An automatic dog feeder is the perfect solution for people with jobs. While they will never replace your time and love of your pet, they will keep a feeding schedule allowing your pet to stay healthy and flourish.

The absolutely perfect automatic dog feeders have the following features:

1. The dog feeders dispensing quantity and times can be set
2. The feeders are sealed and bug proofed
3. The dog feeders water bowl has some sort of sanitization to keep water fresh
4. They have a pet-resistant design, so they cannot be tipped or broken into
5. They work properly even if the power fails with outage protection using a battery
6. They hold several days worth of food or water
7. They are dishwasher safe for proper sanitization
8. They are easily programmed
9. It is sized for your pet
10. The feeders are built to last and have the look and heft of a solid appliance

Most automatic dog feeders are geared towards cats or smaller breed dogs, as the amounts dispensed are often smaller servings. Settings should include number of daily meals as well as size of meal and time. The automatic feeders are also set up for dry food. This results in you needing more water available for your pet, considering the dry food dispensed.

Some feeders have chimes or bells built in that can be turned off or on, to let your pet know when food becomes available. After a few days, they will know when food has been dispensed. Adjustment of a dog to one of these feeders is never immediate, and, by my experience, usually takes from 2 to 4 days.

Making a feeder pet proof usually just requires weight. Some are designed to be low to the ground where they cannot be easily tipped over, and others rely on the food to provide the weight needed to keep it from being moved by your pet. Some can be mounted to the wall and others have optional feet that extend out to stabilize the feeder.

Water dispensers for your pet are more necessary than food feeders, and are a must for owners who work long hours and cannot fill a water bowl every few hours. Good clean water in the quantity needed prevents urinary tract infections. Most good quality pet water dispensers come with a filter, but this is not needed as long as you clean and sterilize regularly. The most important feature I have found for indoor water feeders is an anti-spill valve to prevent the water stored from leaking out everywhere when the water dispenser is tipped over.

Dog feeders will lead to a happy and healthier pet, especially if you have a job and will be gone more than 8 hours at a time, as a pet should be fed every six hours as a maximum length between meals for optimal health.

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