Raise your hand if your dog is obsessed with eating. Keep your hand raised if your dog can chow down on their bowl of food in 2-3 minutes flat. Is your hand still raised? Then this post on our favorite slow feeder dog bowls is definitely for you!
I’ve truly never owned a dog that is SO food-driven. Sadie, our Goldendoodle pup, is obsessed with eating. To the point that she scarfs down her food so quickly it makes me nervous that she’ll make herself sick or cause the dreaded twisted stomach.
This isn’t a new development either. We’ve had Sadie since she was 8-weeks old and she has always been a huge fan of eating. We’ve never had a problem with a picky puppy eater in our household!
However, your dogs’ quick eating habits can cause some serious health issues, so I knew we needed to find a solution to help Sadie slow down and eat her food at a slower pace.
Our Favorite Slow Feeder Dog Bowls
Enter the slow feeder dog bowl. Sadie will be two in April and we’ve tried our fair share, but of them all two have risen to the top of our must-have list: the slow feeder puzzle bowl and the pet snuffle mat.
Sadie loves eating her meals out of both, but as an owner, I’ve found one to be easier than the other. Read on for my thoughts.
Slow Feeder Puzzle bowl
The slow feeder puzzle bowl is our favorite slow feeder dog bowl. It’s easy to fill and clean, plus it keeps Sadie from totally inhaling her food. The swirl puzzle bowl was the first bowl we used, but I noticed that our smart pup was remembering the direction in which her food laid, helping her to eat it faster. So I bought another puzzle bowl with a horizontal design to switch things up every so often. Both bowls are durable and have non-slip feet on them to prevent sliding around when Sadie is enjoying her meal. I simply wash each of them off in the sink and put on the top rack of our dishwasher to clean.
The Snuffle mat
The Snuffle Mat has been another great addition to our list of favorite slow feeder dog bowls. It’s a great option to use under supervision. Simply pour the food into the mat, in different areas under the “green grass” and let your dog sniff out the food. It’s definitely more of a game or a form of entertainment for your pet. However, Sadie would get bored of the snuffle mat after awhile, and not eat all of her food. This resulted in her coming back to us a short time later whining for more food.
It’s easy to travel with – folds up together with the drawstring, but you have to throw it in the washer machine to wash it. Of course, I personally worried about what detergent I used (if it was pet-safe) and only would run a load with just the Snuffle Mat in it. We still use the Snuffle Mat from time to time, especially when it’s raining and we can’t do a walk, for some mental stimulation!
And if your pet is more of a grazer or slower eater, I’d definitely recommend the . We have a few friends who use these for their dogs, and love them. They definitely keep the water extremely cold, which is fantastic for us pet parents in hot summer climates. I wish the Boomer dog bowl would work for Sadie, but she just eats the food out way too quickly!
And if you’re a pet owner, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share our very favorite must-have home gadget – the Bissell Little Green Pet Pro. It’s been a mainstay in our house for a number of years. We originally purchased this compact upholstery cleaner because a pup hit a coffee table in excitement and spilled a cup of coffee all over a living room ottoman. It worked quickly and efficiently in removing the stain, with water and this liquid stain formula mixed into a solution. It’s been a top three must-have home gadget in the Haines household ever since!
Do you have a pet bowl you love? Tell me in the comments below!
