Pour food into a dog container

Automatic dog feeder and how it works

In order for your pet to be always healthy and cheerful, he must fully eat, and most importantly – on time. It is recommended to feed dogs at the same time every day, especially this is important for puppies.

But, not every owner has such an opportunity, since he is either at work or forced to leave the house on business. To this end, there are automatic dog feedersch devices are also intended for feeding cats.

What are auto feeders, how to use them and whether it is possible to make them with your own hands, you will learn from the article.

Auto feeding for dogs and the principle of its work

The function of an automatic feeder for dogs or cats is that the animal should be fed on time and in accordance with the norms regarding portions. The desired program is set by the owner manually, and the auto feeder already performs one or another mode, dosing the foodch a dog feeder is very comfortable if you do not have time to feed your pet at the right time.

The principle of operation of the auto feeder, regardless of the model, is the same:

• Pour dry food into the container or lay canned,
• From it, the feed at the right time in a limited quantity is supplied to the tray,
• Their tray is an animal and it will eat it when the time comes for lunch,
• Automation will strictly observe the established norm in terms of volume, and the animal will not eat excess.

Manufacturers of auto feeders often produce them separately for dogs and cats, also some models are designed for a particular breed with different amounts of food intake – from 1 to 4 times a day. If you go somewhere for a few days, and your pet is still small and eats according to the “children's” graphics, and not twice a day, then it will be very convenient. A number of models can be programmed even for a hundred-day period, while all this time the dog will fully eat.

There are more “advanced” devices that can be programmed for a different dosage of feed depending on the time of day, in some models there is even a function of recording the owner’s voice and reproduce it periodically so that the dog does not get bored alone. And in others, it is even possible to install a container for ice.

What should be a car feeding for a dog

A dog feeder for a dog should be selected depending on the size of your animal. If we are talking about a puppy, which in the future will grow to 70 cm at the withers or higher, it is recommended to buy a feeder for adults and an adapter for measuring small portions of puppies. The adapter is installed in the feeder, and you will not need to buy a small one. And taking into account the fact that the auto feeders themselves are expensive, then buying them every time as the animal grows up will be very expensive.

You can purchase a finished auto feeder:

• In specialized stores,
• In the Internet.

Be sure to require a guarantee for the purchased best storage container when buying.

Many are interested in whether it is difficult to accustom the dog to automatic feeding. But in fact, this is not very difficult. The animal will quickly accustom to the sound signal, which means “it is time to eat”, at this moment it has a conditioned reflex.

To accustom a small puppy to the sound signals that symbolize the beginning and end of the meal, you can write down either your voice or some kind of signal on the dictaphone built on the device. For example, you can record your voice, where you will call your pet to have lunchch a record will be played at the right time, and the dog will react to it each time and resort to the feeder.

How to make a auto feeding with your own hands

If the purchased auto feeder is very expensive for you, you can make it yourself from improvised materials. How to do this, we will tell you below.

Automatic feeder for animals based on watches

To make such a device, prepare the following:

• Wall-mounted quartz clocks,
• Pure clay or bowl of the desired volume with departments,
• A sheet of thin plastic or plywood for a cover,
• Wooden plank,
• Plastic or tin can with a wide bottom,
• Scissors or nippers,
• Nails (2 pcs.),
• Battery,
• Wire (soft),
• Lighter,
• File,
• Marker,
• Rubber suction cups.

Be sure to keep in mind that the materials do not contain toxic substances.

The algorithm of actions is this:

• We take the old clock and extract a mechanism from them,
• About 4 cm from the bottom of the jar, draw a line on it with a marker,
• Cut the jar along the line with scissors or nippers,
• If the jar is tin, but its sharp edges must be sanded with a file. If it is made of plastic, then the uneven edges can be treated with a lighter,
• From a wooden plank we cut out a workpiece, which is suitable for a clockwork in size. In thickness, the plank should be sufficient so that the arrow of the device protrudes slightly above the jar, and the device with a wooden block is located in it,
• Based on clay, we make a container for power with 4 compartments and a recess for an hour-long mechanism located in the middle. And the finished bowl should be placed freely, but do not hang out in the bank. The clay container must harden, then it is burned in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees, leave it for about 2-3 hours. So that the bowl does not crack and cracks do not appear on it, the best storage container must be put in a cold oven. This can be selected in size, it will not need to be done,
• We bend in half the watching arrow, wrap it with tape and fasten it on the mechanism,
• We insert a working battery into the mechanism and fasten this device in a bowl for feed with soft wire in an internal deepening,
• For the lid we cut out a circle based on light plastic or thin plywood in accordance with the diameter of the can,
• In the center of the lid, we make a hole for the rotational upper element of the mechanism in the form of a white screw for fastening arrows,
• On the lid we cut out the segment, which in size corresponds to the compartment in the feed bowl,
• We drive two nails into the lid so that the hour shooter wrapped in tape can fit between them. And the heads of the nails must be driven so that they do not stick out over the lid. Cut the sharp ends of the nails with nippers so that they do not contact with the case of the clock mechanism,
• We make a small lid out of plywood,
• We take out a metal pin from the mechanism, where a second arrow is attached. It must be attached to the lower part of the small plywood cover. We insert the second arrow into the pin and cut out the protruding parts, then glue with tape,
• We install a small plywood cover on a large workpiece,
• At the bottom of the finished auto feeding, we fasten the rubber suction cups so that it is stable,
• You can decorate the finished feeder.

Pour food into a dog container

Then, animal feed is filled into the feeder, and it will be provided with food for a day.

To feed your pet not only with dry food with a home-made automatic feeder, it is recommended to put a little ice on the bottom of the jar, then you can put there not only dry food, but also wet or homemade food.

How to make an auto feeder based on plastic bottles

For such a device you will need:

• Plastic bottles of 5 liters – 2 pieces,
• Chancellery knife or scissors,
• Awl,
• Glue gun,
• Lace.

It is done like this:

• Cut the bottom of one of the bottles with scissors or a clerical knife. Then we cut off the bottom of the jar so that the so-called scoop comes out. It will serve as a feed tray,
• At the second can, you need to cut a hole at the bottom along the height of the pallet,
• The pallet is inserted into the hole,
• We fix the feeder with glue or an awl with a cord,
• Put food in it.

But be aware that a bottle-based auto feeder for dogs and cats may only be suitable for dry food. It is also very convenient to use if several pets live in the house.

Plastic container feeder

Unlike the previous two homemade devices, this feeder only works when the animal asks for food. To make it, prepare:

• Plastic container with handle
• Plastic bottle,
• Office clip,
• A small ball, the diameter of which should be slightly larger than the bottle neck,
• Paper clips,
• Elastic rope, such as a tight elastic band,
• Stationery knife or scissors.

The operating instructions are as follows:

• The bottle is cut so that it matches the length of the plastic container,
• At the bottom of the container you need to cut a small circle so that the bottle neck fits there,
• Make holes in the lid of the plastic container,
• Put the bottle in the container
• We tie the ball with a rope and stretch it through the neck of the bottle, then we fasten it in the holes of the bottles,
• Pour food into the bottle and fix the plastic container at a height sufficient for the animal to reach there with its paw,
• Under the structure we put a feeder.

The principle of operation of such a device is very simple: the animal hits the ball with its paw and food is poured into the bowl. It only works for dry food. First you need to train your pet to work with such a feeder.

Automatic feeders for dogs and cats are a very convenient device in cases where the owners cannot always ensure that the animal has eaten on time and in sufficient quantities. Their simple modifications can be made with your own hands, and in the store you can buy very "smart" devices.