Most owners purchase a standard bowl when they get their dog.  Granted, this is what we are used to, but there is no reason not to consider elevated dog bowls. The elevated bowl provides many benefits for dogs, and is much more convenient for humans as well.

1.An elevated dog bowl is much better for your dog.  Most dogs eat in a position that encourages unnecessary gulping.  With a bowl that rests more than six inches below the withers, a dog must eat aggressively to prevent gravity from winning. This gulping causes the dog to ingest a lot of air.  In large dogs that can lead to bloat and stomach torsion.  Both those conditions can be fatal.

2.Elevated feeders bring the food and water up off the floor.  Aside from the benefit of a better eating position, it also keeps the mess factor down.  When your dog doesn’t need to gulp at its food, there is less food and water spread about the floor.  Eating in a leisurely manner reduces mess on the floor, which in some climates means fewer insects trying to join the meal.

3.Elevated dog bowls are easier to tend to.  Keep one outside your front door to allow your dog a chance to drink up before they come back inside after a long walk, this way the mess stays outside.  It is easier to keep the bowl filled from a garden hose and will make your dog really happy.  Since many elevated feeders adjust in height, one can usually remain with your dog throughout their life, if you plan ahead.

Convenient and healthier, elevated dog bowls are definitely worth the investment.

If you have a dog that barks without reason, you may want to invested in a bark collar.  Bark collars can be used to train an animal out of barking, but it needs to be done properly.  If trained improperly, your dog will learn not to bark when the collar is applied but have no restraint when it is off.

Preparation
Before you start training, make sure the collar is fully charged.  Have your dog wear the collar for a while without activating the unit.  That way he won’t associate the collar with the training.  After a couple of weeks, you can turn on the collar.  Citronella based collars are considered more effective than electrical ones, by the way.

Training
The collar sits below your dog’s head, on his throat.  The vibrations of barking will activate the unit and after a preset time will cause a warning noise to sound.  If your dog doesn’t stop barking, the collar will administer the correction.  This usually stops the dog immediately.  The collar resets and awaits its next use.

Appropriate Timing
No dog should be subjected to bark collars for long periods of time.  The maximum recommended time in a collar is 8 hours.  If you feel that placing and removing the collar is reducing the effectiveness of training than consider purchasing a second unit so you can leave one on your pet at all times, without it being active.  Your dog won’t know which is which and the training should hold.

You can find many barking collars available online and after reading reviews and checking out prices, you can pick one that is appropriate for your dog and your end goal of no more barking.

The answer to this question is an unequivocal yes.  Elevated dog feeders are appropriate to any dog that is more than six inches tall, so that pretty much covers all dogs.  The rare exception, toy sized dogs, don’t need the added elevation, but for just about every dog you are going to find on the planet, there are advantages to eating at a higher level.

Dogs are meant to be eating at about 6 inches below their withers.  The wither is the front shoulder, more or less.  If you consider that almost every species is taller than that, then you understand that an elevated feeder is of benefit to your pet as well.  When dogs eat from bowls on the floor, they encounter several problems.

The first issue is that of gulping.  A dog that has to eat against gravity is much more likely to gulp his food.  To ensure that the food doesn’t fall back out of his mouth as he chews, he has to swallow quickly and can’t take time to chew.  Granted, most dogs aren’t big on chewing, but there is no reason to add to this problem. 

The secondary problem that comes with gulping is an additional intake of air.  Guess what?  Most dogs don’t burp so that means that air has only one direction to go.  I don’t know about you, but my experience with dog gas has never been a positive one.

Additional problems crop up with a dog that eats from a position that is too low.  For many older dogs the position creates a great deal of pressure on the wrist and shoulder joints, causing pain.  If your dog has already developed arthritis this is even more painful.  For large dogs, the weight being shifted forward is significant.  From all perspectives, this is a negative situation.

Perhaps the most serious problem associated with eating at a very low position relative to normal posture is that the air swallowed can lead to bloat which can cause stomach torsion.  Of course, promoting postural issues in any living creature is a bad thing anyway, so an elevated feeder just makes good sense.

Elevated dog feeders come in a variety of styles from the very simple to ornate wrought iron contraptions that are designed to fit into any décor.  You can use them inside or out, depending upon your need and where your dog spends much of his time.  Even if your dog routinely feeds indoors, a nice touch is to place an elevated feeder filled with fresh water outside the door that you use when taking walks.  That way your dog can grab a drink before they even enter your home, preventing that slobbery mess that results from a first drink when you get back.

If you are still unconvinced, then think about this.  Would you like to be eating your dinner at a table that is down by your knees while standing up?  Goodness I wouldn’t!  That is effectively the situation when you feed your dog from a bowl resting on the floor.  Take a look at elevated feeding stations, you will like what you see.

This article was posted by a site carrying Garmin Astro Combo, Garmin Astro 220, and other tracking collars.

When your dog can no longer handle the dog steps, it is time to consider dog ramps.  Available in numerous sizes, materials and lengths, a dog ramp is the perfect solution for the older, mobility challenged dog.

No one wants to think about their pet growing older, but it happens.  Just as people develop joint and muscle problems with age, so do animals.  Your formerly boisterous pup turns into a senior citizen one day and neither of you are quite ready to say goodbye.  There really isn’t any need to end your relationship as long as your pet enjoys their life.

One way to increase their mobility as they age is by investing in a dog ramp.  Dog ramps can be stored in the car’s trunk or used in the home.  These wonderful inventions let your dog continue to get into the car with you for a ride about town, or climb up onto your bed for a good snuggle before bed.  Since the ramp provides a gentle incline the stress on your dog’s joints is lessened.

While ramps made of foam are pretty static, wood and metal versions can be folded or provide storage for toys and supplies within the base.  Even long ramps designed for a vehicle are relatively light since they usually get made from high tech plastics that support a lot of weight without weighing a lot themselves.  A little searching will score you the perfect ramp and a good deal more fun with your older dog.

When you get a puppy you aren’t thinking about how tall your pet will get as they grow.  Elevated dog bowls may seem silly at this point, after all a bowl on the floor is fine,  your pup isn’t all that far from the floor anyway.  However, as your pet grows the distance from floor to mouth increases and as a result they need to bend over further and further to reach the bowl.  It may not seem like an important issue, but feeding from a bowl located on the floor is not optimal for your pet.

When an animal needs to reach all the way to the floor to eat they ingest a lot of air with their food.  Dogs gulp by nature, and if their bowl is low, they will gulp food and air together.  The quick swallowing necessitated by the angle causes them to swallow air and makes them more likely to develop stomach bloat and gas; uncomfortable conditions at best.  While there are bowls with fancy shapes and knobs to slow down your dog when eating, it is better from all perspectives to elevate the bowl to the proper height. 

For older dogs the elevated dog bowl is of particular use.  As dogs age, just like humans, they develop joint problems and arthritis.  What was already an uncomfortable position in youth now becomes increasingly painful.  Crouching down to eat is difficult, and for a large dog it can become virtually impossible.  The pressure on the wrists, forearms and hips make what should be a pleasure, unpleasant.

To measure your dog for an elevated dog bowl check the height of his withers, that is the height of his shoulder when standing up, and subtract six inches.  If you have a particularly small dog, then only subtract four inches.  That is the ideal height for their dog bowl when eating.  Feeders come at all heights, so you won’t have any difficulty finding something suitable.  Next you get to consider style.

You can find elevated dog bowls in every style imaginable, from fancy to functional.  Whether you want something to match your Asian themed kitchen or a sturdy wrought iron structure for a boisterous dog, or perhaps a feeder disguised as a planter to put in the garden, you can find them online.  You want your feeder to be easily cleaned and the bowls should be removable.  Since most elevated dog feeders use stainless steel bowls you can throw the dish itself in the dishwasher and wipe down the feeder to keep it clean.

Keeping an additional water bowl outside your door allows your dog to get their first, sloppy drink when returning from a walk, without messing up the kitchen.  Getting the bowl up off the floor will also keep the mess down.  Less gulping results in cleaner eating.  If you have several dogs, assigning each animal their own bowl at the right height can help reduce conflicts at feeding time as well.   Raised dog bowls are practical, attractive and beneficial to your pet; give them a try and see how much better your dog feels. Combine good bowls with nice dog houses and you will have a happy dog.