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The Spruce / Chloe Jeong
These days, dogs are a part of the family: they live in your home, ride in your car, and even sleep in your bed. But we're guessing that they probably don't eat from your plates at the table.
This doesn’t mean that your pup can't have something special to enjoy their kibble from—far from it. Luckily, there are plenty of dog bowl options that are functional, stylish, and tailored to different needs.
Read on for the best dog bowls on the market, according to our research.
Best Overall: Fluff Trough Trough and Silicone Insert Set
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Courtesy of Fluff Trough
Designed to solve the problem of her pug’s complications with eating—his flat face and accompanying vestibular disease—founder Debra Mastic used Kickstarter and her 3D printer to create what we think is one of the most functional, sleek, and easy-to-clean dog bowls around.
Rather than your traditional bowl that sits on the floor, this option is elevated and more so resembles a trough. Its open front allows your pup to more easily access their food—up to 2 cups of it—and its neutral design fits in with many different aesthetics. You can also add customizable text with your choice of pattern and font—a great way to turn this pet-owner staple into a special gift.
In addition to the non-toxic removable silicone insert and feet, you can also add a slow feeder insert for overly eager eaters. This is a great option for dogs with issues eating, senior dogs, or multiple dogs who like to share the love. To clean, just pop both the silicone insert and the plastic base into your dishwasher.
Best Automatic: PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder
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Courtesy of Amazon
You’re busy, we get it. Us too. That’s why when we need to be out and out during dinner time, we want to make sure our dogs don’t suffer due to our busy schedules.
This feeder is pricey, but with all the options in addition to scheduled feedings, it's worth the spend. Not only can you schedule up to 12 separate meals a day, but the automatic battery-powered dispenser has a full capacity of 24 cups, so you can schedule more than a week's worth of meals (depending on your pup's diet). It dispurses anywhere from 1/8 cup to 4 cups per meal, with the option to schedule meals larger than 1/8 cup to slowly dispense over 15 minutes. This works particularly well for fast eaters.
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The Spruce Pets
Best Elevated: Our Pets Barking Bistro Dog Diner
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Courtesy of Petco
Upgrade your dog's dinner status with this adjustable bistro dog diner. It grows with your precious puppy, from a mere three inches off the ground to a full 12 inches.
We would be remiss not to mention that if your dog is a more aggressive eater, this may not always withstand their enthusiasm while at its tallest setting. However, if your pups don’t eat as if the next meal might be their last, then this set should work for breeds ranging from Great Danes to Miniature Schnauzers.
Best Personalized: Wild One Bowl
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Courtesy of Wild One
Modern dogs need modern bowls, and what’s more modern than emojis?
Customized for your pup and your pup only, these bowls are elegantly designed and feature the full alphabet and a range of fun emojis to choose from. Keep it simple with “food” and “water” or go crazy with as many emojis that will fit. Whatever you decide, we have to insist you go with our favorite new color Wild One offers — it’s Spruce, of course.
Best Ceramic: Waggo Dipper Dog and Cat Bowl
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Courtesy of Chewy
Clean, classic, and complementary to any decor, this ceramic bowl looks like something we might want to have in our kitchen cabinet. Available in three sizes and 10 colors, this is a bowl any dog would happily call their own. More than one dog? You can get a color that corresponds to each dog's personality.
Made from 100 percent hand-dipped heavyweight ceramic, it's dishwasher- and microwave-safe to boot.
Best for Crates: MidWest Stainless Steel Snap'y Fit Dog Kennel Bowl
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Courtesy of Chewy
Feeding a crate training dog isn't always an easy task: limited space means that there's not a ton of room for them to eat, inevitably leading to annoying messes and spills. This stainless steel bowl can be attached to the interior or exterior mesh of your pup's cage, effortlessly solving that problem. Simply secure it to the mesh using the included bracket and wing nuts, and it'll stay locked into place until you need to remove it for cleaning.
Available in four sizes (0.25, 2.5, 4, and 8 cups) this bowl is suitable for all breeds and appetites.
Best for Small Dogs: KEKS Small Dog Stainless Steel Bowls
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Courtesy of Amazon
If you’re the parent of a small dog, this stainless steel dog bowl set from KEKS might make your life a little easier. Featuring bacteria-resistant, easy-to-wash stainless steel bowls, and a spill-proof silicone mat, even messy eaters won’t leave you with a massive post-dinner clean-up. The BPA-free silicone that rounds out this set is eco-friendly, too so you can rest assured your dog isn't being exposed to any harsh or harmful chemicals.
Best for Large Dogs: Yeti Boomer 8 Dog Bowl
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Courtesy of LLBean
Durable and tough, Yeti is the gold standard for those who live active, outdoor lifestyles. But did you know that they have a pet line?
This sturdy bowl has an eight-cup capacity, perfect for larger pups. It's made of puncture- and rust-resistant stainless steel coated with a Duracoat color that won't ever fade, peel, or crack. Great for both indoor or outdoor use, the non-slip ring on the base prevents slips and spills.
Best Slow Feeder: Outward Hound Slow Feed Interactive Dog Bowl
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Courtesy of Amazon
Whether your dog is known for inhaling their food without chewing or they just enjoy a little extra mental stimulation, this interactive dog bowl is a great way to slow down mealtime. With either a two- or four-cup capacity and a non-slip base, this is the perfect slow feeder for your fast eater.
Best Water Bowl: PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum LED
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Courtesy of Amazon
Water is the essence of life, but it can be easy to forget to refill your pup’s water bowl. The PetSafe Drinkwell water bowl is the perfect solution. Best for small- to medium-sized dogs, this water fountain will help keep any dog nearby healthy and hydrated. With a 1.3-gallon water capacity and carbon filter, it can keep multiple pets hydrated for quite some time.
Best Non-Slip: Duluth Trading Best Made Enamel Dog Bowl
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Courtesy of Duluth Trading
A lot of dog bowls claim to be non-slip, but what makes for a truly great non-slip bowl? Design.
This enamelware steel bowl is engineered to stand up to energetic eaters thanks to its thick rubber base and wide rim. Available in two different sizes (27 ounces and 47 ounces), this dishwasher-safe bowl is durable enough to keep looking great meal after meal.
Best Travel Bowl: Outward Hound Port-A-Bowl Collapsible Bowl
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Courtesy of Chewy
While we don’t all travel around the world with our pups, most of us certainly take them on the road with us when we can. For those times, there is the Outward Hound Port A Bowl. It fills up to 6 cups of food or water and folds down to just about nothing. Made of durable nylon, this is a great bowl when you’re on the go.
A note of caution: this is designed for quick sips of water, so if you leave water in it for too long, it may leak a bit. But if you don’t use this as your pup's daily vessel, you should be fine.
Best Design: Fringe Studio Stoneware Bowl
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Courtesy of Amazon
We know that dogs are part of the family, so their dishes are part of the decor. While some folks choose function over form, at the end of the day, if you’re buying a bowl, you can pretty much use whichever one makes you happy. So why not buy one that’s on-trend, stylish, and Scandinavian-inspired?
This bowl makes any decor a bit more sophisticated. Available for both small- and medium-sized dogs, this is a bowl that can proudly be displayed in your kitchen, dining room, living room — anywhere you want a little added element of style.
Our pick for the best overall dog bowl is the sleek and simple Fluff Trough (view at Fluff Trough) which allows for a more comfortable eating position for dogs of all sizes, but most especially senior dogs and dogs with short noses. If you are looking for something a bit more basic and budget-friendly, the AmazonBasics set of bowls (view at Amazon) will do you right. They're dishwasher-safe, and have a rubber base to ensure little-to-no slippage.
What to Look for in a Dog Bowl
Material
Stainless steel, plastic, ceramic, and other types of dog bowls are all available for purchase. Stainless steel bowls are best for easy cleaning and durability but glazed ceramic bowls can also be popular choices since they come in different colors and patterns. Plastic bowls are the least expensive options but can more easily harbor bacteria and cause chin acne.
If you're worried about your dog breaking a bowl, ceramic bowls are more likely to shatter but stainless steel bowls can also be noisy when the clang against something or your dog's collar hits them while eating. Consider your options and choose the one that will work the best for your specific preferences and dog.
Size
You don't want to choose a dog bowl that is too large or too small for your specific dog. Make sure your dog's bowl can hold a meal's worth of food and that its sides aren't too high for your dog to easily eat from it. Differently sized dogs may need differently sized bowls otherwise you may find your dog having a hard time getting to its food or needing its bowl refilled several times at meal time.
Stand
If you are worried about your dog pushing its bowl around or your dog's shoulders are above the height of its bowl when it sits on the ground, you may want to consider a dog bowl that fits nicely in a stand. Dog food bowl stands have holes that prevent them from being pushed off the stand and also provide an elevated surface. Most dogs benefit from both of these features, but your bowl options may be more limited if you choose to use a stand since not all bowls fit in all stand holes.
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How high should a dog bowl be?
A dog bowl should not be so tall that your dog has to stand on its hind legs to reach it but it also shouldn't cause your dog to have to lie down in order to eat. A bowl should be roughly be at the same level as your dog's chest or armpits. This will make sure your dog doesn't have to look too far down or strain their neck up just to have a meal.
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Why does my dog not like their dog bowl?
Dogs may be frightened by their bowl or could even associate it with medicine or food they did not like. Sometimes dog tags can hit their bowl and startle them or if they accidentally kick or push their bowl over the noise can be scary. This can make them not want to eat out of the bowl. Alternatively, if the edges of the bowl are too tall, it may simply be too difficult for your dog to eat from it.
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Why does my dog flip their dog bowl?
If your dog is flipping their dog bowl around, this is usually an indication that it wants more food or water. This is typically attention-seeking behavior. If your dog doesn't seem to want more food and water though, it could be flipping its bowl simply because it thinks it's fun to play with it.
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How do I keep ants (or other pests) out of the dog bowl?
To decrease the chances of ants and other pests from making themselves at home in your dog's bowl, be sure to clean the bowl out after each feeding. If your dog doesn't finish all of its food at mealtime, dump it out and rinse the bowl. Leaving food in a bowl all day long will increase the odds that pests and ants will find food to eat so offering meals and cleaning the bowls regularly will help keep these unwanted guests away. Additionally, check around the bowl to make sure food didn't fall onto the floor and promptly pick up any crumbs or kibble you find.
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How do I clean a dog bowl?
Cleaning your dog's bowl isn't any different than cleaning your own dishes but most people don't thoroughly wash their dog's dishes after every meal. If your dog doesn't leave a mess at mealtime, a simple rinse with water can help keep it clean between full washings. Most dog bowls are dishwasher safe or can be cleaned with normal dish soap, but be sure to rinse all bowls thoroughly with water before using them to provide food or water for your dog.
Why Trust the Spruce Pets?
Dog bowls are nothing new to our writer Barret Wertz. After growing up with Miniature Schnauzers, spending college with various foster dogs, and establishing his adult life with his partner and their three rescue dogs, there is never a shortage of dog toys, carriers, and of course, bowls. After his recent move from his cramped Manhattan apartment to his new house upstate, he’ll surely be shopping for new dog toys, but he’ll only ever rescue his next dog.
Additional reporting was done by Adrienne Kruzer, a registered veterinary technician (RVT) and licensed veterinary technician (LVT) who has been writing about pet health content for over 10 years.
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