Can a bowl be too big for a dog

Tips on Choosing the Correct Water Bowl Size for Dogs

Tips on Choosing the Correct Water Bowl Size for Dogs

What size water bowl should you buy? Ideally, you should change your pets water every day and wash out the bowl. You should run the bowl through a thorough was once weekly. After washing, make sure you rinse it well removing all traces of soap and cleaners.

As a rule of thumb, you pets bowl should hold enough water for him to drink for at least 24 hours, preferably 36 or 48 hours.

How much does a dog drink? As a general rule, dogs drink 20 to 40 ml of water per pound of body weight per day. This comes out to about 3 to 4 cups of water for a 20 pound dog.

So the idea bowl for a 20 pound dog would be 4 to 8 cups. Four cups is almost a liter so that is a big bowl! You may even want to consider a large bowel in the summer when environmental conditions are hot and humid.

As an alterative to one big bowl, you can also consider placing a couple bowls around your home.

For more information on water, please read Why Water is Important

Best Dog Water Bowls for Sloppy Drinkers (and Some Other Solutions)

Does your doggo make a mess every time he drinks from his water bowl? Sick of stepping in wet puddles on your kitchen floor? If so, you may be in need of a spill-proof dog bowl.

Spill-proof bowls help cut down on these kinds of messes, and some models offer a few other benefits too.

Below, well explain everything you need to know about spill-proof dog bowls, including the way they work and how various models differ. But first, well jump right in and share a few of the best water bowls for sloppy drinkers.

Best Overall Spill-Proof Water Bowl

Best Spill-Proof Food-and-Water Station

Best Budget-Friendly Spill-Proof Bowl

Best Dog Water Bowls for Sloppy Drinkers

Despite the fact that many owners have never even heard of a spill-proof or no-spill water bowl, there are a surprising number of them on the market. However, theyre not all created equal some just flat-out fail at their intended purpose.

To help, weve rounded up a few of the best ones for different situations.

1. Torus Pet Maxi Filtered Water Bowl

Best Overall Spill-Proof Water Bowl

About: The Torus Pet Maxi Water Bowl is a gravity-fed, no-spill dog bowl, which holds 2 liters of water but only provides a small amount of water to your pet at a time. As your dog drinks, more water seeps from the internal reservoir into the bowl, while passing through a carbon filter in the process.

The Torus Pet Maxi requires no batteries or electricity (its gravity-fed), and it comes with four rubber feet to prevent it from scooting across the floor.

Features:

• Filters Your Pets Water: This no-spill dog bowl features a carbon filter, which cleans your pets water as it flows into the bowl.
• Large Capacity Design: Holds a whopping 2 liters of water, thereby reducing how often you must refill it.
• Maintains a Low Water Level: Most of the water resides in the reservoir, meaning that only a small amount of water is made accessible to your dog at a time.
• Requires No Batteries or Electricity: This is a gravity-fed system, which doesnt require any power to function.
• Solid and Stable: In addition to being solidly built, this bowl comes with anti-skid rubber feet.

Pros

• Automatically filters the water as it refills
• Rubber feet and weight keep the bowl from sliding around
• Owners report that it effectively addresses the problems with messy drinkers
• Dishwasher safe

Cons

• Its relatively pricey
• It isnt clear how the UV technology works

2. Neater Feeder Mess-Free Bowls

Best Spill-Proof Food-and-Water Station

About: The Neater Feeder Mess-Free Bowls doesnt stop messy drinkers from causing kitchen chaos in the same way some other water bowls for sloppy drinkers do, but it ends up providing one of the most effective solutions to the problem.

Essentially a hollow food-and-water station, this item features a wraparound shield and a plastic grate that leads to an internal reservoir. Any splashing water will be contained and funneled down into the reservoir.

Features:

• Internal Reservoir:This feeding station features an internal reservoir that is designed to contain any water that spills while your pet is drinking.
• Easy to Clean: The unit disassembles easily and every component is dishwasher safe.
• Elevated Design: Elevated feeders are often helpful for dogs with injuries or joint issues.
• Available in 6 Colors:You can purchase this food-and-water station in colors thatll match your decor.
• Works with Other Dishes: Though it comes with two dishes, you can use many other commercial dishes of the same size if you choose.

Pros

• Keeps your floor cleaner than any other option
• Works with other popular dog food and water bowls
• Also helps to prevent food-related messes
• Sturdy and unlikely to tip over

Cons

• More expensive than youd think
• Elevated design isnt ideal for all dogs

3. UPSKY No Spill Water Bowl

Best Spill-Proof Water Bowl for Skittish Dogs

About: The UPSKY No Spill Water Bowl utilizes a clever floating platform design, which ensures your pooch has constant access to water while preventing splashes.

To use it, youll simply fill the water bowl, place the floating platform on the surface of the water, and then attach the gasket to keep the platform in place. A small amount of water will then seep through the cute little paw print hole. As your pup drinks the water, the floating platform descends along with the surface of the water.

Features:

• Lightweight: Whereas a lot of no-spill bowls are heavy, this option is ideal for owners who want a lightweight alternative.
• Requires No Electricity or Batteries: The floating platform design uses simple physics and doesnt require power of any kind.
• Easy to Clean: You can quickly assemble or disassemble this three-piece water bowl for cleaning.
• Easy for Dogs to Use: Even skittish dogs tend to use this bowl without issue.
• Slows Access to Water: As an ancillary benefit, this bowl prevents dogs from drinking water too quickly.

Pros

• Its easy to assemble and fill
• Effective at keeping the water from spilling
• Affordable and provides good value

Cons

• Skittish pets may need reassurance
• Though easy to wash by hand, its probably not dishwasher safe

4. Ray Allen Buddy Bowl

Best Spill-Proof Bowl for Travel

About: The Ray Allen Buddy Bowlutilizes a pretty common design principle among no-spill water bowls, but it adds a few neat features others dont.

At its core, this is just a water bowl with a circular shield around the top that cuts down on the splashin. However, it uses an internal cone design to keep the water inside the bowl even more effectively than most competing products.

Features:

• Effective and Innovative Design: The splash-guard system used in this bowl is similar to some other models, but it includes additional features to improve its efficacy.
• Water Retention: This bowls internal cone prevents it from emptying completely if flipped upside down (though a small amount of water will spill).
• Great for Travel: The bowls combination of light weight and spill-proof design make it great for use in the car or your dogs crate.
• 44 Ounce Capacity: This bowl holds enough water to keep most dogs hydrated while youre at work or school.
• Convenient to Clean: This three-piece bowl snaps together easily, allowing for quick refilling.

Pros

• Effectively prevents most drinking-related messes
• Great for on-the-go use
• Pet parents love that its made in the USA
• Wont completely empty if inverted

Cons

• Skittish dogs may not be willing to put their snout in the bowl
• The opening is a little narrow for large dogs
• Its not dishwasher safe

5.Petmate No-Spill Bowl

Best Budget-Friendly Spill-Proof Bowl

About: One of the simplest no-spill water bowls available, the Petmate No Spill Water Bowl relies on a donut-shaped lid to keep your pets water inside the bowl. As simple and no-frills as it gets, this is a great option for owners who want dry floors but dont want to use a complicated gizmo to get them.

Best of all, this is the most affordable dog bowl for sloppy drinkers by a healthy margin.

Features:

• Effectively Reduces Spillage: This bowls lid helps keep your dog from splashing water everywhere and discourages water digging.
• Simplicity FTW: With only two pieces, this bowl is easy to set up, use, and maintain.
• 48-Ounce Capacity: While not enough to keep large dogs hydrated for hours on end, its likely sufficient for small and medium-sized pups.
• Dishwasher Safe: To clean this bowl, you can simply pop the top off and throw it in your dishwasher.

Pros

• Quite affordable
• Easy to fill and use
• Effective, despite its simplicity
• Unlike some others, this no-spill dog bowl is dishwasher safe

Cons

• Its easy for dogs to tip over
• Doesnt hold a ton of water

K9 of Mine Staff Experiences: Hands-On Reviews

Hey there, pet parents! K9 of Mine Managing Editor Ben, here.

I have two wonderful yet wet-faced woofers who take sloppy water drinking to Olympic-caliber levels. So, I was keen to try out some of these no-spill bowls and see how they worked for my gals.

First, introductions are in order:

Thats Willow (codename: Crazy Pants) on the left and J.B. (codename: Protocol Patrol) on the right. Willow only speaks in the third person; J.B. utilizes perfect grammar but has a thick German accent.

Theyre the goodest girls in most respects (aside from the fact that they dont get along), but they both make a mess while drinking.

Willows face floof is always wet and drippy after drinking. Shell also play with her dog food bowls and water dishes at times.

J.B., on the other hand, tends to do the gulp-water-so-fast-it-splashes-and-spills-everywhere thing. About one-third of the water in her bowl ends up on the floor; one-third ends up on her face; and one-third ends up in her belly.

One last thing before we get back to the bowls: Both of these 90-ish-pound pups are skittish. Thatll come up again later.

As for the testing, I opted for four of the options we listed above. Ill share my thoughts and experiences with each one below.

Ray Allen Buddy Bowl

The Ray Allen Buddy Bowl was well-constructed and felt like a higher quality product than any of the other no-spill dog bowls I tried.

It features a nifty internal cone and an outer splash guard to help contain messes. Its also super easy to disassemble for cleaning (though I wasnt enthused about it being a handwash-only bowl).

But unfortunately, I couldnt really get either of my gals to use it. Willow lapped up a tiny bit of water from it before backing away, but J.B. just looked at me like I was asking her to engage in some sort of gom jabbar ritual.

To be fair, the opening was a little small for both gals. Perhaps theyd have felt more comfortable using a larger model.

But before moving on to the next spill-proof bowl, let me share something really cool about it: This bowl keeps the water mostly contained when flipped upside down, thanks to the internal cone.

Check it out:

On the left, you can see that the bowl is full to the fill line. In the middle photo, you can see that I flipped the bowl upside down. And on the right, you can see that the bowl only spilled a small amount of water.

This is huge for owners who need a no-spill dog bowl to use in the car or while their pup is in a crate.

Final verdict: High-quality product, but too scary for my girls. That said, it should work very well, and I love that it keeps the bulk of the water inside when inverted. Its undoubtedly the very best option for use in a car or crate.

Petmate No-Spill Bowl

This product is so simple its genuinely hard to think of what to say about it: Its a bowl with a donut-shaped lid to prevent splashes. Its also dishwasher safe, comes apart easily, and bears a very affordable price tag.

I kind of like elegant and super-simple solutions like this, and this bowl more-or-less lived up to my hopes.

But would my gals even use it?

Willow wasnt troubled by it at all and started drinking right away.

In fact, when I put this one right next to the Ray Allen model as a sort of A-B test, she went right for the Petmate bowl and started lapping up water like shed been using it her whole life.

It also worked pretty well. It kept her face (mostly) dry, and there wasnt a drop of splashed water to be found on the floor.

However, J.B. politely declined to drink from the dish at all. Skittish pupper is skittish.

Final Verdict: Id want a larger size for my gals, as this bowl doesnt hold a ton of water. But aside from that, I love its simplicity, the fact that its dishwasher safe, and that it actually works well.

UPSKY No Spill Dog Bowl

I am a little leery about buying products from manufacturers and retailers Ive never heard of, but the UPSKY has earned a pretty positive reputation. So, I gave it a whirl.

As explained above, this bowl features a floating platform design. That dark grey square inside the bowl floats on the surface of the water, while the paw-print cut out allows your dog access to a small amount of water at a time.

As your dog drinks, the surface level drops, taking the platform lower and lower with it.

You can see it disassembled here. Note that it also features a hard plastic gasket to help keep everything in place and working as it should.

Willow used this one without issue, and it appeared to work relatively well. I didnt see any splashed water on the outside and because the bowl only provides access to a small amount of water at a time, her face stayed (mostly) dry.

But once again, the big scary Rottmonster wouldnt try it at first. This is yet another reason to avoid Rottweilers at all cost (spoiler alert: I kid).

But she did eventually give it a go.

Once she got over the initial fear, she started using it regularly for the rest of the day.

In both cases, the bowl proved effective at preventing spills (the small amount of water you may be able to see on the floor in the pic with J.B. was from me accidentally kicking the bowl while trying to snap photos).

As with Willow, J.B.s face stayed relatively dry after drinking from this bowl there were only a few drops of water on her snoot.

Final Verdict: This bowl felt a little cheap, and I dont love that its likely not dishwasher safe (the manufacturer doesnt disclose whether it is or isnt, so Im guessing it isnt). But it definitely works, and the price is right.

Neater Feeder Mess-Free Bowls

The Neater Feeder isnt like the bowls mentioned above, as it is more of a mess-containing food-and-water station.

It comes with an elevated platform and two standard-issue stainless steel dog bowls. But the platform features a wrap-around shield to keep splattering dog food and splashing water contained inside the station.

It also features a little grate area and an internal reservoir. When water splashes out, it rolls downhill to the grate and then passes into the internal container.

This helps not only prevent messes caused by food or water, but it offers more protection than the splash-proof bowls discussed above. Throw in the fact that many dogs prefer elevated feeding dishes as well as the whole contraption being dishwasher safe and my curiosity was piqued.

So, how did it work for my little ladies?

Pretty well. Pretty darn well.

They were both willing to use the station (for eating and drinking), and it effectively prevented food and water from ending up on the floor. I was actually surprised at how well the design worked splashing water makes a beeline for the grate holes and drains away quickly.

However, it did not prevent the moist-muzzle issue like some of the no-spill bowls did.

I think one of the coolest things about this feeder is that you can use other bowls with it. It comes with two durable stainless steel bowls, but these kinds of bowls tend to be loud and they startle J.B. (she refuses to eat or drink from them).

So, I just swapped out the metal bowls for some of the plastic bowls I already use. This probably wont be an issue for most pet parents, and Im sure the metal ones would work just fine for the average owner.

Its also really cool that the whole thing including the platform is dishwasher safe. I dont think it would actually fit in my dishwasher, but Ill try at a future date and update this article to reflect my experiences.

Final Verdict: This was my favorite option of the four I tried. I love that it contains splashing water as well as the few kibblets that always seem to end up on the floor after meals. It was also the one that my dogs were most comfortable using. Also, also, I love that its dishwasher safe, though its still going to be a bit challenging to wash, given its size.

Another Option: Use a Spill-Proof Mat

A no-spill dog bow is not the only way to stop your dog from dripping water all over your kitchen floors; you can just use a feeding mat instead. In fact, because they cover a large area, feeding mats are a better solution for some pet parents.

As a bonus, feeding mats help keep kibble and wet-food-splatter contained too.

There are a litany of feeding mats on the market, but for our money, its hard to beat the one Loving Pets offers.

Loving Pets Bella Spill Proof Mat For Dogs

Best Spill-Proof Bowl Alternative

About: The Loving Pets Bella Spill Proof Dog Mat is a small mat that sits under your dogs bowls, taking the brunt of the mess when your dog gets carried away eating or drinking.

Features:

• Multiple Colors and Sizes: This mat is available in several sizes and colors to match your pups sense of style.
• Non-Toxic and BPA-Free: This mat is made from only pet-safe materials to ensure your waggers safety.
• Includes a Raised Lip: To help keep spilled food or water contained, this mat has a raised lip around the perimeter.
• Slip-Proof Design: This mat features skid-resistant feet that help keep the mat in place.

Pros

• Effectively contains messes caused by food and water
• Easy to clean
• Skid-proof design keeps food and water dishes from wandering around the floor

Cons

• Wont stop the wet-muzzle-after-drinking phenomenon
• It only contains messes; it doesnt prevent them

Which Dogs Need a Spill-Proof Water Bowl?

Most dog owners can benefit from a spill-proof dog bowl, but theyre more useful in some cases than others.

Your dog might benefit from a spill proof water bowl if he:

• Frequently digs at his water dish, creating a huge wet mess on the floor.
• Gulps the water down so fast that he drops mouthfuls of water directly onto the floor.
• Pushes the bowl with his nose, causing it to slide and spill as he drinks.
• Already drools a lot, thereby making him even messier after drinking water.

The best water bowls for sloppy drinkers help reduce (if not entirely eliminate) these kinds of problems.

Super-fast food gobbling is often seen in the same dogs who drink water at Mach-3. Unfortunately, this can be quite dangerous and can potentially lead to deadly bloat. If that sounds like your dog, consider picking up a slow feeder dog bowl to keep him safe! These dog bowls work by making it slightly tricky for your dog to eat, thereby slowing him down!

So, Why Does My Dog Dig in His Dish?

Dogs dig at their water dish for a variety of reasons, but most commonly, it is because they are bored, overheated, or looking for cool running water.

Sometimes, stirring the water in a dog bowl helps it to taste cooler; other times, your dog is just playing with his reflection. If the digging is a symptom of your dogs boredom, he may find another destructive outlet.

Just purchasing a spill proof bowl may not be enough of a solution if your pup has external needs that need to be taken care of.

If you suspect your pup is overheating, grab a puppy friendly pooland keep it halfway full in your yard, giving your dogthe option to cool himselfoff when he needs to. Sometimes, keeping your canine cool can stop the sloppy drinking and digging at his dog bowl altogether.

If your dog is running hot, other strategies to cool him down include:

• Grabbing a cooling dog bed. Some dog beds are designed with cooling gels that activate when your dog lies down in the material. Elevated mesh beds can also cool your dog off, especially if he hangs around outside a lot. Raised mesh beds provide better air circulation to keep temps low for your pup.
• Try a cooling dog vest.Cooling dog vests feature a similar design to cooling beds, but you strap the cooling gel material to your dog, rather than having a cooling mat your pup needs to lie on.

Another option is to consider a running pet fountain it keeps the water cool and fresh, which many dogs find more appetizing.

If your pet spends a lot of time indoors or alone without active stimulation, the digging could be a way of entertaining himself. If your dog seems to be bored, more mental and physical stimulation can be introduced in the form of extra walks, more play time, or treat-dispensing dog toys to keep your pup entertained.

Why Does My Dog Gulp The Water Quickly & Push The Bowl Around?

If your pup is gulping the water and pushing his dog bowl around, he may just be excited!He may also simply be trying to escape the heat, as mentioned above.

Some dogs have different drinking styles that make them much messier than others. In the video above, one owner records different dogs drinking in slow motion to determine why her own dog is messy.

Regardless of why your pup makes a mess, a on-spill dog bowl can provide a helpful solution by itself or in conjunction with other techniques. In addition to stopping sloppy drinkers, these bowls will slow down dogs who gulp down water. Gulping water quickly can cause dogs to hiccup (thats right, dogs can hiccuptoo) or even vomit up water!

Best Water Bowls for Sloppy Drinkers: FAQ

Still have questions about finding the best no-spill dog bowl for your floof? Weve got ya covered!

Check out some of the most common questions (and answers) about no-spill dog bowls below.

What can you do about sloppy dog drinking water?

The best way to keep your pets water in his dog bowl is by trying one of the solutions above, such as the Torus Pets Maxi Water Bowl. And if that fails, you can always opt for a feeding station mat, like the Loving Pets model described above.

How do I stop my dog from dripping water after drinking?

Once again, no-spill water bowls especially the type that use a circular guard are often helpful with messy drinking, as theyll prevent your dog from placing his muzzle as deeply in the water.

How do I stop my dog from playing in the water bowl?

Unfortunately, some dogs simply do this like its a hobby. However, if your dog is doing so because hes overheated or board, you can try to provide him with a cooling mat or more fun toys and activities, respectively.

There you have it, dog lovers five of the best no-spill water bowls, as well as a spill-proof mat. Hopefully, youll find that one of these options is a good fit for your needs.

Now its your turn! Tell us about your sloppy drinker how do you contain your dogs messy drinking habit? Do you use a no-spill dog bowl like one of the ones mentioned above? Are there other spill-proof water bowls we should check out? Let us know how youre dealing with the problem in the comments below.