Is your dog a sloppy drinker? I feel your pain. When my dog drinks, half of the water winds up on the carpet. Somehow, he manages to carry most of the water in his flappy gums, leaving drips and drabs of water all over the house.
To make matters worse, he spills his bowl a lot when he gets a serious case of the zoomies. Between the kids, his crazy running and my clumsiness, we spill the dog’s water bowl more often than we’d care to admit.
If you’re like me, you’re probably fed up with having to clean up puddles of water from your dog’s drinking bowl.
A spill proof dog bowl can help solve the problem. I’ve rounded up three of the best bowls out there to help solve your water-spilling habit.
Slopper Stopper is a fitting name for this dripless water bowl. Its smart lid design keeps your dog’s ears, feet, snouts and beards dry. Slopper Stopper claims to reduce water spills and trails by up to 85%.
What’s great about this bowl is that it can also be used as a food bowl and a travel bowl. It will work with any breed size, and there are five models to choose from:
- Small: 0-20 lbs.
- Medium: 21-50 lbs.
- Large: 51-85 lbs.
- Giant: 86-130 lbs.
- Mammoth: 131+ lbs.
All of the Slopper Stopper models have a 1-gallon stainless steel water bowl that’s 9.84” W x 4.19” H.
How is the Slopper Stopper able to stop your dog from getting water all over the place? The bowl is designed with a funnel in the center, which provides your dog with access to the water below. In order to get a drink, your pup has to stick his tongue all the way down into the funnel. His snout rests on the middle plug (up and away from the water), so the rest of his body stays dry.
But there is one caveat: there’s a two-week break-in period. It may take your pup some time to get used to this new method of drinking.
If you’re worried about your dog not getting enough water, don’t be. He’ll still get all of the water he needs throughout the day. It just may take a few weeks for him to get used to this new style of drinking.
Pros
- Smart design reduces water trails and spills by up to 85%
- Easy to use
- Made of stainless steel and FDA-approved materials
Cons
Apart from the long break-in period, the Slopper Stopper is a great spill proof dog bowl that will keep your messy drinker from leaving water trails all over the house.
Heyrex’a Torus bowl is self-filling, made from BPA-free materials and even includes a carbon filter for fresh, clean water. This large bowl holds up to half a gallon of water, which makes it ideal for larger dogs.
The Torus won’t tip over and is travel-friendly for added convenience. The soft rubber feet keep it in place, preventing accidental spills from people walking by and over-zealous dogs.
But what about the self-filling part? How does that work?
The Torus has a built-in water reservoir. You fill up the reservoir, and as your dog drinks, more water is allowed into the drinking area. The water is drawn from the walls of the bowl through the active carbon filter.
The water level remains low. Your dog will always have enough water to drink, but there’s not so much water in the bowl that it’s splashing and sloshing everywhere.
Heyrex includes five bonus filters with their bowls, so your dog can enjoy up to six months of clean drinking water.
Pros
- Rubber feet and lower water levels prevent tips and spills
- Made with BPA-free materials
- Filters drinking water
Cons
- Must be disinfected weekly
The only caveat with this bowl is that it’s not the easiest to clean. The exterior is easy to keep clean, but the water reservoir isn’t easy to get to. In fact, you can’t even open the bowl to access it.
For this reason, you’ll need to disinfect the bowl every week with a weak bleach solution or vinegar. Otherwise, you may wind up with a mold problem.
Aside from this minor issue, the Torus is easily one of the best spill proof dog bowls out there.
Ray Allen’s Buddy Bowl has a 64-ounce capacity and is designed for easy portability. Made in the USA, this bowl won’t spill even if you turn it upside down. The Buddy Bowl is also made of non-toxic polyethylene.
It’s ability to lock in water makes it a great choice for road trips or adventures with your best furry friend. And you also don’t have to worry about your dog tipping the bowl over or dripping water all over the house.
The design is similar to the Slopper Stopper. It keeps your dog’s snout, ears and legs dry.
Even if your dog tips over the bowl with his snout – or you knock it over with your clumsy feet – you won’t see a single drop fall out of this bowl.
The only caveat with this bowl is that you have to make sure the lid is on properly if you want those spill-saving benefits.
Also, the bowl can be a little hard to get open the first few times. After a few cleanings, the bowl should be “broken in” enough that it isn’t too difficult to get the lid off.
Pros
- Easy to use and clean
- Won’t spill even when tipped upside down
- Travel-friendly
Cons
- Difficult to get the lid off at first
Once the lid has been broken in, it’s much easier and quicker to clean the bowl. As long as the lid is on properly, it’s virtually impossible to spill water from this bowl.
These are three of the best spill proof dogs that you can buy. If we had to choose one, we’d go with the Slopper Stopper because it prevents spills and helps stop messy drinking. But the other two bowls are still great options for spill prevention, and the Buddy Bowl will also help a little bit with sloppy drinking.
