When you’re feeding your dog outside, they’re likely fighting the crows for a decent meal. Keep the birds out with a bird-proof dog feeder. Many pet owners try to time their dog’s eating habits or leave limited amounts of food available so that they aren’t feeding the local birds.
How to Find the Best Bird Proof Dog Feeders?
The struggle of fighting birds away from your dog’s food is that they’re sneaky. They wait for you and your dog to drop your guard, and then they strike. There are a few ideas to keep birds away from your dog’s food including:
Birds are a bit smarter than your average pest, and since they’re increasingly difficult to trick you have to take a more direct approach.
If you go with the first option, feeding a dog on a set schedule can help avoid any food being left out. Most people don’t realize that they overfeed their dog, or they put food out when it’s convenient for them rather than when the dog is hungry.
Feeding your dog on a schedule can severely reduce the likelihood of any birds attracted to your dog bowl. But, if any birds are lurking, they won’t find very much left after your dog finishes eating!
Putting out limited amounts of food at a time can make it easier to drive away any hungry birds as well. Finally, is the option of collapsible bowls. It’s a bit difficult for messy Easters, but most dogs can get the hang of it.
Best Overall Pick – Petnet SmartFeeder Automatic Pet Feeder
Although it’s a bit expensive, and still in its experimental phase, our top choice is the Petnet SmartFeeder, Automatic pet feeder. Not only does this feeder work with Amazon’s Alexa, but you can activate a feeding time from your phone no matter where you are.
It’s not just that the Petnet SmartFeeder, Automatic pet feeder makes feeding your dog easier, it keeps birds away because you decide how much food it dispenses and when. This option uses the tactic of putting your pup on a feeding schedule.
The Petnet SmartFeeder, Automatic pet feeder suggests portions based on your dog’s weight, and age so that you’re not leaving food out unnecessarily. The Petnet SmartFeeder, Automatic pet feeder is one of the best bird proof dog feeders available because of its super smart design.
The design uses sensors, learning software and the world’s biggest pet food database to ensure that you have all the data possible on your dog’s eating habits. That means that you can guard against bird attacks on your dog bowl by making the food inaccessible to them.
Overall, this sleek design is useful, efficient, and will help you bird proof your dog feeder. If the Petnet SmartFeeder, Automatic pet feeder is within your budget, you should seriously consider this option to keep birds away from your dog food.
Although the design isn’t specifically for a bird proof pet feeder, it resolves the overarching issue of a bird is eating all of your dog’s food.
What We Liked
What Could Be Better
Petnet SmartFeeder Automatic Pet Feeder
Best Value Pick – Petdiary Automatic Smart Feeder
Although this option is only slightly less expensive than the Petnet SmartFeeder, Automatic pet feeder, it offers many more features that can benefit different pet owners.
The Petdiary automatic smart feeder for dogs uses Wi-Fi and a programmable inner system to ensure that the only one getting to your dog’s food is your dog.
This feeder keeps out all sorts of pests, but most importantly birds. This bird proof dog feeder is one of the best dog feeders available, but it has a few shortcomings as well.
The Petdiary automatic smart feeder relies on an app that’s available for both Android and iOS. With this app, you can schedule feedings of 1-5 portions at any time of day or night. The app itself has a few limitations and is slightly frustrating. However, most people can manage.
Most importantly the feature we’re looking for in a great value dog feeder is the pet-proof door. A bird can peck at the door all they want, and the dispenser won’t open up unless it’s scheduled feeding time.
There’s also the benefit that the Petdiary automatic smart feeder locks from the top. Birds are notorious for breaking into dog feeders from the top. This system uses a snap lock that is difficult for even people to open.
Overall, the Petdiary automatic smart feeder is a great value, but it’s not the best bird proof pet feeder available. If you’re looking for an electronic feeder to restrict a bird’s access completely this one is reasonably priced and has a ton of features!
What We Liked
- Completely programmable
- Difficult to open
- Bird proof
- The door does not respond to pressure
- App for programming
What Could Be Better
- The app is difficult to navigate
- Portions are preset
- Feeding drawer is small (not for large dogs)
Best Budget Pick – Ruffwear Quencher Collapsible Dog Bowl
When you’re on a budget but still need birds to leave your dog food alone, there’s a slightly unconventional alternative.
The fancy electronic, programmable dog feeders are wonderful, and there are very few methods aside from these options that will work. Birds are aggravatingly smart when it comes to getting food, but they’re also rather lazy.
The Ruffwear Quencher Collapsible dog bowl uses a unique design that makes it difficult for birds to get into your dog’s food.
The wide corners at the bottom do catch some food, but your dog will have determination and weight on their side to get into these corners.
However, when a bird tries to get into wide and deep collapsible bowl their chances of getting anything out of it are very slim.
Keep in mind that you can’t overfill the bowl, and the Ruffwear Quencher Collapsible dog bowl is more than reasonably wide and deep. For less than 20 dollars you can outsmart the birds in your backyard!
The Ruffwear Quencher Collapsible dog bowl comes in a variety of colors and 5 different sizes. But keep in mind that when you’re trying to keep birds out a large or medium size is best because your pup can still get into it, but the birds can’t.
The best practice is to keep a low layer of dog food in the bottom, rather than piling it high.
What We Liked
- Price!
- Washable
- Great for Travel
- Various sizes
- Difficult for birds to get to the bottom of the bowl
What Could Be Better
- A pressure sensitive cover would be fantastic.
- Sizes run small
- Requires regular washing
Ruffwear Quencher Collapsible Dog Bowl
Conclusion
When you’re on a budget the Ruffwear Quencher Collapsible dog bowl is your best bet. But if you can splurge to keep birds out of your dog’s food, you should consider either of the 2 programmable dog feeder options.
The Petdiary pet feeder is the best value, but has its quirks. The best overall choice is the PetNet feeder that works with Amazon’s Alexa, and has an easy to use app on your phone!
