New puppy? Wondering which is the best bowl to put puppy's food and water in?

The most important consideration is that your puppy's dog and food bowls are indestructible. If you leave puppy for any period of time, water should always be available. Puppies will chew, and if they chew their water bowl they can be left without water. Broken pieces of plastic could also be ingested, causing harm to puppy.

A stainless steel, enamelled steel or ceramic water bowl is the best bet as none of these can be chewed up by puppy. Of these, a ceramic bowl is heaviest and if designed well, will be difficult to tip over accidentally. Ceramic bowls do tend to dry out faster on a hot day, so make sure you have more than one water bowl available outside. Keeping a bowl in a shaded place will slow down evaporation.

Some pet stores stock self-filling water bowls. These are a good investment for dogs kept outdoors during summer, particularly if they are left alone for a working day. Just take care that pup won't chew through the water hose which fills these bowls.

Always have separate food and water bowls. They are easier to keep clean this way, and pup will not be left without water while feeding.

A handy tip for new puppy owners, never leave a bowl of food out for puppy. What is not eaten in 5 minutes should be emptied from the bowl and stored for later. Nothing teaches pup to be a fussy eater like free access to food all day.