Choosing The Right Dog Dishes For Your Pet's Mealtime

 Walk into any pet store or the pet section of a department store and you'll quickly realize something: people love their pets! When it comes to dog dishes you will find the cheap plastic models that have been around forever but you'll also find modern, innovative dishes that incorporate form with function. Some dog dishes are so fancy they make Royal Doulton look cheap! Does your pet need to eat out of dog dishes like these? Not really. But they sure are fun to buy!

Anyone who's had a playful puppy knows that a heavy weight bowl is a must. A friend of mine has a small dog who loves to eat every bite of her food and then take off with the dish to hide it! As funny as it is watch, it can be a pain to go hunting for the dish every day. A weighted dog dish would be a strong deterrent to this type of behavior, but knowing her dog she would probably still try to push it around to hide it.

A dish with a non-skid bottom is a good idea to prevent sliding if your dog likes to play hockey with its bowl or perhaps is over-exuberant when eating.

 Probably the most popular choice for a dog dish is stainless steel. Stainless steel dog dishes will last decades without rusting or breaking and are really easy to clean. One possible drawback to this type of dish is that skittish dogs may shy away if the bowls knock together.

Ceramic dog dishes have become quite decorative lately, incorporating colors and patterns to match almost any décor. One problem with ceramic is that it gets chipped and will break if dropped. Also, plastic and ceramic dog dishes are easily scratched and bacteria will thrive in the grooves. Placing them in the dishwasher will sterilize them, but check to make sure they are dishwasher safe before you do so.

Elevated dog dishes are perfect for large dogs and older dogs with arthritis that may have trouble bending to eat. Most elevated dish stands are height adjustable and can be raised up as your puppy grows.

Travel dog dishes have become quite popular lately, especially among campers and hikers. These portable dog dishes are lightweight and compact making them great for in the car or on the trail.

 One of the hot trends recently is toward running fountain water dishes for dogs. A fountain dish offers filtered, fresh water to your dog and has a large water reservoir so you don't have to fill his bowl as often. Also, for people who are away for long or irregular hours during the day, there are automatic dog dishes that dispense food at timed intervals.

An automatic dog food dispenser is great for dogs that like to gobble their food. Feeding them small amounts of food throughout the day will help their digestive system. Something else that helps deter a gobbler is an "eat slow" food dish. This dish has little nubs on the inside that prevent the dog from taking a huge mouthful.

 No matter what type of dog dish you choose, you should always regulate your dog's food intake. Allowing them to free feed - eat as much as they want, whenever they want - is not recommended. Free feeding makes a dog prone to obesity and this can lead to all kinds of health problems and in some cases, a shorter life span.

 Disclaimer: The information on this Hub page does not constitute medical, legal, commercial, product, and/or service advice or endorsement of any vendor, supplier and/or brand, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the author. Listing of an entity or service on this Hub page is not a warranty of the quality or efficacy of the products or services furnished by any entity. The author is not directly compensated by any entity other than the advertising placement services shown on this page.