The best automatic dog feeders to keep your pooch fed on time
We all love our dogs but you can't be with them 24/7. Perhaps you have to work late, or your dog sitter has called in sick. And it can be tough to be separated from man's best friend — particular if their bowl is empty and that doggy tummy is rumbling.
Fortunately there's one thing we can do to help make life a little bit better for them: Get them on a regular feeding schedule with the help of an automatic feeder.
An automatic feeder can dish out their doggy dinner at specific times, helping you maintain a feeding schedule and healthy diet even when you're not around. But which feeder is best for you and your dog? Here's a quick guide and a round-up of the best automatic dog feeders available right now.
What is an automatic dog feeder?In the most simplistic terms, an automatic dog feeder is a clever contraption that you fill with dog food and set to dispense the food at specific times.
There are four main types of dog feeders: Gravity feeders, programmable models that release a set amount of food at a set time, plate feeders, and smart feeders that can be controlled from your phone. We've left gravity feeders out from this list because they're not technically automatic. This type of drop-down feeder keeps the bowl full at all times, refilling whenever your pup eats. It's essentially a recipe for overfeeding.
Programmable models with a timer allow you to select the amount of food and dispensing time. Plate feeders require you to portion out the food into multiple compartments (which gives you control over the exact amount) and then they rotate to reveal one section at a time. Smart feeders give you full remote control, allowing you to set feeding times, portion sizes, and more through a smartphone app.
Are automatic feeders good for dogs?Eating at the same time every day is healthy for your dog. Regular schedules also help prevent pet obesity because it allows you to control their caloric and nutritional intake every day. Regular eating also helps you notice if something is wrong with your dog’s health because often the first sign that your pup is sick is a lack of appetite.
This is where automatic dog feeders come in handy. They allow you to maintain a routine, regardless of whether you’re home or not to give them their favourit food. Plus, some dog feeders allow for portion control, so you can decide exactly how much or how little pet food gets dispensed. If your dog tends to eat too quickly, you can also program a smart auto feeder to dispense food in small increments to make sure they don’t gobble down their meal too quickly.
Do automatic dog feeders use wet or dry food?It depends on what kind of automatic dog feeder you’re using. Most pet feeders can dispense dry food and round or small-ish treats with no issue. However, programmable plate feeders can also serve wet food to your pup because they have lids that seal the plate of food until feeding time. You’ll have to remember to fill these plate feeders each morning before you leave the house though.
If your dog won’t touch dry food, then you’re better off with a plate feeder because it can seal off and keep wet food fresh. But if your dog is all about the kibble, a programmable feeder might be better for them.
Can an automatic feeder help my dog lose weight?It certainly can if you use it in conjunction with a healthy, disciplined diet. But you'll need to buy the right model. An automatic pet feeder that portions food out by itself isn't the best option. Many feeders tend to release a bit more than the programmed amount, so it's easy for a dog to eat more than the recommended serving size. The solution to an automatic feeder that allows you to pre-portion your dog's food.
What is the best automatic dog feeder?Whether you’re just looking for help to keep your dog fed every day or you want something special that delivers more, there are plenty of options out there. We've lined up the very best models for you to choose from.
These are the best automatic dog feeders in 2025.
- Flexible meal portions
- Slow-feeder mode
- Dishwasher safe parts
- Stores lots of food
- Need to hand-wash conveyor belt
- Looks a bit ugly
Some dogs love food so much that they gobble it up in the blink of an eye. While this might sound adorable — after all, most things dogs do are adorable — eating too quickly can actually be very bad for dogs. The PetSafe Simply Feed helps slow down their eating with a “slow feed” mode that dispenses meals over 15 minutes, forcing dogs to take it easy.
This feeder also allows you to set portion sizes, set a consistent routine, and even pause that routine without losing everything you’ve programmed. It has a big capacity, allowing you to store several days' worth of food. You can schedule the feeder to dispense up to 12 meals per day, too.
The canister is pet-proof, meaning you don’t have to worry about your dog (or cat) from sneaking a paw in to help themselves to extra kibble. Meal sizes range from 29ml to 940ml, so you can keep pooch fed whatever their appetite.
- Capacity: 5.6 litres
- Meals Per Day: 12
- Power: Batteries
- Food Type: Dry
- Great for dogs or cats
- Alexa-compatible
- Flexible portions
- Slow feed function
- Top-rack dishwasher safe
- Programmable with an app
- LED light is very bright
- No sound feature
- Only for dry food
The PetSafe Smart Feed gives you all the great features of the above feeder — 12 meals a day, adjustable portion sizes, and slow feed mode — plus the extra convenience of WiFi-connected smart features. It connects to the Smart Feed app, which you can use to monitor food levels, customise timers and portion sizes, and even reorder food. It's also Alexa-enabled for voice control.
It will send you notifications when your pet has eaten, and lets you know when the food needs to be topped up. And there's no need to worry about the WiFi dropping out — it will still stick to the feeding schedule.
And following the same portion size range as the above PetSafe model — 29ml to 946ml — it's great for dogs of all sizes. The only downside is the price.
- Capacity: 5.7 litres
- Meals Per Day: 12
- Power: Batteries or mains
- Food Type: Dry
- Five compartments
- Smaller portions
- Ice packs keep food fresh
- Built-in digital clock
- Pet-proof design
- Needs regular refilling
- Not for multi-pet homes
The Cat Mate C500 sounds decidedly feline (yes, it's made for cats) but it's just as effective for small and medium-sized dogs. All you have to do is fill it with food each morning, program it using its user-friendly digital timer and your feeder is set to feed your dog perfectly portioned meals, which it does by automatically revolving the top plate and revealing the next meal.
It has five triangular slots that each hold up to 330g of food — ideal if you don’t want overeating throughout the day, or they have a dietary requirements. It's worth noting that this portion size is likely too small for larger breeds.
It comes with two ice packs that slot under the food compartments and keep wet food fresh for longer. Due to the smaller size of the compartments, however, you will need to top this one up pretty regularly.
- Capacity: 0.4 litres
- Meals Per Day: 5
- Power: Batteries
- Food Type: Wet & dry
- Tosses treats at different distances
- Keeps dog active
- Camera with real time video
- Two-way speaker
- AI-motion & sound detection
- Not for regular meals
- Some features require subscription
- Requires internet connection
Okay, so the PetCube Bites 2 Lite isn’t really an automatic dog feeder, but more a treat-feeder but your pooch will love it all the same. As will you, in fact, due to the HD video capabilities and two-way audio.
Indeed, the PetCube Bites 2 Lite is equipped with a smart camera that lets you interact with your doggo when you're away from home. The 160-degree camera allows you to see your dog in 1080p video, day or night, and the two-way audio allows you to hear and talk to them, so you can tell them "good boy" any time.
It tosses treats at three different distances to get your dog moving throughout the day. It also has AI-powered motion and sound detection, and will keep you up to date with notifications — but that does require a subscription.
- Capacity: 0.70 litre
- Meals Per Day: N/A
- Power: USB-C
- Food Type: Dry
- Huge food capacity
- Adjustable meal sizes
- Voice recording capability
- Built to prevent blockages
- No WiFi or app control
- Not much else
If you have a big dog in the house, you need a feeder than can handle a big load. If that sounds familiar, say hello to the Dogness 9L Dog Feeder, which is made specifically for bigger dogs and has the capacity to prove it.
With a 9L hopper, this will handle up to a week's worth of meals and dispenses up to four meals per day. You simply programme the times of the meals, as well as the size of each meal. If you want pooch to have a big breakfast but lighter lunch, no problem, it's easy to customise their diet with this. Portion control is particularly handy if you're trying to manage your dog's calorie intake.
Another nice feature is a voice recorder, which allows you to record personalised messages to encourage doggo to come and get their meal — a great feature for when they're first getting used to the feeder. But they'll soon get the hang of it as they learn where their next meal is coming from.
- Capacity: 9 litres
- Meals Per Day: Four
- Power: Batteries & mains
- Food Type: Dry
mashable
