5 Best Automatic Dog Feeders
Your best friend can always have regular meals, even when your schedule gets crazy, with an automatic dog feeder.
We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
For many of the same reasons that you might want an automatic cat feeder, you might want to put some of your dog's meals on autopilot. “Automatic feeders can be an option for dog owners, especially in households with irregular schedules or for dogs that require precise portion control to manage their weight," said Lisa Lippman, D.V.M., Director of Virtual Medicine at Bond Vet. "They ensure that your dog gets the right amount of food at consistent times, even when you’re not home."
The only caveat is that while cats might be finicky and eat slowly, dogs are fairly well-known for gobbling whatever food is out and available. An under-$50 gravity-controlled feeder that just keeps serving up more might work for your cat but not for your doggo. "It’s important to monitor your dog’s behavior and adjust as needed, as some dogs might overeat if given too much access to food," Dr. Lippmann said. The choices on our list are all electronic and let you schedule and portion meals or snacks according to your dog's needs.
Petlibro Automatic Dog Feeder with Camera
Pros
- Camera captures video to play back
- Interactive — talk to your pet in real time
- Play a personalized message when food is served
- Works on 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi
- Takes backup batteries in case of a power outage
Cons
- Online reviewers report quality issues with some of the tech
Automatic and interactive, Petlibro's top-of-the-line feeder has an HD camera so you can watch your dog enjoy his meal or snack. Two-way audio lets you talk to your dog in real time to say, "Good boy, I'll be home soon!" or anything else you want to convey. It's almost like a baby monitor or doorbell camera built into a pet feeder, using similar technology.
You'll have to use the app for everything, and need to buy and insert your own micro SD cards (up to 256GB) in a slot located in the battery compartment if you want to replay video. That way if you missed a notification you can go back and rewatch your dog in the app. A motion detector senses a pet approaching and should start the camera any time they are in front of the feeder, though online reviewers report that it does not always reliably start. The camera has night vision which is a cool feature for dog owners who want to give their dog something to eat while it's dark outside.
You can record a personalized message to play each time food comes down, like "treat time, Rocky!" But that feature seems especially frustrating to many online reviewers who say that the audio can have static. We do love that this feeder can work on any home Wi-Fi network, be it 2.4GHz or 5GHz. Though it plugs in, you can install batteries to use as a backup if the power goes out. The compact size makes it best for small- or medium-sized breeds.
Capacity: 5 L (about 21 cups) | Portion size: 1/12 cup to about 4 cups | Max number of feedings in 24 hours: 10 | App-enabled: Yes | Power: Plug-in with battery backup
RELATED: Best Dog Foods
Pros
- Inexpensive, under $60 price
- No app or Wi-Fi needed, a pro for some but a con for others
- No plug, so you can sit it more places or travel with it
Cons
- The device can't give you any reports
- Fewer daily feedings than others, though 5 is still plenty
Being more analog makes this pick a whole lot cheaper. It runs on batteries and there's no app to fuss with. Just set your dog's mealtimes on a digital clock on the feeder. It's great to not have to worry about Wi-Fi connectivity or signing up for yet another app. On the downside, you don't get any report from the device while you're away or reassurance that it's working.
If the fact that there's no camera attached bothers you, you can always set this near a pet camera and monitor the feeder that way. Another plus to it running on batteries is you can set it anywhere you want to or need to, no outlet required, and you can even travel with it.
Probably because of the price and ease of use, and despite its lack of bells and whistles, this is one of the best-rated automatic dog feeders on Amazon, with more than 7,500 five-star ratings. It can only deliver five feedings per day, which is less than others on the list, but it's enough for many families.
Capacity: 40 oz (about 5 cups) | Portion size: 1 cup | Max number of feedings in 24 hours: 5 | App-enabled: No | Power: Batteries
RELATED: Best Dog Treats
PetSafe Smart Feed
Pros
- Wider stainless steel bowl than most
- Slow Feed setting for dogs who eat too fast
- Backup batteries in case power goes out
- Alexa-compatible
Cons
- Only connects to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, not a 5 GHz frequency
For very large dogs, no automatic feeder may have a large-enough bowl or hold large-enough kibble. But if your dog is a medium or medium-large breed, this feeder might work well for them. The stainless steel bowl is wider than most and online reviewers say the food hopper fits kibble that's larger than cat food. (The brand does not specify exactly how big the kibble can be.) We like the "Slow Feed" option that dispenses food over a 15-minute period if your dog tries to eat too fast.
This plugs in but also takes batteries. That means a storm can't knock the power out and prevent your pup from getting a meal. It syncs to the My PetSafe app (iOS 12.0 or later, Android 9.0 or later) and can also sync to Alexa so you can ask Alexa to give your dog a snack.
There is no way to schedule feedings without the app. And to make this feeder work it must be connected to a 2.4GHz frequency, not a 5GHz frequency — something to be mindful of while setting up.
Capacity: 6L (about 24 cups) | Portion size: 1/8 cup to 4 cups | Max number of feedings in 24 hours: 12 | App-enabled: Yes | Power: Plug-in with battery backup
Pros
- Anti-jam technology helps get food down every time
- Set up in the app or on the interface
- Option to get one with a backup battery
- Buy directly from the brand for the warranty
Cons
- Super pricey considering there's no camera
Though cat owners more often know about this brand thanks to its Litter Robot, the Feeder-Robot is also for dog owners — the brand reports that most dog kibble (anything less than 5/8" in diameter) fits and that dog owners who work at Whisker use it at home. Anti-jam technology helps ensure that kibble doesn't get stuck inside the hopper.
We like the fact that though the app is excellent, there's also the option to schedule feedings using buttons on the device for those of us who prefer a less tech-y setup. This plugs in but we recommend spending the extra $40 on the version with a backup battery. Then even if your power goes out, this will continue feedings.
You can buy a glass bowl for the Feeder-Robot if you prefer that to the stainless steel bowl it comes with. Note that this is another that can only connect to a 2.4GHz network, not a 5GHz network. If you buy from the brand directly there's a one-year limited warranty.
Capacity: About 7.5 L (32 cups) | Portion size: 1/8 of a cup to 1 cup | Max number of feedings in 24 hours: 8 | App-enabled: Yes, but you can also schedule manually | Power: Plug-in, buy battery backup for $40 more
If you prefer a feeder that works on a digital timer and without an app, this is a great choice: More sophisticated than our value choice but less tech-heavy than the app-enabled automatic dog feeders on our list. And the price is on the cheaper side.
Users set a schedule using the touch screen. Testers did find it a little confusing to learn the buttons. Stopping and starting the YouTube instructions helps. The hopper can fit dog food that's under 7/10" diameter and can send out very small portions, making it a good choice for a small dog who doesn't need to eat huge meals before you get home.
There's a microphone on this that lets you record a 10-second message that can play for your dog when the food drops. (The audio quality isn't great, but the feature is amusing.) This plugs in and you add three D-size batteries as a power backup.
Capacity: About 4 L (nearly 17 cups) | Portion size: 10 grams (just a few teaspoons) to 1/4 cup | Max number of feedings in 24 hours: 6 | App-enabled: No | Power: Plug-in with battery backup
How we test automatic dog feeders
To find the best automatic pet feeders, we've tested models in homes, scoured the market for top performers and interviewed veterinarians for insight into how automatic pet feeders should be used. We looked at 15 dog feeders from top brands, zeroing in on models that can fit larger kibble and/or that have larger bowls than some of the models that are meant primarily for cats. Our final list of favorites include a range of choices from smart feeders that are app-enabled to feeders that work with a simple touchscreen. As a final step we read over the online reviews to be sure the feeders work well in many households over a long period of time.
What to look for in the best automatic dog feeders
You'll want to consider:
✔️ Whether your dog eats kibble: Most automatic feeders are for small- to medium-size dry or semi-moist kibble, and work for any small animal: dog, cat or bunny. Electric, automatic feeders are not generally for fresh food or for large dogs who eat large-size kibble.
That said, Petlibro does have a new wet food feeder that we've tried with cats and feel might work better with dogs. It's elevated, so a cat or small dog might have trouble reaching the bowl, but a medium or large dog might do okay with it. It's electric and stays refrigerated for fresh or wet food. The door doesn't stay open for more than an hour, which is another reason we struggled to make it work for slow-eating cats, but dogs might like it. (We have not yet tried it with a dog as of this reporting.)
✔️ How much control and information you want: A camera is great for catching glimpses of your dog while you're away and gives you photo evidence that he was not starving, no matter what his sad eyes might tell you when you walk in the door. An app lets you really dial in when and how much food dispenses for your pup. Extras like the ability to use Alexa with your feeder are great too. But each of those features does drive up the cost.
✔️ Power source: If the feeder has a lot of functionality it may have to be plugged in, so you need to place it near an available outlet. Automatic feeders that run on batteries give you more flexibility. Almost every feeder is for indoor use and is not built to be outside in the elements. An exception is the heavy-duty Chow Hound Pet Lodge which can go outside, but it works via gravity so your dog will have unlimited access to what's stored inside.
Why isn't my automatic dog feeder working?
Many homes now have 5GHz Wi-Fi, while most automatic feeders that run with apps only work on a 2.4GHz network. I asked York Wu, Petlibro's founder and CEO, about it. He surmised that designing feeders for the lower 2.4GHz frequency keeps the cost down, and since most of them are fairly simple devices, they don't need more power than that. Feeders only need 5 GHz if they have a camera, such as our best overall choice.
After testing cat and dog feeders and scouring reviews I've come to suspect that many online complaints about feeders not working has to do with consumers trying to connect their machine to a 5 GHz network. In my home, the "guest" version of our Wi-Fi is 2.4 GHz, so I have to connect feeders to that. In other homes, 2.4 GHz might be rolled in with 5GHz and connection might happen more automatically.
Either way, a strong and consistent Wi-Fi signal is necessary for the app-enabled feeders to work, so if your network goes down frequently, you might want the simplicity of our value choice that runs on batteries, the PATPET feeder that doesn't use Wi-Fi or the Feeder-Robot that can work with our without Wi-Fi.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
For more than a century, the Good Housekeeping Institute has evaluated and reviewed consumer products to guide people through important purchases. New reviews go up practically every day on a huge variety of items, like memory foam pillows, smoke detectors and washing machines.
Contributing Writer Jessica Hartshorn covers pet and parenting products, and wrote this article. A mom of two kids and two cats, Hartshorn leans on dog-owning friends and family for help testing dog products, and fortunately shares a split home with her dog-owning cousin. Friendly dogs have helped her test dog jackets, dog harnesses and indestructible dog toys.
Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.
The 18 Best Cat Toys
The Best Dog Strollers
The Best Vacuums for Pet Hair
The Best Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes
