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The Insider Pick:
If your dog needs help with portion control or you want your pup to have food when you're away from home, you need an automatic dog feeder. For the best all-purpose dog feeder, our top pick is the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed for reliability, convenience, and function.
Do you have trouble keeping to a regular feeding schedule with your dog? Are you looking for a way to simplify your life without compromising your pet’s nutrition? If you are looking for a solution to automate your dog’s feeding to keep him happy and healthy, consider investing in an automatic dog feeder. Automatic dog feeders can be programmed to dispense a specific portion of food multiple times per day, taking the guesswork out of feeding your dog.
Automatic dog feeders come in many different forms. Some are designed solely for dry kibble while others can accommodate semi-moist or wet food. Feeders range in complexity with some units offering the convenience of smartphone operation while others are simpler with basic features and no-frills designs. If you’re in the market for an automatic dog feeder, you’ll be glad to know that we’ve done the work to find the best ones you cna buy.
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The best dog feeder overall
Why you'll love it: For flexibility, convenience, and reliability, our top pick for the best overall dog feeder is the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed.
When it comes to an all-purpose dog feeder, you need something that offers a wide range of portion sizes, programming for multiple meals a day, a large food storage container, and reliable function. Though it may not be the fanciest feeder on the market, our top pick is the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed. This feeder offers portion sizes ranging from 1/8 cup to 4 cups with up to 12 meals per day. It also accommodates all kinds of dry food and semi-moist food.
The PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed features a large 24-cup storage container with programming that enables you to schedule up to 12 meals per day with great flexibility in terms of portion size. You can choose from multiple feeding modes including a slow feed mode that dispenses food over a 15-minute period to discourage fast eating.
The feeder is battery-powered, so you don’t have to worry about power outages, though there is an optional AC adapter you can purchase separately. Overall, the feeder is easy to use, durably constructed, and a great fit for dogs of all sizes.
Top Dog Tips and Breeding Business both recommend the feeder and it has more than 1,600 reviews on Amazon with a solid 4.3-star rating. This automatic feeder wows dog owners with its many options for customization and reliable function, though there are some comments that the programming may take time to get the hang of.
Pros: Easy operation and convenient function, pre-programmed feeding modes, slow feed mode for fast eaters, up to 12 meals per day, variety of portion sizes, battery-powered with optional AC adapter, anti-jam system keeps food flowing, stainless-steel bowl removable and dishwasher safe
Cons: Programming may take some getting used to, makes noise when food hits the bowl, AC power adapter sold separately, no Wi-fi connectivity option
The best budget dog feeder
Why you'll love it: The Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder is very affordable for less than $100, and it has many great features.
Automatic dog feeders can be very complex in design, offering a wide range of portion sizes and programming options. Unfortunately, the more features, the higher the price tag. If you are looking for a simple, no-frills automatic feeder that;s affordable, we recommend the Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder.
For less than $100, the Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder has an excellent array of features including a bright LCD screen, ABS plastic construction, and a magnetic lid that keeps your dog’s food fresh and pest-free. Program up to four meals per day with up to 10 portions per meal and record a voice message up to 10 seconds long to call your dog at mealtime. The plastic bowl is removable for easy cleaning, and the unit runs on both DC power and batteries, so you never have to worry about power outages.
Labrador Training HQ praises the Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder for being simple to operate and easy to clean. Hellow Dog likes the wide variety of portion sizes as well as the quality of the magnetic lid that keeps your dog’s food fresh and protected from pests.
With more than 300 reviews on Amazon, the Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder has a 4-star rating and it's a Best Seller in automatic pet feeders. Dog owners love how convenient it is for everyday use as well as its simple operation.
Pros: Priced under $100, LCD display for easy programming, dispenses up to 10 portions per meal, program up to 4 meals per day, magnetic lid keeps food fresh, record a meal call up to 10 seconds long, runs on both battery and DC power, large 1.14 gallon capacity, removable bowl for easy cleaning
Cons: Components not as sturdy as some competitor’s models, dispenser can be a little noisy, may be prone to jamming with larger kibbles, plastic feeding bowl (not stainless steel)
The best circular dog feeder
Why you'll love it: Not only is the Qpets 6-Meal Automatic Dog Feeder surprisingly affordable, but it is simple to operate works with wet or dry food.
If you are looking for a feeder that can be used for wet food as well as dry, or you want to keep your dog’s food as fresh as possible, a circular feeder might be a better option. These feeders typically contain six to eight compartments that rotate on a timer. Our top pick for the best circular dog feeder is the Qpets 6-Meal Automatic Dog Feeder.
The Qpets 6-Meal Automatic Dog Feeder features six compartments that can be used with dry, semi-moist, or wet food and it can be programmed for up to six feedings within a 24-hour period. With a built-in clock and easy-to-read LCD screen, this feeder is simple to operate and reliable in terms of its function.
Additional features include a built-in voice recorder that enables you to record a greeting for your dog as well as a skid-proof bottom to keep the feeder from sliding while your dog eats.
K9 of Mine and Dog Struggles both recommend this feeder. With more than 1,500 reviews on Amazon, the Qpets 6-Meal Automatic Dog Feeder has a 3.5-star rating. It may not be as highly ranked as some of its competitors, but the reviews suggest that it is a little more reliable and the price can’t be beaten.
Pros: Reliable long-lasting function, six medium-sized compartments, works for all kinds of food, easy to operate, keeps wet food fresh up to 24 hours, skid-proof base keeps unit from sliding, affordable price
Cons: May not be ideal for very large dogs, only offers 6 meals per day, not as sturdy as some competitor models
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