Are you a busy pet parent? Trying to keep up with walks, vet visits, and enough quality time to make your pup happy can be tough.

You don’t need the added stress of needing to remember if it’s dinner time or not for Fido. It’s okay; we’ve got you covered! Investing in an automatic dog feeder is a great way to give yourself some extra peace of mind while still providing your furry family member with proper nutrition day by day.

Let’s look at the best automatic dog feeders on the market that are sure to make mealtime less hassle and more fun – because who doesn’t love watching our pups enjoy their dinner?

How to Choose the Best Automatic Dog Feeder

Before we give you our recommended picks and why we chose them, let’s find out a little more about automatic dog feeders. If you already know you want one, feel free to scroll down to the recommendations!

Here are some of the things you need to consider before even making your purchase. Take a look at our buying guide below so we can help you make the right decision for your needs.

Capacity

The feeder can only hold so much food at one time. Some feeders are smaller than others and can only hold a limited amount of food.

This really all comes down to personal preference. The bigger the capacity, the less often you will have to fill the container up. Consider your dog’s size and figure out how often you will have to fill the automatic feeder.

If you have a large dog breed, you may want to invest in an automatic feeder that has a very large capacity that way; you’re not filling it up so often.

More than One Type of Food

Some dog feeders can hold different types of dog food, not just the traditional dry dog food. If your dog eats wet food or even a raw dog food diet, you will want to get a feeder that works for your dog’s needs.

Not all work for wet food, so it is important that you take the time to look at the product’s specs to see if it will work with wet food. A lot of these automatic feeders use conveyor belts that can get clogged and jammed up when wet food gets on them.

We do have a product in our best automatic dog feeder reviews above that will work for wet dog food. The PetSafe Automatic Pet Feeder that looks like a flat circle disc can be used for both wet and dry dog food.

Type of Feeding Dish

You want the dish that comes with the feeder to be easy to clean. Some feeders come with a metal or plastic dish that can usually be put in the dishwasher to get clean and disinfected when it gets old dog food stuck to it.

A removable feeding dish is another great feature to have because it makes it easy to feed your dog and clean. Some automictic feeders do not offer their own removable dish, so when you find one that does, that can just be another added bonus.

Power System

Some automatic dog feeders only work through an AC adaptor. If that is the case, then you will not be able to rely on it if the power were to go out. Some brands also include a battery system that can be used when it is not plugged into an adaptor.

This is a great feature to have because it acts as a safety fail. If anything were to happen and you were away from your home, your dog will still get its dinner.

A few products above in our review use both an adaptor and have a backup battery power.

Smartphone Capabilities

Some of these automatic dog feeders actually have an app or Bluetooth setting you can connect to. This will allow you to dispense food for your dog whenever you want. Each app will be different from each other depending on the features and functions it may have.

Check the specs of the products closely to see what type of functions or capabilities your automatic dog feeder has.

Feeding Schedule

Most automatic dog feeders come with multiple feeding sessions that you can customize to fit your dog’s needs. I have reviewed a wide range of dog feeders with both a few schedule capabilities to many.

If you have a larger dog that needs to have its meals broken up very small multiple times a day, then you will likely like one of the automatic dog feeders that offer a lot of schedule time.

Types of Automatic Dog Feeders

There are several types of automatic pet feeders, but two types stand out. These are gravity pet feeders and electronic pet feeders.

1. Gravity Pet Feeders

Gravity feeders use the principle of gravity. The feeder replenishes the food bowl every time your dog depletes the previous serving. When the bowl fills up the feeder ceases to release food into the bowl.

Advantages 

• Requires no programming to feed your dog which assures the owner of no mechanism failure

Disadvantages

• Your dog gets privileges of unrestricted and unlimited access to food which could lead to obesity

2. Electronic Pet Feeders

These pet feeders give the dog owner total control over the food quantity and the feeding time. The electronic pet feeders are pre-programmed to dispense specific quantities of dog food at specific times. I prefer programmable automatic dog feeders to gravity pet feeders.

Advantages

• You have total control over the amount of food and time your dog feeds. This reduces incidences of overfeeding and obesity.
• Small and regular amounts of food promote digestion
• The electronic feeder ensures that your dog’s food is equal every time. No more no less.

Disadvantages

• Programming errors may occur especially when using products of low quality

When choosing the best automatic dog feeder opt for the electronic ones since the owner is able to control the time and food the dog eats.

Why Use an Automatic Dog Feeder?

Automatic dog feeders are machines that dispense food either by gravity or electronically pre-programming the food dispensers.

Some dispensers even have a slow feed option that will slowly release food over 15 minutes to help dogs who eat to quickly.

Automatic pet feeders are, to a great extent, very helpful to dog owners who mostly work far from home, are disabled, or elderly.

When pre-programmed, it can help control the amount of food your dog eats and therefore keep in check your dog’s weight.

They can also help to control conditions such as diabetes. Buy the best automatic dog feeder according to your needs and preferences.

Benefits of Using an Automatic Dog Feeder

• Automatic dog feeders ensure that your dog will never miss a meal, regardless of where you are.
• Electronic feeders have added benefits such as scheduled feeding and portion control which helps control your pet’s weight or any other medical conditions.
• The use of self-contained measurements relieves the owner of the measuring task.
• Automatic Dog Feeders eliminate the need for assistance from family and friends to feed your dog when you are not around.

Downsides to Using an Automatic Dog Feeder

There can be some anxiety about letting such an important responsibility of owning a dog to an automatic dispenser. After all, we still have pilots even though the technology exists for a plane to take off, navigate, and land by itself.

However, in the case of automated dog food dispensers, people can rest assured that there are many safety features built into the product. For instance, some models employ a voice-activated system to guard against hungry pets getting into the stored food without permission.

Additionally, most dispensers come with timer settings so that owners can control when they receive their food and how much is dispensed. Finally, many models come with the ability to track when food has been taken and can alert owners if something is wrong.

What to Look for in Top Automatic Dog Feeders

• The capability to schedule more than one meal a day
• Adjustable food quantity input according to your dog’s habits and needs
• Easy programming
• A bowl structure and hopper that is easily cleaned
• Should withstand force when pushed by your dog

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Top 5 Best Automatic Feeders

Here is a list of the best auto dog feeder for your dog. There are many dog feeders that we didn’t include on our list of auto dog feeder reviews because they do not work as advertised and are not durable.

Petsafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed

One of the most incredible things about the Petsafe automatic dog feeder is that you can set it to dispense food over twelve times a day. Likely your dog will not need food that much, but it is a nice feature that is highly customizable to any dog breed or size.

Pros

• Its schedule can be programmed with up to twelve meals daily.
• The amount of food can be varied from 1/8 – 4 cups, and the food is served using the conveyor belt system, which ensures portion control and a high level of accuracy.
• It has a “slow feed mode” that dispenses larger meals over 1/8 cup over 15 minutes. This reduces health complications such as bloating and vomiting.
• It has an “immediate feed mode” that allows a meal to be dispensed into the bowl immediately after the previous one.
• Possesses a “pause feed mode” that lets the owner pause the feeding program and resume without data or program loss.
• The bowl is stainless steel, and the hopper is non-toxic.
• It has a solid and heavy-duty build that ensures that your dog’s paw cannot go up the hopper when trying to get extra food

Cons

• The machine has no level monitor to display the amount of food remaining. The owner has to open the lid and check the level.

The container can hold up to one and a half gallons of dry dog food of various kibble sizes. The conveyor belt on the automatic feeder has an anti-jam system that shouldn’t get stuck on the food.

This is a great way to feed your dog an appropriate amount of food when you are not around to do so. If you have a busy schedule, this product can help you ensure your pet stays healthy and well-fed.

Plus, the portion sizes are tailored to each individual pup’s size and breed! No more worrying about overfeeding or underfeeding your fur baby when you’re out of the house.

You can rest easy knowing that your furry friend is getting the nutrition they need. As an added bonus, the stainless steel bowl is dishwasher safe.

This is one of the more expensive options, but it works very efficiently to deliver your dog food on an easily customized schedule.

PetSafe 5 Meal Dof Food Dispenser

Here we have another product by the company Petsafe. This is a smaller automatic feeding unit that has five individual feeding compartments. These compartments can be controlled by a schedule that you can set. The LCD display screen lets you easily know what time you are setting the feeder to open for your dog.

Pros

• You measure out each portion size yourself.
• Simple. No unnecessary bells and whistles
• Dishwasher-safe tray.
• It can be used with dry dog food and wet food.
• Easy to use LCD screen.
• Made from a safe-to-use BPA-free plastic.

Cons

• It uses 4 D cell batteries, with no AC power option.

One of the really cool things about this automatic dog feeder is it can be used for dry dog food and wet dog food. Because of its design, it was one of the few automatic dog feeders that could handle wet dog food.

This doesn’t have to be used just for dog food; it can be used for cat food, as a treat dispenser, or even to give your dog necessary medicine it may need.

The tray can be removed whenever you want, and you can clean it off to remove any slobber that your dog got on it or leftover food. The tray is dishwasher safe and made from BPA-free plastic.

This is an affordable option from a reputable brand. If you have picky dogs that only eat wet food, then this is a solid option.

WOPET Automatic Pet Feeder Food Dispenser for Cats and Dogs

Here we have another excellent automatic dog feeder by the company WOPET. This one is A/C powered with a battery backup. So, if the power were to go out at your home while you are at work or away, you can rest assured the product will still feed your dog on time.

Pros

• You can schedule up to four automatic feedings with the WOPET feeder.
• You can program the feedings to the time that suits you.
• The LCD display makes it very easy to see precisely when you are setting the scheduled feedings.
• This feeder works both plugged in and on battery power. So, if you lose power, it will still work to feed your dog on time.
• Customizable to as little as teaspoons of food to cups of food at once.
• You can even record a message into the dispenser that will play to let your dog know it’s time to eat.

Cons

• It cannot be used for wet food.

You can schedule up to four meals per day with this feeder. It can be designed to dispense small amounts or rather large amounts at one time, depending on your dog’s size.

You can also record a message right onto the product that will play when it is dispensing food to your dog. You can have it say whatever you want. Now this feeder will only work to dispense dry dog food, not wet food.

This product doesn’t have the newest high-tech gear that some other brands have, but this one works well at the job it needs to perform. You can leave it until it is time to refill it. You won’t have to mess with it because it takes care of everything on its own.

Noa Store Automatic Dispenser Station for Dogs

This is a more straightforward automatic dog feeder. This guy uses gravity to fill the bowl; Isaac Newton would be proud. No need to worry about dead batteries or the power going out; you can’t stop gravity. You can be sure that your dog’s bowl will be filled. Plus, the design of the feeder is super cute! All in all, a great buy. Highly recommend it if you’re looking for a low-tech feeding solution and your dog won’t gorge itself.

Pros

• This product uses gravity to ensure the food will come down to feed the dog.
• Perfect for both dogs and cats.
• Bigger mouth bowl and shallow enough to see the level of food inside of it.
• Perfectly flat feet to keep the feeder secure when on the ground.
• Easy to move from place to place.

Cons

• Hand-wash-only design; it cannot go in the dishwasher.
• You must own a dog that will not overeat.

As your dog eats, more food will come down into the bowl. The bowl is shallow enough to see how much is on it at any time. You can choose how high you would like to fill the automatic feeder.

The feet on the product are very sturdy. They are balanced so that they will stay stable on the ground. The product itself is very light and can be moved from room to room.

This is a very affordable option to choose from compared to some of the other automatic feeders on this list.

WOPET 6L Automatic Wi-Fi Enabled Smart Pet Feeder

We have reached the final product on our list of the best automatic dog feeder. This is another excellent product by the brand WOPET. This feeder will hold six liters of food. It has 15 different time slots. That way, you can customize precisely when you want the food to be dispensed.

Pros

• You can control the feeding of your dog right from your smartphone.
• There are 15 different time slots that you can schedule to dispense food to your dog.
• You can record a custom message to play when the food is dispensed to your dog.
• The feeder will also notify you when it is low on food.
• The feeder has a six-liter capacity.

Cons

• It cannot be used for wet food.
• Expensive model.

This model allows you to record a quick ten-second message that will play when the machine is dispensing your dog’s food. You can connect your smartphone to the device and control everything from home. This can make feeding your pet so convenient when you are away from the house.

The model also features a battery backup in case your power fails.

Conclusion

The best automatic dog feeders will depend on your needs and preferences, so choose wisely. I hope the buying guide helped you decide which option will work best for your needs. Don’t forget to read reviews from other pet owners who have used the same product. Good luck!