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We are a nation of pet lovers. We often rate our dogs as a family member'their needs sometimes coming before our own. We buy them toys, beds, treats and special food. Clothing remains optional!

A necessity for any dog is appropriate dog bowls. Whether we decide to cave in to our own desires and look for a bowl that is compatible with our home d'cor or style the goal should be obtaining a dog bowl that is suitable for our pet. In order to determine what makes a bowl suitable we should first consider the size of our dog.

Large dogs need bigger bowls. A dog bowl should be big enough to hold a full feeding, but not much more than that. A bowl that is too big can lead to over-filling and that can result in your dog becoming overweight.

Most dogs love to eat and therefore they spend more than a little time at their food and water bowls. Emphasis should be placed on providing comfort for your dog as he eats. A bowl with a flat bottom will help to prevent any tipping and spilling of food. Many dog bowls are equipped with rubber rims or feet that help to keep the dish from sliding across the floor. Dog bowls made of dishwasher-safe materials are preferable because the high water temperature in the dishwasher aids in killing bacteria and germs. Your pet's bowls should be cleaned after every use ' just as you would clean your own.

Research has shown that elevated dog bowls can be beneficial ' especially for larger dogs. By elevating the bowls the dog is not required to bend his neck toward the bowl. This aids in posture as well as digestion. For an older dog this may help to alleviate pain from sore or stiff joints and/or arthritis. To determine the appropriate height for the elevation you will need to measure your dog's height at the top of his front shoulder. The bowls should be positioned about 6 inches below that level. For smaller dogs the bowls should be about 4 below that level.

The dog's water bowl should be about twice the size of the food bowl. Water is the most important nutrient for your dog, therefore he should always be encouraged to drink water and a larger bowl will assist with that. Dogs lose water through panting and elimination which means they constantly need to replace that water. The bigger sized bowl will also decrease the number of times that you will need to refill the bowl. Everyone wins!

Are you forgetful or are there times that you have to be away from home for longer periods of time than your dog can go without food? If so you'll probably want to invest in an automatic feeder. These innovative bowls hold a substantial amount of food that is slowly dispensed into the feeding dish. As the dog eats away the food in the dish more will fall into place. Similar water bowls are also available.

As responsible pet owners we all try to meet the needs of our dogs. By providing the appropriate dog bowls we can help them in various ways while helping ourselves at the same time. This adds to our dogs' comfort and contentment and also lets them know how important they are to us. Dogs really do rule!