach a puppy to eat at certain hours of the day.

Today in the production of bowls for dogs use different raw materials, which affects the performance characteristics of the finished product, its quality and cost. For example, on the counters of pet stores today you can see bowls:

• ceramic;
• metal;
• wooden;
• silicone;
• plastic.

Plastic packaging for animals is the worst. In addition to low cost, it has no other advantages. It is short-lived, quickly loses its aesthetic appeal, is unstable to teeth and mechanical damage. In addition, it not only absorbs odors, but also releases harmful toxins if there is hot food inside it and is waiting for it to cool.

Ceramic dishes are safe and stable, and therefore for such a bowl you do not need to pick up any weighting. It does not slip on the floor, is easy to clean and does not absorb foreign odors. However, this material is fragile, which, coupled with the high cost of the finished product is its significant drawback. As for wooden products, it is impossible to call them comfortable for daily use. Wood is more often used as supports and fixings for the bowls themselves.

Silicone or nylon options are great for feeding the animal when moving or in the case of a guest. However, these bowls can be used only for dry food, and therefore use them for everyday use is meaningless.Metal dishes, including iron, aluminum and steel versions, today, by contrast, are gaining popularity among dog owners.

Having gone to a specialized shop for a dog bowl, the breeder will face the fact that the seller will offer him to take not one, but several products. This is not an attempt to impose as much product as possible, but a necessity. For example, few people thought about the fact that one bowl is simply not enough for an animal. Ideally, the dog should have three vessels: for dry food, liquid food, dairy products. In addition, it is preferable to take care of purchasing a spare bowl.

If the owners often leave the dog alone, she should buy an auto drinker. So the animal will have constant access to water. At the same time, the product should not slide on the floor, which is why it is better to buy weighted tare. So the dog will not be able to turn it over, and therefore all the contents will not crumble or spill over onto the floor. It is impossible not to take into account the degree of convenience of washing dishes. It is important that it is smooth both inside and out. In addition to the ease of washing, it is convenient for the pet, because he will not have to lick food in hard to reach places.

The shape can be different: round, oval, rectangular, square. You need to choose a product with rounded edges, so that the animal does not cling to them either with its body, or with its muzzle, or with its tongue. Experienced breeders note that the best shape is considered trapezoidal: it is more stable and more comfortable for the dog itself. As for the double options, which inexperienced breeders seem to be comfortable in everyday life, it is not advisable to take them. Although it is easier to wash them, they are inconvenient for the dog itself. While eating, the contents of one compartment may fall into another. If it is dry food, then not every pet gets it out of the water when it is swollen. In addition, the food in such a container deteriorates faster, because in order to wash the container, it must be empty in two compartments.

The puppy will have to buy several bowls, but it is better to do it gradually, focusing on the type of specific breed. The fact is that all dogs grow differently, and therefore for one pet the difference between the sizes of the plates will be small, and for another it may seem huge (for example, if you compare a mini-spitz and Tibetan mastiff). It is difficult for a huge dog to eat from a flat plate, while a small dog is not able to reach a large canine dog.

When buying you can focus on the amount of feed: as a rule, the volume of the portion should not exceed half of the total volume of the bowl. So the owner will be able to prevent the pet from scattering food while eating, which is typical of many impatient animals. Also, the water tank is selected with a reserve so that the dog is comfortable to drink it.

As for the material of manufacture, there are also nuances here. Dogs have excellent flair, and therefore smells for them have a special meaning. Among the dog family, there are often animals that refuse to eat because of the unpleasant smell of the bowl itself.

When buying, you can consider the following nuances:

• flat bowls are not suitable for everyday use;
• short pets need shallow bowls (options with low sides);
• representatives of rocks with elongated muzzles need dishes with high edges;
• bearded animals with hanging ears need tall but narrow bowls made in the shape of a cut cone.

Round dishes are more convenient than others in washing, in addition, it is more practical due to the absence of corners. These products are good for dogs who like to clean the corners of the bowls of the remaining food.As for electronics, large dogs often disagree with the dosage of feed, and therefore can gnaw such products.

Placement of the bowl matters to the animal itself. It should be placed in a clean place, where it will be easy to remove the effects of feeding. It is impossible that the host clothing or shoes are located nearby. Ideally, the room should be well lit. That is why the kitchen will become the best place to house dog dishes.

If the kitchen is small and it simply does not have enough space for dog dishes, you should choose another place. Depending on the characteristics of a particular dwelling, this may be a room or another room where the owner can easily clean up the rest of the food for the dog or liquid spilled over. However, under no circumstances to put food in the nursery, bathroom, toilet or corridor is unacceptable.

Few thought about the fact that the feeding bowl can be supplemented with a rug or diaper. These accessories are necessary for small puppies and sloppy dogs. They help to keep the feeding place clean. Besides, individual floor mats help keep the dog from carrying a bowl throughout the room. And this allows you to protect the floor from premature abrasion. Another accessory can be a tripod under the bowl. Such devices are needed when feeding large breed dogs. You can buy dogs and edible toys. They will be the catalyst for bringing a dog to a particular bowl.

When buying them, you need to pay attention to the size so that the toy fits completely inside the container. Animals can mess around with such items for a long time. Moreover, the taste, texture and shape of the object can be very different. If the pet is given such toys, it forms the correct bite, and the teeth become strong and healthy.

On how to choose the right bowl for the dog, see the following video.