How many times have you called your dog in to feed them? You set the bowl down on the floor and watch as your dog and the food bowl get into a race. Your dog is trying to eat and the bowl is trying to see how fast it can get across the floor. This is one of the reasons that you need to get an elevated dog dish (
http://www.my-dogshop.com/doggie-diningelevated-dog-feeders.html) for your pet.
Many of the feeders today are designed out of a sturdy material such as wood or iron. Some can even accommodate up to two dogs eating at the same time, however don't try this at home unless the dogs in question have no problem sharing. In addition, to sturdy design, many feeders have rubber grips on the feet to prevent slippage across the floor and avoid you losing money to your two year old on the dog vs. bowl race. Some models include aprons, which help to catch overflow and pads to catch drips. There are even models, which can be set to dispense measured amounts. These are good for controlling the eating habits of health challenged dogs.
As a dog drinks, they naturally raise their head to help facilitate swallowing while drinking. As the dog raises his head, any water that did not make it down can wind up falling onto the floor. Constant spillage over time can cause damage to your floors finish. Many feeders have incorporated aprons to catch spillage and pads for over-drip.
When a dog eats they tend to gulp in addition to this can also lead to a dog scattering his food everywhere. If left for long enough this food can draw insects and bugs. Dogs also have a natural habit of when they drink water that is not swallowed running down and hitting the floor. Older dogs tend to suffer from pain related to arthritis; an elevated feeder will help to relieve the pain.
Another benefit to the elevated feeder is in dogs that suffer from megaesophagus, which is where a dog's esophagus allows food to pile up. Food pile up can cause the dog to vomit later, which is unpleasant and sad to watch. With an elevated bowl, the dog is in a more natural position, which allows the food to go down more smoothly and preventing any vomiting.
If your dog suffers from arthritis then having to do the motion of bending down to eat may cause pain in your pet, which will discourage them from wanting to eat. This reduction in eating may result in a reduction for nutrition they are receiving.
The last benefit of an elevated dog bowl and feeder (
http://www.my-dogshop.com/doggie-dining.html) is not for the dog but instead for the owner. As uncomfortable, as the motion is on the pet bending over, for the owner can be quite stressful itself. With the raised dish, this prevents you from having to bend over more than you have to which saves wear and tear on your body. This is great news for more mature pet owners, allowing them to have access to benefits of a pet companion easily.