Our aim at TheHouseDog.com is to work on and improve the relationship between people and their house dogs.
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Ina Holz is a German Coach/ consultant for dog owners. Her focus is on the relationship between people and their dogs.
The dog bowl is used to feed or to provide our dogs with water. If it was up to the dog then it would probably be perfectly fine for him to eat his food directly from the ground.
That a dog should eat from a bowl is a human idea and has a lot to do with our demand for cleanliness and hygiene. Imagine cleaning the floor or carpet every time your dog munches on his favorite dog food.
Lets have a look at the different dog bowls and see which best suits your dog.
In general, the size of the bowl in diameter and rim height should be adjusted to the size and amount of food for the dog. The choice in shape and color is completely up to personal taste. There is a limitless selection on the market right now.
However, caution is advised for if there is any coating on the modern dog bowl, as this can affect our dogs health. Such as allergies, do not necessarily have to come from food components, but can also be caused by the material or the upper material of the bowl.
Dog bowls are often found in several different designs, they differ primarily in
the material of which they are made, but you also get dog bowl stands and a
very special feature dog bowl for those really gobbling, greedy dogs. Here are
the pros and cons of each:
A timeless classic, robust, easy to clean, smooth and insensitive surface leaves little residue. Is dishwasher safe and looks high quality and noble due to its shiny material. It also lasts forever! it is relatively light and therefore also an ideal companion for traveling with your house dog.
However, because of it beind light also has a disadvantage, the dog pushes the bowl over the floor when eating or the bowl tips over easily with particularly greedy doggy candidates. Depending on the surface, this can rattle quite loudly when the dog eats. One should therefore ensure that the stainless steel bowls are provided with a rubber ring on the underside, this prevents primarily the rattling and restricts the dog bowl wandering when the dog is eating.
For anxious dogs, such as animal welfare dogs, the stainless steel bowl is often not suitable. Because such dogs are often very unsettled by the reflections and reflections that emanate from the bowl. Also the metal, clangy sounds that are triggered when bumping against the bowl often make such dogs afraid.
The ceramic bowls are available in all colors and shapes, if you find the stainless steel bowl mostly in a classic round shape, the ceramic bowls are really no limits to the imagination. It is the perfect bowl for individualists, because among the classic ceramic bowls you can also find some special fancy copies. However, you should make sure that the bowl is not too decorated and has a smooth surface, so that it is easy to clean and does not leave food residues in any corners and niches.
The ceramic bowls are usually quite heavy and can not be pushed from A to B when eating and also do not tip over so easily. For travel, this bowl is not particularly suitable due to its weight. Ceramic bowls are also particularly durable and robust. However dropping them can be fatal as a fall usually means they do not survive and break. If chipped, cracked or broken, you should dispose of the bowl, because sharp edges can injure your dog.
The plastic bowl is the cheapest of the three materials. However, it also combines many advantages. So the bowl is light but not as loud and shiny as the stainless steel bowl.
Plastic bowls are also available in all colors and mostly in the popular round shape. These bowls are also easy to clean and in most cases suitable for the dishwasher.
However, the bowl is not as durable as its competitors, because over time the plastic becomes brittle and the surface rough. If this happens then you should dispose of the dog bowl as this could harm your dogs health.
Also, one should always consider with plastic that they might contain bisphenol-A or BPA in the material, which escape with time. These substances are considered carcinogenic and are found especially in very cheap plastic. So always read the label before buying your next dog bowl. Also, plastic is not the best choice from the point of view of environmental protection.
A special feature among the dog bowls are the so-called anti-gulping bowls. They are usually plastic bowls with knobs or shapes on the bottom of the bowl to prevent the dog from gulping while eating. Strictly speaking, it prevents the dog from taking a lot of food in one time. These bowls are often even recommended by veterinarians if the dog has a eating disorder.
In my opinion, lets not forget that the dog is by its nature, a prey predator, it is a gulper. From his anatomy and his digestive tract and also his jaws, he is designed for the gulping of food. Its jaw joint is totally unsuitable for chewing food.
To slow down the dog in his eating and to encourage him to chew is purely human thought. Many owners project this demand of themselves onto the dog. Eat slowly and chew well, everything else is unhealthy, for humans this may be true, but not for our house dogs. I have seen dogs that have eaten so quickly that they threw up what they had just eaten and then eat it again. In most cases this is due to the situation around them. The presence of other dogs or people put them under stress so that they feel compelled to eat quickly. The choice of the right feeding place can be decisive here and would be a better solution!
In such cases, an anti-snacking bowl can add to the dog’s stress and, in the very worst case, even lead to food aggression or resource aggression. Furthermore, the dogs can hurt themselves in the rush to get to the food between the nubs and forms on the lips and gums. For me such bowls are not recommended. There is no health risks for dogs to eat quickly so house dogs should be allowed to gulp their food down as it is their nature.
Many dog owners use dog bowl stands or dog bowl elevation stands, they are especially popular for owners with large breeds.
It is not really necessary to make eating easier for your dog, just because he has a certain size, but for older dogs or dogs with health restrictions, such as arthritis or back problems, such elevation can be a real relief!
There is also another advantage with bowl stands, because especially the lightweight stainless steel bowls, can not be pushed or tipped over in such a device.
As you can see, there is again a lot to consider and a whole range of options. Each model has its own advantages and disadvantages and what is an advantage for one person can be a disadvantage to another person , so you should make the choice based on your own dog and the personal requirements of their own everyday life. I would though think twice before buying a plastic bowl that contains BPA or a slow feed bowl.