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The design of a homemade auto feeder for large dogs. Automatic dog feeder and how it works. The principle of operation of the feeder

  • Bulk auto feeders
  • Homemade options
  • Conclusion

Each of the dog owners at least once in his life found himself in a situation when he urgently needed to leave for several days and leave his pet dog, as they say, “alone on the farm”. The main problem in such a situation is the question of feeding the pet.

If there are no acquaintances or friends who can feed the animal in the absence of the owner, the last chance to provide the dog with food is an automatic dog feeder. Some models of auto feeders are capable of dispensing a sufficiently large supply of feed in uniform portions.

Terms of use of the device

Of course, an automatic dog feeder is not able to solve all the problems of an animal that arise due to the absence of owners, especially since its use is designed for certain conditions:

  • With the help of an automatic feeder, only dry food is used as the main food element, so the animal must at least be accustomed to eating such food;
  • The use of a feeder was originally focused on animals kept in an aviary, since the developers had not yet invented an automatic toilet for an auto feeder. An exception may be small breed dogs living in a house, which have the ability to leave the premises through an automatic vestibule.
  • Eating dry food for several days can negatively affect your dog's well-being, even if there is enough food and water in the enclosure, so automatic feeders for large breed dogs should only be considered as a temporary measure.

Important! The dog should not suffer from bulimia or kinorexia, which is often found among large breed dogs.

If the dog is accustomed to overeating or cannot control the amount of food eaten, then only those models of feeders that are equipped with a built-in dispenser are suitable for automatic feeding, and these are, as a rule, the most expensive and complex devices.

In addition, the dog in the aviary must be accustomed to the sight and smell of the plastic of the automatic feeder for several days in order to develop a certain culture of use. Often, a dog, irritated by the sounds or the sight of food in the bunker, manages to irrevocably break the electronic device. Therefore, some owners prefer not to take risks and equip a separate compartment-case in the aviary, in which the automatic feeder is installed.

Organization of food for dogs using an automatic feeder has its own characteristics. If feeding cats, hamsters, fish, parrots does not have a psychological focus, then for dogs everything is much more complicated. The bowl and the personality of the person serving food are very important for the dog, from the point of view of psychology, who feeds is the owner of the house.

Important! So if you have a desire to transfer your pet to automatic feeding, be prepared for the fact that the robot feeder for the dog can become the subject of his affection and reverence.

How an automatic feeder works

The main idea inherent in the design of the feeder is to give the dog a weekly or three-day supply of food not in one mass, but within a certain period, preferably after equal periods of time. Most automatic feeding patterns can be divided into three categories:

  • The simplest bulk structures;
  • Dosing systems;
  • Self-opening feeders.

Some of the models are complemented by an automatic drinker, in the form of a container mounted on a tripod with a teat valve. Such an addition will be far from superfluous, especially if there is no way for the dog in the aviary to make a supply of water for several days.

Automatic feeders - dispensers

A truly automatic system can be called the system shown in the photo below.

A feature of this device is the presence of a special lift, through which a portion of feed is fed from the bunker to the bowl. The portion dispensed once by the automatic feeder can vary from 60 to 500 g, which is quite enough for organizing feeding of a large dog. The weight of the dispensed portion is adjusted by a digital indicator on the side panel. At the bottom of the device there are special clips that allow you to fix the device on the floor or on the floor.

The automatic feeder can work in program mode, from an internal timer or by command from an external computer. Before dispensing food, the vending machine emits a buzzer and opens the elevator only after the dog comes to the bowl. In the upper part of the device there is a container for a stock of feed. On average, the hopper is designed for 3-4 kg, but there are models with a capacity that can hold up to 10 kg of dry feed.

Feeders for small and dwarf dog breeds

For small breeds of dogs, an automatic rotary feeder is often used. Structurally, the apparatus is a circular tray, divided into 5-6 sectors. Each sector contains a portion of food per meal. The top of the tray is covered by a cover with a cut out center sector. During the rotation of the lid, the sector window opens alternately the cells with feed in the tray. One, maximum two sectors can be open per day.

More sophisticated are the designs of automatic feeders with a timer. In fact, it is a tray with a portion of feed loaded inside. The tray is closed with a hinged cover held by a magnetic or mechanical lock. As soon as the timer expires, the lock is unlocked and the lid is folded back to give the dog access to the food. If desired, you can set the required number of automatic feeders equal to the number of feedings for the dog. According to the manufacturers, thanks to the tight-fitting lid, not only dry food can be loaded into the feeder, but also canned meat or fish. Of course, this method is not suitable for large breed dogs, the dog will open the tray before the timer goes off.

Bulk auto feeders

The simplest type of stand-mounted dog feeder is a vertical-type container or hopper mounted on a special tray. There is an annular slot at the bottom of the automatic feeder hopper. Part of the feed spills out in a small amount through the slot and locks the bulk, preventing it from spilling out into the tray.

As the dog eats some of the food in the tray, a new portion is poured out of the hopper in its place. From the design of the automatic feeder, it is clear that the food will spill out as long as the dog carefully picks it up from the tray. At normal humidity and temperature, dry food retains its free-flowing properties for a long time, therefore, once filled with an automatic dog feeder, it can work for 7-10 days.

Homemade options

Using the principle described above, you can make an automatic dog feeder with your own hands. A piece of plastic sewer pipe with a diameter of 100 mm and a length of 80-90 cm is best suited for these purposes.

The pipe must be fixed on a vertical steel post, which is screwed to a support plate cut out of plywood. In the lower part of the resulting vertical hopper, it is necessary to put on a cone adapter from 100 mm to a pipe of 50 mm. For a more presentable look, the structure can be painted with spray paint in any color you like.

To prevent the food from eroding, the container is closed with a lid - a plug. Given the considerable height, it is advisable to fix the structure to the floor or to the wall with additional metal strips and self-tapping screws. It remains to adjust the position of the hopper with food in height, put a bowl for the dog and fill the container with dry food.

In order for the feed not to cake and not get stuck in the bunker, many DIYers rigidly attach a small 5-10W electric motor with an eccentric to the pipe. The engine is connected to a timer. Dogs can hear the sound of a vibrating engine several tens of meters away.

Conclusion

According to the manufacturers, the demand for automatic feeders turned out to be quite high, therefore it is planned to release automatic feeding devices controlled over the Internet and even equipped with a video camera. In addition to dry food, there will be three or four types of food, freezing and reheating.

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Yuri Mironov tells how to make a holder for a dog bowl yourself.

Dogs from childhood should eat without bending over to the floor. This is especially true for heavy, large breeds. This will allow your pet to avoid many problems, because when eating from a low level, the load on the front limbs increases many times, it becomes difficult to swallow and the passage of food, the forearm is bent, etc. The bowl should stand on a stand, being at the level of the muzzle.

But the puppy is growing, which means that the bowl needs to be raised higher. The commercially available floor stands are not very convenient, they are expensive, and they take up space on the floor. I offer you a versatile option that will also allow you to adjust the height of the bowl as your puppy grows.

The design of the trough is very simple - a metal rim with a bowl is mounted on a vertical board bolted to the wall.

First, you need to bend a thin metal bar around the diameter of the dog's bowl into a circle. I used a rod with a diameter of 6 mm. To avoid damaging the bowl, I used an old saucepan that was suitable for the size.


1. WE BEND THE BAR

I bend the ends of the bar perpendicular to the circle at an angle of 45 degrees so that a gap of about 5 - 8 cm remains between them. Their length should be equal to the thickness of the board. I cut off the excess with a hacksaw for metal and process the ends with a file to remove burrs.


2. BENDING THE ENDS


3. CUT OFF EXTRA

4. WE WRITE THE ENDS

On the board I mark and drill two holes for fixing to the wall. Several paired holes, where the rim legs will be inserted, I drill at an angle. This is necessary in order to securely hold the rim in the wooden post. The drill needs to be taken of a slightly smaller diameter than the bar.

5. DRILL CORNER HOLES

I insert the legs into the bottom pair of holes in the board and carefully hammer in with a hammer.

Now you need to mark on the wall at what level the puppy's muzzle is. I drill holes in the wall and screw on the feeder. When the dog is older, you can take the bowl to the next level.


6. SCREW TO THE WALL

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

But, not every owner has such an opportunity, since he is either at work or forced to leave home on business. For this purpose, there are automatic dog feeders. Such devices are also intended for feeding cats.

What are auto feeders, how to use them and whether you can make them yourself, you will learn from the article.

Auto feeder for dogs and how it works

The function of the automatic dog or cat feeder is that the pet must be fed on time and in accordance with the norms regarding portions. The required program is set manually by the owner, and the automatic feeder is already performing this or that mode, while dosing the feed. Such a dog feeder is very convenient 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:

  • we put dry food into the container or put canned food;
  • from it, the feed is fed into the tray in a limited amount at the right time;
  • their litter box is an animal and will eat it when it's time for dinner;
  • The automatics will strictly adhere to the established volume rate, and the animal will not eat too much.

Manufacturers of car feeders often release them separately for dogs and cats, and some models are also designed for a particular breed with different the amount of food intake- 1 to 4 times a day. If you are going somewhere for a few days, and your pet is still small and eats according to a "child's" schedule, 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 be fully fed.

There are more "advanced" devices that can be programmed for different feed dosages, depending on time of day, some models even have the function of recording the owner's voice and playing it periodically so that the dog does not get bored alone. Others even include the ability to install an ice container.

What should be a dog feeder

A dog feeder should be sized according to the size of your pet. If we are talking about a puppy that in the future will grow up to 70 cm at the withers or higher, then it is recommended to buy feeder for adult animals and an adapter for measuring small portions of puppy food. The adapter is installed in the feeder, and you will not need to buy a small one. And given the fact that auto feeders are not cheap in themselves, it will be very expensive to buy them every time the animal grows up.

You can buy a ready-made auto feeder:

  • in specialized stores;
  • in the Internet.

Be sure to ask for a guarantee on the purchased product when buying.

Many people wonder if it is difficult to accustom a dog to automatic feeding. But in reality it is not very difficult. The animal will quickly learn to the sound signal, which means "time to eat", at this moment a conditioned reflex is developed.

To train your little puppy to hear the beeps that signal the beginning and end of a meal, you can on built-in on device dictaphone to record either your voice or some kind of signal. For example, you can record your voice where you invite your pet to dinner. Such a recording will be played at the right time, and the dog will react to it every time and resort to the feeder.

How to make an auto feeder with your own hands

If a purchased auto feeder is very expensive for you, you can make it yourself from scrap materials. How this is done is described below.

Clock Based Automatic Animal Feeder

To make such a device, prepare the following:

  • wall used quartz clock;
  • clean clay or a bowl of the required volume with compartments;
  • a sheet of thin plastic or plywood for the cover;
  • wooden plank;
  • a 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 as follows:


Then food for the animal is poured into the feeder, and it will be provided with food during the day.

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

How to make a car feeder based on plastic bottles

For such a device, you will need:

  • plastic bottles of 5 liters - 2 pieces;
  • utility knife or scissors;
  • awl;
  • glue gun;
  • lace.

This is done like this:

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 works only when the animal asks for food. To make it, prepare:

  • plastic container with a handle;
  • plastic bottle;
  • stationery clip;
  • a small ball, the diameter of which should be slightly larger than the bottleneck;
  • paper clips;
  • elastic rope, such as a tight elastic band;
  • utility knife or scissors.

The instructions for work are as follows:

  • the bottle is cut to match the length of the plastic container;
  • cut a small circle at the bottom of the container to fit the bottleneck;
  • make holes in the lid of the plastic container;
  • insert the bottle into the container;
  • we tie the ball with a rope and pull it through the neck of the bottle, then 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;
  • we put a feeder under the structure.

The principle of operation of such a device is very simple: animal paws food is poured over the ball and 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 when the owners do not can always follow that the animal has eaten on time and in sufficient quantity. Simple modifications can be made with your own hands, and in the store you can buy very "smart" devices.

If you do not want to do general cleaning after each feeding of the animal or look for a bowl under the table, it is enough to use a compact and convenient bowl holder. You can make such a feeder stand yourself, thanks to our detailed master class.

Materials for making a feeder:

  • furniture board (40 × 60 × 1.8 cm)
  • stainless steel bowls D-13cm (2 pcs.)
  • putty for wood
  • PVA glue
  • dye
  • toner.

Tools for making a feeder:

  • jigsaw
  • drill
  • wood drills (3, 8, 30 mm)
  • screwdriver
  • countersink
  • wood screws (11 pcs.)
  • ruler
  • compass
  • pencil
  • sandpaper
  • putty knife
  • brush.

How to make a pet feeder

We draw the contours of the blanks for the stand on the furniture board. We mark the places for drilling and sawing holes.

The diagram is attached.

We saw the board into pieces with a jigsaw: 20 × 19 cm (2 pcs.), 35.8 × 11 cm, 35.8 × 17.5 cm

With a D-3 mm drill, we drill holes for screws.

With a D-8 mm drill, we drill holes for the jigsaw, inside the drawn circles for the bowls.

With a D-30 mm drill, we drill holes for the handles.

Use a jigsaw to cut holes for handles and bowls, round off the corners on the side parts of the stand.

We carefully sand all the wooden parts, especially the ends. We process the holes for the screws with a countersink. We apply PVA glue to the joints of the parts and tighten all parts of the stand with screws.

We rub the screw caps and cracks with wood putty. After drying, we process the putty with sandpaper (2-3 approaches).

We paint the assembled stand with acrylic or spray paint. You can use other decorating techniques: decoupage, aging, stain, varnish or oil.

After the paint layer has dried, place the bowls in place. The feeder is ready to use.

The master class was held

Modern realities are such that we are constantly busy with something, spend a lot of time at work or on the road. It is often physically impossible for the owner to feed the four-legged pet on time. For such cases, automatic feeders were invented - devices for serving food in the absence of the owner.

There are several types of such feeders, some can be configured to dispense feed at a given time, in others, you can set the portion size.

There are those that can provide a dog with food for several days without human intervention. It is very convenient if the owner has to leave for a long time, and there were no acquaintances or friends who can feed the animal. An auto-feeder for dogs can also be useful in those cases when there is an urgent need to give your pet food or medicine strictly by the hour.

Terms of Use

An auto feeder, despite all its advantages, cannot completely replace the owner's dog, and its use is designed for certain conditions:

  1. Eating only industrial feed (not suitable for natural feeding).
  2. Not all models are suitable for canned food, and it is impossible to leave a supply for several days, they will simply deteriorate.
  3. The auto-feeder does not imply an "auto-toilet", which means that it will not solve all the problems if you are absent for a long time.
  4. For large dogs of enclosure, only the option with a large feed container is suitable, which increases the cost.
  5. Such a feeder is definitely inapplicable for dogs suffering from bulimia or kinorexia (which is often found among large breeds).
  6. If your pet has a tendency to overeat, then only those models that dispense food in a metered dose are suitable for him, and these are technically complex and expensive models.
  7. It will take some time to teach the dog to eat from such a feeder, not to break it, trying to get the contents, or, conversely, not to starve while waiting for the owner.

Views

In pet stores you can find an assortment of auto feeders, which allows you to choose the most suitable for each dog and convenient for the owner to use. When choosing, it is worth considering the size of the pet, the volume of the required portion of feed and the amount of time your dog is left alone.

Programmable

It is a structure that consists of a container with feed, a dispenser, a control panel and a bowl. Such a model will be the most functional and convenient for the owner, but it will also be one of the most expensive. In such a feeder, you can program the portion size, the time for feeding, you can calculate the food supply and the feeding schedule for several days.

Setting up does not take much time, all the necessary information is in the instructions. The food container can hold from one to several kilograms, it is selected taking into account the size of the dog. Assumes the use of dry food. Some models have an easy-to-use display and an audible alarm to alert the dog when it's time to eat. Suitable for use as an outdoor car feeder for dogs in enclosures (provided that it is possible to protect the electrical components).

As a rule, such constructions are rather bulky and expensive.

With segments and built-in timer

Outwardly, such a feeder resembles a large bowl with a lid; it is quite compact in size. The inner compartment is divided into several segments, each of which is a container for one serving of food. In this model, you can use both dry food and canned food. The lid has a cutout equal to one segment, after each time interval specified by the owner, the lid turns, opening the next cell with food for the dog.

Segments are usually from 4 to 6, in some models there may be more. In such a feeder, wet food stays fresh longer, but this option is only suitable if you are absent for no more than a day.

The capacity of the compartments is small, suitable for dogs of small and medium breeds, for use in an apartment. Not the most economical option, but less expensive than programmable models.

With hinged lid

It is a container with feed, which has a lid equipped with a built-in timer. When the timer goes off, the lid simply folds back, giving the dog the entire contents of the container at once. Suitable for dry and wet food.

An excellent option for large breeds for which the sectional feeder is not suitable due to the small volume of cells. In this trough, the container is quite capacious (about 0.5 kg), keeps food fresh, not windy, but at the same time it is designed for one feeding. If you need to provide your dog with several portions, then you can purchase 2-3 of these feeders and set each for a specific time.

Bowl with container

Roughly speaking, a continuous food delivery system. The design is a reservoir with food located above the bowl, when the animal eats some part, a new portion is poured from the reservoir until the stock is empty. The size of the tank can be small to accommodate a small breed dog or cat. And it can also hold up to several kilograms of food, which is suitable for large dogs, including enclosure keeping.

This option is the simplest and cheapest, it is not equipped with any automatic systems, which is safe for outdoor use. This auto feeder is for dry food only. If your pet cannot stop in time, there is a risk of overeating, in which case you should not use this model. As a result, you can get problems with the digestive system and excess weight.

Additional functions of auto feeders

Manufacturers equip their products with many different useful features. For example, many models have an electronic display that displays all the parameters entered into the program. Another useful feature is the acoustic signal that accompanies every feeding. Such a system rather quickly teaches the dog to use the feeder, develops a conditioned reflex, which associates sound with feeding.

In more advanced designs, instead of the standard audio signal, the owner's voice can be recorded.

This is a very useful feature for dogs that previously received food only from the owner, at his request. It can be very difficult for such dogs to get used to the auto feeder, and a familiar voice can save the day. Some models of feeders have another convenient feature - a special ice tank, this allows you to keep canned food fresh for as long as possible.

Choosing a feeder for different breeds

When choosing an auto feeder for your dog, first of all, you should consider its size. It is unlikely that the same model will be able to feed, say, a mastiff and a Chihuahua.

For small dog breeds

The most convenient for small dogs (as well as for cats) is a sectional auto-feeder with a timer. It can also become an auto feeder for puppies. You can choose a version with 4 larger compartments or, conversely, with 6 smaller ones, based on the size of your pet. This model is very similar to an ordinary bowl, does not cause the dog to get used to it and does not take up much space in the apartment.

Suitable for feeding with canned food and can provide your pet with portioned feeding throughout the day. The trough with a hinged lid is also quite suitable for small and medium-sized breeds, but provides for one-time feeding with a serving size of up to 500g. The "bowl with container" model is only suitable if your pet is not prone to overeating (it certainly will not eat the entire supply at one time).

For large dogs

For large breeds, the portions of food will be large, which means that when leaving for one or several days, you will need to leave the pet an impressive supply. For such breeds, feeders with a large container volume, from 2 to 10 kg, are suitable. Bowl and tank feeders usually have smaller containers and are designed for a short period of time.

And if you need to leave the dog for a few days, then a programmable auto feeder with a dispenser and a larger capacity will help. In such models, the tanks are made durable and well protected from drops and impacts that large quadrupeds can inflict. In addition, these auto feeders are designed to protect the power cord from possible damage. Automatic systems for large breeds can be used in outdoor enclosures.

Can I do it myself

Of course, if you apply enough ingenuity and effort, you can save money by making an auto feeder with your own hands. For example, a bowl-and-bin design requires you only to connect any bowl to a container from which feed will be poured.

An ordinary plastic bottle, food canister, etc. are suitable for the role of such a container. A cutout is made in the bottom of the bottle through which food will be filled. And the neck joins the bowl.

The whole structure can be fixed on a wall or some kind of support so that the dog does not turn over and drag it anywhere. Now your pet will have the right supply of food while you are not at home. But, as we remember, not all dogs are suitable for such a system due to the risk of overeating, and only dry food can be used in it.

Making an auto feeder with a timer

If your pet needs a more complex system, and you would like to save the family budget, then you can try to make a sectional feeder with a timer from scrap materials. It is quite possible to make it with your own hands, and it does not take as much time as it might seem.

You will need:

  • clock mechanism (any wall or table clock powered by a battery will do);
  • A round container of the correct size (for example, a cookie or candy tin can);
  • a thin sheet of plastic, or plywood;
  • hot glue (can be replaced with any other);
  • material for inner sections (eg polymer clay).

The first step is to make the body of our feeder. You need to mold sections for food from polymer clay, and make a depression in the center where the clock mechanism will be located.

Then you need to make a lid. To do this, we cut out a circle from a sheet of plywood or plastic, equal in area to our finished body. Now we cut a hole in the lid that repeats the shape and size of the feed section.

As the arrow moves, the cover will rotate with it, gradually opening section by section. For everything to work out, the lid material should be light and glide well over the surface of the trough body.

With a little imagination or design knowledge, you can customize a homemade auto feeder for your dog in any way you like.