Rounding up the flat-faced dog bowls
It all started with choosing which flat-faced dog bowls to test.
As we soon learned, there are not many bowls designed specifically with flat-faced dogs in mind. Ordinarily, we first narrow down our selection. But with so few flat-faced dog bowls on the market, we decided to review them all!
But that’s not all we tested…
To date, we have tested hundreds of different dog bowls, in various styles and shapes. During testing, we noticed something interesting…
Some bowls offered flat-faced dogs a considerably better eating experience than others. Even though they were not advertised as being flat-faced-friendly, they featured low sides, curved bases and a wide opening – perfect for shorter snouts.
So, we rounded up these bowls too just to see how well they performed against the bowls designed specifically for smushed faces.
All up, we put 9 different brands to the test.
With our list complete, it was time to go shopping. Each flat-faced dog bowl featured in our review was purchased from Amazon.com. Yep, at DogLab, we buy every product at the same price you would pay.
Once our flat-faced dog bowls were delivered, it was time to test them!
Haven’t seen our other dog bowl reviews yet? Check em’ out here.
Goofy dogs can outsmart flat-faced dog bowls
This point is only really true of slanted dog bowls, those where the rear is higher than the front – like the picture above.
Bowls with this design only work if your dog approaches it from the front. Most dogs do this instinctively. After all, eating from the back of the bowl isn’t comfortable because the edge of the bowl digs into the pup’s neck. When this happened, our dogs figured out something was wrong and repositioned themselves to the front of the bowl.
Whatever direction our Pug started eating from, she remained there until she finished her meal. When she ate from the back, she huffed and wheezed the entire way through her meal. Even worse, kibble flew all over the place as she pushed it over the low front lip of the bowl.
If your pup is more excited about eating than comfort, then I have a solution for you. Press the back of the bowl hard against the wall. This way, our Pug could only approach from the front. Problem solved!
Flat-faced bowls are for kibble only
Sorry wet and raw feeders. Flat-faced dog bowls are not going to help your pooch. Every single bowl we reviewed failed the wet food test.
The biggest problem is that none of these bowls are weighted. While they didn’t move around when our pups could easily access their kibble, it was an entirely different story when using canned food.
Wet food transformed our pups from Bulldogs into bulldozers. They smooshed their faces against the bowl and pushed it all around the room. Placing the bowl against a wall cut down on the movement but not the mess.
The reason? Flat-faced dog bowls rely on easy access as a way to stop both mess and movement. No flat-faced bowl was weighted. Even with a no-skid rubber base, our pups had little difficulty sliding the bowls around when they were in a head-butting contest with their meal.
If you are looking for a weighted bowl, ceramic is really your only choice.
FAQ
Should my dog use an elevated dog bowl?
How high should I elevate my dog’s bowl?
The primary benefit of a raised dog bowl is that it can make it easier for your dog to eat. Decreasing the amount your dog has to bend down can put less stress on your dog’s neck, making meal time easier and more enjoyable.