February 7, 2012

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Aikiou Dog Bowl – Review – Putting It To The Test

March 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

A few days ago we told you about the latest product, Aikiou Dog Bowl that we received in the mail for review.  In case you missed that initial review check it out here: Aikiou Dog Bowl – In For Review.  Our Black Labrador Retriever, Stetson sunk his teeth into (literally) it and had a his first few chances to use the Aikiou Dog Bowl during mealtime.

Aikiou Dog Bowl Midweek Review

As I mentioned we recently received the super cool Aikiou Interactive Food Bowl.  We’re still debating whether it’s more of a dog toy or a bowl.  Anyhow, we grabbed our ultra fast eating champion, Stetson and let him put the bowl through it’s initial test.

Tail Of The Tape

The Challenger (The Product): AIKIOU DOG BOWL

Aikiou Dog Bowl

  • 13 x 2.5 x 13 inches; 1.6 pounds
  • Interactive dog bowl or is it a toy?
  • Slows down eating
  • Aids in digestion
  • Durable Plastic

The Champion (Product Reviewer):  STETSON

  • 75 pounds of Black Labrador Retriever (he’s put on a few pounds since this picture was taken)
  • Always Hungry
  • Sniffing Champion
  • He hearts food
  • Has already taken down the other fast eating dog bowl challengers

Stetson’s initial reaction to the Aikiou Dog Bowl was “What the heck is this thing? and how do I get the food out of it?”  He was able to get the food out of the initial exposed compartments, but didn’t immediately figure out how to slide the levers to get to the food in the opposite compartments.  I showed him once and from then on he figured out how to slide the levers with his nose and paws.

The spinning disc at the top of the Aikiou bowl was even more difficult.  It took several attempts with help and guidance from me to show Stetson how to spin and rotate the disc.  His initial response was to just slide the entire dog bowl around the room hoping treats would magically fall out.  However, after working on spinning the disc for Stetson he figured out how to rotate the disc by just using his nose on his own.

In just a few short days Stetson has mastered the Aikiou Dog Bowl and eats out of the bowl once in the morning and once in the evening.  Just as advertised this bowl has drastically increases the time it takes Stetson to finish the same meal of food he polishes off in seconds with a regular aluminum dog bowl.

However, how much time it take now will be shown in our upcoming final video review of the Aikiou Dog Bowl.  Also, we will discuss why we will or will not continue to use the Aikiou Dog Bowl as Stetson’s regular feeding bowl.

Stay posted through our RSS feed or subscribe to our email feed and don’t miss Stetson’s upcoming video review of the Aikiou Dog Bowl.  If you missed our initial review then check it out immediately at Aikiou Dog Bowl – In For Review.

Once again we are very interested to hear your thoughts on the Aikiou Dog Bowl or any other dog bowl you might be using to slow down your dog’s fast eating.  Please leave us a comment in the comment section below.

We received a free review copy of the Aikiou Dog Bowl.  We do our best to present the good and the bad of every dog product we review and try to not be biased for or against any manufacturer.

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Aikiou Dog Bowl – In For Review

March 4, 2011 By 4 Comments

We recently received a free Aikiou Dog Bowl (pronounced “IQ”) for review from Aikiou the maker of interactive dog feeding dishes and toys.  My initial reaction when I was first contacted by Aikiou was “Awesome! Another great dog bowl to test and see if it slows down Stetson’s speed eating.”  If you’ve been following us for a while then you may have seen some of Stetson’s previous forays into dog bowl review and testing.

Aikiou Dog Bowl

Most of the bowls we’ve tested in the past have some kind of obstacle(s) to slow down fast eating dogs.  However, the Aikiou Dog Bowl was quite different.  When it first arrived in the mail I was trying to decide whether it was actually a dog food bowl or was it more of an interactive dog toy?

I figured since it held food it must be more of a bowl and less of a toy (although I’d have to say it’s a little bit of both).

Here are the stats on the Aikiou Dog Bowl:

Product Dimensions: 13 x 2.5 x 13 inches; 1.6 pounds

Product Features:

  • Encourages your pet to eat more slowly, which reduces digestive problems and discomfort
  • Help to prevents the storage of excess fat (since your pet is eating more slowly, it will feel full sooner)
  • Provides a food hunting activity your dog needs for stimulation of the brain and the other senses
  • Helps reduce stress and anxiety through play
  • Use for each meal or at desired intervals

Aikiou Dog Bowl

My First Impression Of The Aikiou Dog Bowl

COOL!!!  I was very excited to see such an innovative new doggy bowl!  I was excited to let Stetson give it a try.  My initial reservations were:

  1. It’s made of plastic and our veterinarian has told us that Stetson’s acne may be a result of plastic bowls.  We prefer the aluminum dog bowls over plastic
  2. Would Stetson be able to figure out how to get to the food…He’s pretty smart and very determined when it comes to finding and eating food.  In fact, Stetson lives for meal time.  When I come home midday (non-mealtime) he doesn’t even get out of bed to greet me.  However, if it’s in the morning or evening right before meal time he comes flying out of the bedroom begging for food.  I don’t think food drive is much of a problem with Stetson.
  3. Would Stetson have any problems getting the food out of the small compartments.
  4. Stetson is a violent eater.  Will the Aikiou Dog Bowl be durable enough to withstand Stetson’s exuberance?

Over the next week we plan on putting the Aikiou Dog Bowl through the ultimate test.  Stetson and I will do our best to poke, prod, lick, scratch, and do whatever it takes to produce a thorough review of the Aikiou Dog Bowl.

Stay posted through our RSS feed or subscribe to our email feed and don’t miss Stetson’s upcoming video review of the Aikiou Dog Bowl.

Have you tried feeding your dog using a bowl that helps slow his eating?  Have you ever tried the Aikiou Dog Bowl?

We received a free review copy of the Aikiou Dog Bowl.  We do our best to present the good and the bad of every dog product we review and try to not be biased for or against any manufacturer.

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DogPause Dog Bowl Review

September 22, 2009 By 3 Comments

It’s Tuesday and you know what that means time to talk dog bowls.  This week Stetson and I review the DogPause Dog Bowl for fast eating dogs.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have my High Definition camera for the video, but I’m not too sure it matters since we’ve been uploading to low resolution videos to YouTube.  Instead of my regular handy dandy Canon HD Video Camcorder I used a simple point and shoot digital camera: Nikon Coolpix S60 Digital Camera.  The Nikkon is not much for shooting video, but it does shoot some decent still images and has a touch screen.  I use my Nikkon for most of the still images on this site and now my first video.  Overall, I’d say it’s a slightly above average digital camera.

Anyways, back to the DogPause Dog Bowl Review!

DogPause Dog Bowl Review

As mentioned earlier today we are reviewing the Dog Pause Dog Food Bowl.  Of course the purpose of this bowl is to slow down fast eating dogs.  Below are the specifications on this dog bowl.

Product: DogPause Food Bowl
List Price: $12.95
Product Features:

  • Divides the bowl into 4 feeding zones
  • Each feeding zone is 1/2 cup in capacity and designed to “block” the dog from putting his full snout into the bowl; this slows down eating pace as your dog needs to use his tongue for each bite
  • After your dog finishes each zone, he must re-position himself for the next zone
  • The bowl is designed to slide a little on the floor, further slowing down the dog as he needs to re-position for each bite
  • DogPause Food Bowl comes in two colors (Red and Blue)
  • Clinically proven to slow down fast-eating dogs.
  • Virtually eliminates the risk of choking.

Product Description:
This bowl is sized for dogs between 15 and 100 pounds and most dog breeds ranging from Beagles to Rottweilers. It’s particularly effective with Labs and Golden Retrievers!

Dog Pause Food Bowl

Puppy In Training Product Review

DogPause Bowl Video Review

Our trusty speed eating tester…Stetson was up to the challenge and ready to demo the DogPause Dog Bowl on camera for the benefit of our readers.  Check out the Video review below of the DogPause Dog Food Bowl.

As you can see in the video it took Stetson approximately 10 seconds longer to finish the food in the DogPause Bowl versus his regular stainless steel bowl.  This is good, but not a great result and we have tested the DogPause Bowl extensively with similar results each time Stetson eats a whole meal of food.

My Thoughts On The DogPause Dog Food Bowl

This bowl does slow down Stetson’s eating and does appear to keep him from gagging and vomiting.  Although he still has done both on occasion it’s not nearly as frequent as when he uses his standard stainless steel bowl.  The main problem I’m having with this bowl is similar to the issues I’ve had with the regular Brake-Fast Bowl.  Over a period of time Stetson develops canine acne while using the Dog Pause Dog Food Bowl.  Stetson’s canine acne really makes it’s impossible to use the Dog Pause Dog Food Bowl as a permanent solution for slowing down Stetson’s fast eating.

Pros:

  • The bowl does work as advertise, but in our test it only extended Stetson’s eating time by 10 seconds.  However, if you check out the video on the DogPauseBowl.com website you’ll see a video of Hank.  It took him nearly twice as long to finish his food with the DogPause Bowl going from 1 minute 5 seconds with a stainless steel bowl to 2 minutes 1 seconds with the DogPause Bowl.
  • Stetson has been better with his gagging and vomiting when using this dog bowl.

Cons

While the Dog Pause Dog Food Bowl does do it’s job I think the main problem we have is that Stetson scoops food out like a shovel and swallows.  The DogPause Bowl helps a little, but not has much as we’d like.  My thoughts now turn to a giant dog bowl that would just spread all his food across so he can’t do his usual scooping action.  I’ve seen several great suggestions that I might try in the future that doesn’t really involve a special dog bowl.  First, I like the idea of trying a muffin pan.  The DogPause Bowl is very similar to a muffin pan and I think a muffin pan might work even better for Stetson as he won’t be allowed to scoop as easily with the little muffin holes.  A second option is to purchase a large stainless steel bowl and drop one of Stetson’s toys in the middle like his Kong to obstruct his eating.

I’ll probably try both of these at some point and time and report my results back here at Puppy In Training.

Do you have any suggestions that you use to slow down your dogs eating?  Let me know in the comments section so I can test it out with Stetson.

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Contech DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl Review

September 15, 2009 By 1 Comment

Does your dog drink water too fast?  This week we have the Contech DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl which was designed to slow down fast drinking dogs.  Both Derby and Stetson have choked on water trying to drink too fast so lucky for us we found the DrinkBetter Dog Bowl.  This bowl matches the Contech EatBetter Dog Food Bowl and together the two make a great matching set.  As I mentioned about the EatBetter Bowl this water bowl is very solid and made of a more durable heavier plastic then the other bowls we reviewed.

Without further ado here’s our Tuesday Dog Bowl Review:

Contech DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl Review

Today’s dog bowl is not for food, but instead we are reviewing a dog water bowl that is meant to slow down the fast drinking dog.  The Contech DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl is designed with a floating plastic object that slows down water drinking.  Did the DrinkBetter do as advertised and slow down our fast drinking Labrador Retrievers?  Check out the video below to find out.

Product: Contech DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl
List Price (Amazon.com): $26.10
Product Features:

  • Prevents dogs from drinking too fast.
  • Helps dogs avoid soaking their ears and muzzle.
  • Minimizes the mess left by a sloppy drinker.
  • Ensures your dog’s comfort with a smooth and ergonomic design.
  • Sturdy non-skid design, constructed of K-Resin SBC — a high-quality food-grade polymer.
  • Capacity: Approximately 16oz or 500ml.

Product Description:
The Drink Better® pet bowl encourages dogs to drink at a slower, healthier rate, and make less mess while they’re at it. Besides making a wet mess, dogs that drink too fast can experience digestive problems such as indigestion and vomiting, and light-haired dogs may experience staining of the muzzle (from chlorinated water).

The Drink Better bowl uses a floating obstacle to control the flow of water, encouraging dogs to drink slower and take only as much as they need, without soaking their ears and muzzles or slopping water around the feeding area.

Product Image


Puppy In Training Product Review

Product Video Review

Both Stetson and Derby decided to put the Contech DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl to the test.  Does the floating obstacle actually slow down their drinking?  Unfortunately, this time around we don’t have a stainless steel bowl for a direct comparison.  However, I think after watching the video you will get the idea of whether or not the bowl is slowing down their water drinking.

My Thoughts On The Contech DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl

Now that you saw the video what do you think?  I know you can’t decide conclusively until you compare next to a regular stainless steel water bowl.  Well, trust me when I tell you that the Contech DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl definitely did slow down both Derby and Stetson.  However, the bigger issue was the fact that they spilled a lot of water each time we tested the bowl.  Labrador Retrievers aren’t the most gentle dogs and both Stetson and Derby make a mess with their regular water bowls (they drool well after they’ve finished drinking water).  The problem was that the DrinkBetter Bowl was much messier then their regular water bowls not from drooling, but from poking at the floatation obstacle.

By the way, I must point out that I let Stetson and Derby use the DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl for about a week before filming the video.  When I first introduced the bowl Stetson and Derby both practically flipped the bowl trying to get to the water.  They did much better in the videos and over time I think they would both get used to drinking properly and slowly from this bowl.  However, that brings me to my next point…

The Contech DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl is too small for large dogs like Stetson and Derby.  The capacity is 16 ounces and if you fill it too high you will definitely have a messy floor.  I experimented with filling it the bowl to different heights settling in at about 1/2 full.  The more water you add to the bowl the bigger mess you get.  Unfortunately, I did not get extended use out of this water bowl because it’s just too small for my dogs.

Pros:

  • Just like the Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl the DrinkBetter Dog Bowl is a very solid construction.  I wish all the bowls I reviewed were made like these two Contech Dog Bowls.
  • This Dog Water Bowl does slow down fast drinking dogs.
  • The DrinkBetter and EatBetter Dog Bowls make a nice matching set.

Cons:

  • My dogs made a serious mess drinking water out of the DrinkBetter Bowl – this can probably be alleviated by added less water and submerging the floatation obstacle a bit, but my dogs are stubborn and like using their paws and noses to make a mess with the floating obstacle.
  • It took a few days before my dogs figured out how to get water out of the bowl.
  • This is the medium DrinkBetter bowl and it is too small.  At the time of this writing their is no larger DrinkBetter Dog Water bowl.

Overall we liked this dog water bowl.  However, because the bowl is too small for our Labradors we only tested it for a couple weeks as we have some thirsty dogs.  Also, we have read that larger breeds would do better with this bowl if we kept the floater at a lower depth.  Unfortunately, we did not test a deeper floatation which may have caused the mess we were getting on our floor.  We’ll try that in the future and report back our experience.  However, if you do watch the second half of the video you can see that Stetson is clearly getting used to using the DrinkBetter Dog Bowl.  As I mentioned earlier I think it just takes some training and time to get a dog used to this bowl.

Have you tried the Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl?  Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.

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Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl Review

September 8, 2009 By 13 Comments

It’s Tuesday again and time to review another dog bowl to slow down our speedy eaters.  Today we’re covering the Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl.  If you’ve been following us for a while then you would have seen the review of the regular Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl over a year ago.  We really liked that bowl except for one problem: shortly after using the bowl Stetson developed canine acne on his chin.  Our Veterinarian informed us that using plastic dog food bowls often caused this ailment.  We continued to used the Brake-Fast Dog Bowl and did our best to keep it clean of bacteria however after a second case of canine acne we abandoned the original Brake-Fast Bowl.

However, all was not lost…we came across the metal brake-fast bowl and thought our prayers were answered.  Unfortunately we had a few problems with this bowl as well.  Check out our dog bowl review:

Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl Review

Today we are reviewing the Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl.  Here are the specifications on the bowl:

Product: Metal Brake-Fast Dog Bowl
List Price: $36.00
Product Features:

  • The Medium bowl provides for most dog sizes from Beagle to Bernese Mt. Dog. It is suitable for dogs over 30 pounds up to 120 pounds, with a narrow muzzle. Holds 5 cups of food.
  • Inside dimensions – 7″ x 2 1/4″
  • Weight = 2 pounds
  • Intentionally slides on floor to further slow the dog’s eating
  • Durable, dishwasher safe die-cast aluminum

Product Description:
New! Die-cast aluminum non-stick bowl! Brake-Fast® Dog Food Bowl’s design prevents your dog from bolting their food. The simple obstructions make dogs slow down to eat. The Medium bowl provides for most dog sizes from Beagle to Bernese Mt. Dog. It is suitable for dogs over 30 pounds up to 120 pounds, with a narrow muzzle. Holds 5 cups of food.

Puppy In Training Product Review

Product Video Review

Stetson and I decided to put the Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl to the test.  Do the pillar shape obstacles actually slow down a fast eating dog like Stetson?  Check out the video:

What did you guys think?  I added a little voice over audio this time rather then just sticking to music and on-screen text.  Unfortunately I couldn’t get a stopwatch on the screen.  I’ll see if I can do that in our next video review.

My Thoughts On The Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl

Hopefully you watched the video, but just in case you didn’t it took 38 seconds for Stetson to finish eating 1 1/2 cups of food out of his regular stainless steel bowl.  It took 1 minute and 3 second for Stetson to finish eating 1 1/2 cups of food out of the Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl.  It took 25 seconds longer to finish eating and therefore we can successfully say the the Brake-Fast bowl did it’s job and slowed Stetson’s eating.  That is a significant difference and I believe this would be a perfect dog food bowl for fast eating dogs if…

The only issue I had with this bowl is Stetson is such a violent eater that he was scratching the sides of his teeth with the bowl.  I was wondering where the grey marks on his canines were coming from and also notice a small chip on one of his canines.  I came to the conclusion that the metal pillars were damaging Stetson’s teeth.   I therefore had to stop using the Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl in fear that it was going to cause some permanent damage tos Stetson’s teeth.

However, if your dog is not a violent eater then this may be the perfect bowl for slowing down his eating.  Unfortunately Stetson and I will have to continue our search for the perfect dog food bowl.

Here are the pros and cons we found with this bowl:

Pros:

  • Heavy duty bowl – the thing weighs 2 pounds and is very solid.  It felt like a piece of granite in a box when it arrived at our door step.
  • Well constructed and designed
  • It did the job and slowed Stetson’s eating by 25 seconds.  That’s over 65 percent slow down.

Cons:

  • As mentioned earlier we believe the metal pillars were damaging Stetson’s teeth.
  • Sliding bowl is bound to damage wood and possibly stone, tile, and any delicate floors.

Overall we really liked this dog food bowl and would highly recommend it besides the two Cons we mentioned above.  If you’re interested in purchasing this dog food bowl it does come in several different sizes check out: Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl.  Also, if your dog doesn’t have any issues with plastic then try the plastic version of the Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl.

We’re reviewing dog bowls every Tuesday for the next few months.  If you want to see an overview of some of the dog bowls then visit the Dog Bowl Reviews article.

Have you used the Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl.  If so, let us know what you thought of this dog bowl in the comments below.

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Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl Review

September 1, 2009 By 4 Comments

If you’ve been following along the website then you already know Tuesday is Dog Bowl Review day.   Today we’re reviewing the Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl.  We’ve had these dog food bowls for quite a while now and unfortunately I haven’t been too quick about getting the reviews to my site.  I finally have a collection of bowls that will help your dogs eat a little bit slower (if that’s a problem for you and your dog).

I’ve had two speed eating dogs in my house over the past year and guess what breed?  If you said Labrador Retriever then you’re exactly right.  Stetson is a black Labrador Retriever and Derby is a yellow Labrador Retriever.  Both dogs eat like the next piece of kibble is their last.

Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl Review

Today we’re reviewing the Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl.  Here are the specifications on the bowl:

Product: Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl
List Price: $24.99
Product Features:

  • Improves absorption of nutrients through better digestion
  • Food grade, dishwasher safe plastic
  • Encourages slower, healthier eating
  • Reduces vomiting and bloating
  • Sturdy, non-skid design.

Product Description:
The Eat Better pet bowl encourages dogs to eat at a slower, healthier rate. Many dogs instinctively eat too fast; a habit that can contribute to digestive problems such as indigestion, vomiting and even GDV (gastric dilatation-volvulus) or bloat a life-threatening condition requiring emergency treatment. To help promote healthier eating habits, the Eat Better bowl incorporates a raised wishbone-shaped partition that provides easy access to food, but prevents dogs from eating too quickly. The bowl’s innovative design encourages dogs to eat slower, take smaller mouthfuls, chew more, and avoid overeating.

Product Image:

contech eatbetter dog bowl

Puppy In Training Product Review

Product Video Review

Derby and I put a little video together to show everyone the Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl in action.  Does the Wishbone shaped obstacle in the EatBetter bowl actually slow down a speedy eater like Derby?  Check out the video:

My Thoughts On The Contech EatBetter Bowl

As you can see from the video it took a mere 4.2 seconds longer for Derby to finish his food in the Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl compared to a standard stainless steel bowl.  I guess every little bit counts and the EatBetter did accomplish it’s goal of slowing down Derby’s speed eating.

One thing I did find interesting about this product was the quality of construction.  This bowl far and away was the most sturdy and well constructed of the plastic dog bowls I reviewed.  We tested the medium size bowl which allows for 2 cups of food.  We tested with 1 1/2 cups, but feel that filling the bowl to the top allowed Derby to eat the food on top (not blocked by the wishbone) much faster then the food near the bottom.  The medium sized bowl might be best suited for 1 cup of food.

We also noticed that a large bowl and a small bowl are now available.  The large bowl can hold up to 6 cups and the small bowl holds 1 cup.  My Labs are probably better suited to eat out of the large Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl.

The plastic this bowl is made out of is much different then the plastic in the other bowls.  The imprint on the back of the bowl reads “Material K-resin”.  I’m not too sure what kind of material that is.  In the past I’ve mentioned that our vet has told us that plastic bowls can cause canine acne (as it did with Stetson).  However, this bowl is a different kind of plastic and may not harbor bacteria like other plastic bowls we tested…I can’t tell you for sure as this bowl was not optimal for my dogs (because of it’s small size) and didn’t get extensive use.  The Contech website says the bowl:

…is made of high-quality, food grade, dishwasher safe plastic that does not contain Bisphenol-A

Another difference from other bowls in this category (fast eaters) is that this bowl has a non-skid design.  The other bowls seem to slide around as part of their strategy to slow down fast eaters.  Three small pads are located on the bottom of the bowl to keep it from sliding around on the floor.

Lets review the Pro and Cons of this Dog Bowl:

Pros:

  • Great High Quality Design made out of a very sturdy plastic.  Much nice then the other bowls I tested
  • Wishbone design slowed down eating however just slightly (4.2 seconds in the video) for my dogs

Cons:

  • The Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl did slow down Derby’s eating it was only by a small amount 4.2 seconds.  Would this make a difference for bloat, vomiting, digestive problems..etc.?  Probably not.
  • For us the size of the bowl was a concern.  However, that has been remedied as there are several sizes now available…be sure to purchase the proper size for your dog.
  • The non-skid design – after witnessing some of the other dog bowls I believe the sliding may slow down eating.  As you can see in the video the bowl does move, but not nearly as much as some of the other bowls we tested.

Overall we very much liked the design of this dog bowl.  It was by far the highest quality out of all the plastic bowls we tested.  Our main issue is after we tested the bowl was that it only slowed our test subject, Derby’s eating frenzy by 4.2 seconds.  As we mentioned in our review this may be a result of the bowl being to small for 1 1/2 cups of food (Contech advertises that it can accomodate 2 cups of food).

In the future we may retest the Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl with a smaller dog and a smaller amount of food.

We’re reviewing Dog Bowls every Tuesday.  If you want to see an overview of some of the dog bowls then visit the Dog Bowl Reviews article.

Have any of you used the Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl?  Do you have a product, method, or idea for slowing down dogs that eat too fast? Let us know in the comments section.

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Not Quite A Dog Bowl

August 28, 2009 By 1 Comment

Welcome to part 3 of our dog bowl series.  Today we cover two water dispensing devices.  Our third product actually is a dog bowl, but didn’t fit in our two original categories:

  • Slow down the fast dog eaters
  • Traveling dog bowls

However, instead our third dog product – the Chatter Bowl is meant to keep your dog company when your not home.  I picked up these dog products over the past few years and figured they fit in the category of dispensing food or water to your dog so we can consider some of these products in-place of dog bowls.

Just in case you found us and missed our first two overview articles on dog bowls then check out these links:

  • Dog Bowl Reviews – This article is an overview of dog bowls to slow your dogs eating and drinking.  Great bowls for fast eating Labrador Retrievers.
  • Dog Bowls For Traveling – This article covers not just dog bowls, but other dog products good for dispensing food and water while traveling.

Not Quite A Dog Bowl – Well One Is…

  • Lixit Dog Waterer L-100 – these little guys have been around for a while.  Just attach to your outdoor faucet and teach your dog to lick it.

dog waterer

water dog

  • Large Chatter Bowl – Does your dog miss you when your not home.  Try the chatter bowl.

chatter bowl

We are reviewing one bowl a week every Tuesday for the next few months.  If you are interested in any of these dog bowls or products then be sure to visit the Puppy In Training website every Tuesday for our weekly review.  You can also subscribe to our RSS feed to automatically receive all of the Puppy In Training posts.

I’m sure there are many other dog food bowls and dog water bowls out there including a variety of other water and food devices.  If you’ve come across an interesting dog product you think we should review then please let us know in the comments section below.

Have you tried any of these products?  What did you think?

Filed Under: Dog Bowls, Dog Products Tagged With: , , ,

Dog Bowl Reviews

August 26, 2009 By 22 Comments

Some people are looking for a beautiful custom made ceramic dog bowl that matches the interior of their house like any other piece of art. Others however look for a functional dog bowl, one that gets a specific job done. A dog bowl for most people provides your dog’s meal and a place to drink water.

Do you think I’m looking for a dog bowl as a piece of art or for it’s functional purposes?  That’s right when I look for a dog bowl I try to find one with a purpose.  Take a look at the bowls we’ve collected and reviewed below:

Dog Bowls

That’s Linus, Derby, and Stetson trying to figure out which bowl will hold their next meal.  Not all the dog bowls reviewed are in this picture.

Be sure to check our website every Tuesday for the latest in-depth dog bowl review.  We will continue reviewing dog food and water bowls every Tuesday for the next few months.

Dog Bowls With A Purpose

As a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser and a Labrador Retriever owner we run into two problems quite often.  First of all, as a puppy raiser I take my dog everywhere and often times need a nice traveling dog bowl for both feeding and giving my puppies water.

Second, I have Labrador Retrievers and if you know Labs you’ll know they don’t eat food they gulp down food.  Early on I noticed this was a problem with Stetson.  As a puppy he would eat so fast he’d either start choking on his food or he would vomit shortly after eating.  This happened probably about every other meal.

We tried several different dog bowl options and received many suggestions from our friends and family which led to our very first dog bowl review.  We picked up the Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl from Linus’s trainer and it helped slow down the eating frenzy.

However, shortly after using the Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl Stetson began breaking out all over his chin.  He had canine acne and our veterinarian told us the most likely cause was using a plastic bowl.  According to our vet the plastic bowls harbor more bacteria and end up causing canine acne in some dogs.  He suggested we switch back to a stainless steel dog bowl.

That’s where our dog bowl journey begins.  We didn’t totally rule out plastic bowls, but we did keep in mind that a plastic dog bowl might cause acne in our dogs.

Dog Bowls For Fast Eaters

  • Contech EatBetter Dog Bowl – Another dog food bowl with obstacles.  A slightly different configuration then the Brake-Fast Bowl.

contech eatbetter dog bowl

Dog Pause Food Bowl

metal brake fast dog bowl

Dog-Water-Bowl

Those are the contenders for dog bowls that will help slow down a fast eating dog.  I’m sure not everyone runs into the problems associated with a speed eater like my Labrador Retrievers.  We will continue our series on Dog Bowl Reviews over the next couple days.  Tomorrow we’ll cover Traveling Dog Bowls and Products and Friday we’ll check out the ever so popular category of Not Quite A Dog Bowl (most of these products are good for traveling with your dog).

This list may grow over time as I’ve already seen some other products I’m interested in reviewing so check back often to see if your favorite dog bowl is under review.

Are there any dog bowls you think I should add to this list?  What dog bowls have you used to slow down a fast eating dog?

Beginning next Tuesday (every Tuesday we will reveal a new dog bowl review) we will start releasing in-depth reviews of each dog bowl.  Some reviews will include exclusive video footage and all reviews will have great images and detailed reviews from our staff and our dogs.

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