I'd like to know where IN THE KITCHEN (not in the container) the smart people on this site put the 50 lb bags. Mine has been an eyesore next to the fridge for a couple of years since I ran out of room in the pantry. The pantry has been storing the trash & recycle bins but with the new design with trash/recycle pullout, I hope to have room in the pantry; but is there a better place than just on the floor in the pantry? (my pantry is essentially a walk in closet with shelves)

In my other house I stored mine in an old flour bin that was part of the cupboard. It looked like a regular door but the hinge was on the bottom and the cup pull was on the top centered. Inside it was a box with sides that curve along the top. It was GREAT! In the new house I'm making a drawer in our banquette (like KithenKelly's I believe.) I just need to find long drawer glides that aren't a fortune!

You know your pets but I'll just mention that mine would totally be scratching all the time at a drawer or cabinet that was within their reach and had food in it. That's why I never considered using the morgue drawer even tho I have one.

imrainey--I hear you! That's why we love our rubbermaid! My dog is on medication that is an appetite stimulant (as if he needed one! ) Argh...
so he's forever scratching at the rubbermaid--but it's impervious, at least so far, more so than my cherry cabinets! :) Fortunately he's not tall enough to tip the lid and dig in!
Am loving Beuhl's pet center though--one more thing to fit in the new plan...hmmmm :)
Kindly,
B

I store the big bags of food in the "drawers." Funny that my dogs have never scratched at them. Anyway, I store about twenty pounds of food in a plastic container that is for file folders. Got it from Target for about $10! It closes nice and tight and opens easily. I set it on a roll-out in the pantry cabinet.

I saw these bins at Ikea this weekend, and thought they'd be a great and much more attractive solution to the rubbermaid bins I use for my two Goldens: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90076364

Right now each of my dogs has their "own" food (one is on a diet formula!), so they have to be separate. The two containers are in our laundry room on the bottom shelf, side by side. I wish I could stack them, but opening the bottom container is too difficult w/ the other container on top. Those containers seemed to allow stacking!

ooh just found these online too...I might have to switch containers!

Here is a link that might be useful: stackable recycling bins - 18 gallons

I use a freebie from a dog food company. It is a large lidded tin (not so different from a metal garbage can) that holds one large (about 20#) bag of dog food. It is air tight unlike a flip-top trash can. I painted the tin as it had logos and such. An artist could do something quite cute or creative with a galvanized can. I just used spray paint.

All of our dogs are big enough to need raised feed bowls (our smallest pooch is about 105 pounds), so we store their food in large rectangular Rubbermaid bins and then put their bowls on top of the bins to feed them. The bins are about 24" high, so they come up to my dogs' chests and makes it a comfortable height.

We feed them in the dog room. Yes, they have their own room. It's equipped with two full-sized futons, crates, large cabinets full of dog supplies and, yes, their food bins. They stay in the dog room most of the time when we're not home, and they seem to love it.

OK holligator, we will need to see a pic of the dog room.

I agree - holligator, we need to see that room :-).

Yeah holligater- what they said! Show us! Our previous golden she died when she was 11. we still miss her. Cody had her own room before we adopted her at 16 months- they didn't want her anymore.She came from an estate in Potomac, Maryland.(They were clients of friends of ours) House staff used to take her outside everyday.No body played with her.
I think she freaked out the first time she saw me vacuum- probably thought,OMG I am living with the maid. LOL

Oh yeah, my point was that we use 2 of the same containers as IMRainey, but we keep them in the basement in what we call the dogs room- which has dog bowls,pantry shelves , Washer and dryer, freezer , comfy rug, pet supplies, scores of tennis balls,and original 1920s laundry tub! so show us yours!!

Take a look at the plastic container below from the Container Store. I use one of these and it has worked out great, holding about a 30lb. bag of food. Yes, I know you said 50 lbs., but geez, that's a LOT of food.....Can't you store the excess someplace else? I have the wheeled version and it slides under the shelves in my pantry. When it's feeding time, I just open the door to the pantry, roll it out, pop open the top, and voila! Like some others on this forum, I could never trust my dog to NOT get into this container if she had access to it all the time. It would take her a while, but I'm confident she'd find a way to get it open. If you have to leave the container out, look into the round metal containers (with lids) that the Container Store sells. They come in a wide variety of sizes, so you can probably even locate one that will hold 50 lbs. of food.
Holligator, I thought I liked you, but after hearing about your dogs' room, I KNOW it. Pictures, please?

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Store wheeled (or not) container

We have a lab, 2 cats and a puppy that is probably a border collie/something mix that found us on Mardi Gras. All their food is stored under my prep sink. The contractor screwed up the plumbing underneath, so instead of the 40 lb size container, we have the 20 lb size and get 15-20 lb bags of dog food. The container is one we got at Target or Petsmart. We have 3 similar ones -- originally bought them for bird seed out in the garage, and I think between them we have bought at both stores. It has a hinged and locking lid and had wheels that we pulled off to simply slide it into the cabinet.

That fits on one side. The other side has pouches of cat food and treats. The center has 2 pouring lid Tupperware containers for the dry cat food. And there is the fire extinguisher for the cooktop across the way, the disposal, and the Never MT. We put in a tilt-out tray for sink essentials since the pet food would claim the bottom. It all works, and the dogs don't scratch -- they just come running when they hear that cabinet being opened. You'd think it had an alarm! LOL

Oh, heck no! NOBODY gets to look in there! It is luxurious by dog standards, but disgusting by human standards. We have three giant dogs (a Great Dane, a Dane/Mastiff mix, and a Dane/??? mix) who rule our house. Other than them, it's just the two of us in about 3,300 square feet. We already had a big living room and huge sun room, so the additional family room wasn't really needed. Therefore, the dogs inherited it for their very own. In reality, they share it with a lot of our excess furniture, DH's tools, and lots of other random stuff. It's actually the biggest room in the house (about 24'x24'), and they still have about two thirds of it. We aren't very meticulous about things like slobber and dog hair in their room, so like I said, it's nasty. They are only in there when we're not home. The rest of the time, they are wherever we are, but we actually clean the rest of the house. :)

I will show you my babies relaxing (or roughing it, depending on how you look at it) in our part of the house, though. The two "little" ones get in bed with us, but at 220 pounds, Buddy (the mastiff mix) would break the bed. So, here's the awesome 3'x5' memory foam bed where he snoozes when he's in with us...

And here are the girls snuggling together on our bed...

There. That's as close as you're going to get to my dog room! :)

So sorry for the hijack, earlygirl44!

Man! You guys must have some well-mannered dogs!

My lab once broke into and demolished a 40# bag of food I hadn't secured before I left the house. I knew instantly when I got back because he was suddenly twice as wide as when I left. He has also stolen rising bread dough, just-baked bread that was cooling, enough chocolate to have required a transfusion and an overnight at the vet's, vats of stock that I was clarifying, cakes (taking the heavy and lovely cake plates and cloches with them) and, on more occasions than I'd care to admit, dinner.

I know! I know! Most of this is my fault for letting him get to the stuff. But you'd be surprised how easy it is to overlook something when you accidentally relax in your own home instead of being constantly on guard. Or underestimate how high he can reach or how determined he is.

Anyway, let's just say I approach this business of storing dog food as a security rather than an aesthetic question.... ;>

awwww! sweet puppies! Is one a Ridgeback?

I presently store our dog food in a bench that has a lift up seat. We did have to put a latch on the outside to keep the dogs out. It's been in our breakfast room for years. In the new kitchen, next to the refrigerator, I'll have the coffee bar. I'm pushing the bar sink down on one end and have a 36" base cabinet being made that is open under the drawers to act as a dog feeding station. This cabinet will be flanked by two 18" cabinets--one has the sink & the other will be a trash pullout. I've ordered two stainless steel trash bins there and will divide the food between them.

My lab did eat a bun or two's worth of rising bread dough. I don't think she liked it -- she hasn't repeated, and she never thought about counter-surfing again until we had a psycho foster dog. Foster dog left about a year ago and our lab rarely even takes a peek -- doesn't get into much. But she's not perfect, nor am I. I recently gave the lab a treat as I left (must have been taking the puppy to the vet) and apparently left the package on the counter. I came home to find the empty package on the floor with a hole chewed through the front. I think she was anxious about me leaving with the puppy more than hungry. But then, she is always ready for a treat but will leave food in her bowl.

Honestly, I think your lab is not that unusual. Mine is food motivated, but I think tennis balls and stuffed toys are even more tempting. LOL

thanks everyone !
I like the container store version (can you belive - I've never been to that store -too busy playing with puppy!), however not crazy about seeing into the container .

Just love those BIG dogs , what sweeties!

I think I will have room by my slider for one of those SS freeestanding garbage pails , the kind you step on a pedal and the top opens, we use one now for trash - the new kitchen is gettin a compactor
-my lab is always after food , but at this point she could get to her dog food by nosing open a cabinet, and yet she NEVER is into it - I think she would leave some trace of the crime if she was in there ...

I saw on a BH&G site , where they built a feeding station into the toe kick - love the idea but do you think it would make a mess in the long run ?

Re the toe kick idea: I saw one pictured somewhere, and thought it would be fine for food but not water . . . my pets have access to water all the time (except during house-training), and with the toe-kick setup, water would be hidden away in the drawer. And how could you close the door with a bowl of water in it? . . . or would you need to empty it every time?

In my new house, the dog feeding station and food storage will be under the folding table in the laundry room. I'll be getting a new dog, so his training crate will be there, too.

I use one like imrainey's, purchased at PetSmart and it holds 40+ lbs. It sits on our deck, right outside the door and is easy enough for the kids to open most of the time. But in the winter time, when it freezes (we live in NC and it does freeze here but not as often as some places) we have had to bring it in because the rubber gasket that keeps it air tight will sometimes get frozen stuck and then it's nearly impossible to open. We had one of those container store ones but it wasn't as air tight as we liked. One bit of advice I can give you though is to not just dump in a fresh bag of food when there's still a bit left over from the old bag. That older food will sit there at the bottom of the container and never get used and eventually will go bad. So about every other bag I buy, I wait to dump it in until we've used all of the previous 2 bags and then I give the container a thourough cleaning before dumping in the new bag. We also have a smaller container, purchased at Target in their pet section that we use for cat food. It holds about 12lbs and seals nicely and we store that on the floor of our pantry. We had an even smaller one that we used for guinea pig food for a while. The old wheeled Container Store thing is now used for bags of wild birdseed and we store it on the deck but wheel it under the side burner of our grill (which is always covered except when in use). But we keep the birdseed in the original bags and then store it in the container.

I'd be worried about bugs in a toe kick feeding station, or food getting stuck under there...ewwww.

I got sick of the open bag of food in the pantry (yucky smell), but when we tried a rubbermaid container, there was no room for the lid to open, so you'd have to scootch it out to feed them.

In the new kitchen, I had a hutch built to incorporate a recycling bin on one side and a dog food storage container on the other. There's room in between to hold an additional unopened bag of food.

We have a half barrel that I got at Plow & Hearth (I'm not sure they still sell them -- but I did a google search for pet food barrel and got a bunch of hits -- the large size holds 50-60lbs dog food and they have a med and sm and different colors -I'll put a link for one at the bottom - don't know the site or if the price is the best).

I got the one that was split down the center because at the time we put cat food on one side and dog on the other. The top was natural and I painted it to match the cabinets.

It was at the end of of run of cabinets across from the dog bowls.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to dog food barrel site

imrainey, how did my dogs get into your kitchen and eat your supper too??? LOL

We have two chesapeakes with voracious appetites. We store the dog food int he basement where they eat in rubbermaid containers that I struggle to get the lid off. Anything less ends up opened and eaten.

My favorite memory of doggie bad behviour was when my Dad made a pound cake in a bundt pan for my mom's birthday. He was babysitting my 8 month old chessie and noticed him slinking towards the back door that was open. Dad ran after him in time to see the whole cake in his mouth. They spent the next hour playing cake tag. Dad couldn't catch him but didn;t give him the chance to slow down and actually eat the cake! LOL

Renofan, what a wonderful idea!
On the subject of hog dogs, I had a spaniel (Betty Cocker) who once ate a 10 lb bag of sugar. She was pretty obnoxiously hyper all the time, but that day she was up to 12 on the 1-to-10 scale. Since then I learned that dog food needs to go somewhere where a smart, bored dog can't open it (behind a closed pantry door works). And because I live next to open space where undesireable critters (rats, raccoons, bobcats) live, outside is not an option for me.

We have a great dog food storage container with bowls built into the top. The conatiner holds about half a large bag of dog food. The rest of the bag goes down to the basement until we need to refill.

Perhaps someone has more updated/extensive info than I do, but I have always read that elevated feeding bowls were really bad for dogs digestion. It's better that the dog sit on the floor if they have to than to use those types of bowls. It would be worth looking into more if you use those type of bowls.

I buy 30 lb bags of food at a time and repackage it into several rubbermaid containers. I prefer using several containers instead of just one because it keeps the food fresher. I have a cabinet in the island for their food and treats.

Good thread. Can anyone offer a neat system for storing a good amount under the kitchen sink? I have a container making do elsewhere, but would love to use under-sink space for this. Our plumbing's in the middle. ??

bluekitobsessed, I once had a cocker spaniel that ate an entire back of flour. Well, not the entire bag maybe because she was a black cocker and when we found her she was entirely white! There was flour ALL over the kitchen and puppy dog tracks of flour into the family room. This same dog also ate 3 entire birthday cakes and a package of birth control pills along with numererous other things!

Thank you for not making me feel like the worst or most ineffectual dog owner on the planet! ;>

And, seriously, those containers with the weather-tight screw-on lids have beaten some very diligent and determined raccoons at my house. They work on them all night. Roll them yards away from where I keep them piled. But they still haven't gotten into them in the 10 years we've been using them. ...'course we don't have winter to contend with so we're happy keeping them outside all year round.

The LLBean catalogue just came today. They have a raised dog feeding and storage station in two sizes. The design is similar to jtalb's, but in wood.

I am not aware of any determent to raising the bowl height for large dogs. DH made an oak table for our dog's water and food bowls.

Here is a link that might be useful: LLBean feeding station

Hollingator, you have some absolutely beautiful dogs! And very well loved! JTalb, your black lab is very cute - that's a great feeding station!

Does anyone worry about the food oxidizing in the bag/containers? (I know it's nuts - I worry about our dog's food oxidizing, but he loves horse poop!)

I keep mine outside the laundry room door in our garage. It's in a large Rubbermaid trash can that has a lid that snaps on tightly, to keep mice, packrats, bugs ~ and the dogs ~ out of it.

jaedwards, no she's not a ridgeback, but she may have some ridgeback in her. Her mama was a Great Dane, and her daddy was a travelin' man. She is often mistaken for a ridgeback, once even by a ridgeback breeder, so who knows?

bumblebeez, concern about raised food bowls came from a study from the Purdue vet school on bloat (gastric dilatation and volvulus). Unfortunately, the methodology of that study was seriously flawed, and we learned very almost nothing conclusive about bloat from it. As a researcher myself, I read the study and still concluded that my dogs would eat from raised bowls. The benefits outweigh the risks.

yandj, thanks--I think they're beautiful, too! :) And, yes, I worry about food oxidizing. They say it's better to keep food in its original bag, even if you put the bag into a container. Decent dog foods use bags designed to keep them fresh longer. Many people buy too much dog food at once, so there's too much time for the food to spoil. I wouldn't use dog food older than about three weeks.

Wow--this thread has headed all over the place!

holligator, I agree, your dogs are gorgeous! And I bet YOU don't have trouble with buying too much food! I bet you have trouble keeping food around for a week, let alone 3!:) Just curious, how often do you buy food and how much do you have to buy at one time?

Sorry for the hijack.
Robin

hey it's me, earlygirl....
I have never heard of dog food spoiling ...
How can you tell is it's gone bad ? We keep it in the original bag in a cool dark place but not closed in any way. I don't know how long it takes us to go through a bag, a month, 6 weeks ?
The dog has never complained...

Robin, I buy three bags (one for each dog) at a time. The bags are 28 pounds, and they last for around 2 1/2 weeks. They really don't eat as much as you'd think. The big guy eats two cups in the morning and two cups in the evening. The girls each get about 1 1/3 cups at each meal. Their food is really nutrient-dense with no fillers, so they don't need as much. It also makes for teensy poops, which is important with big critters! :)

earlygirl44, dog food can definitely go bad. Usually, it's the fat oxidizing. The preservatives can only keep it fresh for so long. Sometimes, you can smell a rancid odor, but not always. Some dogs will refuse to eat spoiled food, but others will eat anything. Here's a good link with info about dog food spoiling...

Here is a link that might be useful: Storing dog food

Thanks for the information, Holligator. I'm glad to know more about the bowls. That is an interesting article about the food too. I think I'm going to switch back to 2 fifteen pound bags instead of the thirty pound ones I have been buying. I have been thinking about ditching the snapware in favor of large glass containers and will do that eventually.

For anyone wanting to know about dogfoods, here is a thread from the pet forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Good Dog and Cat Food

Hmmm...My vet and many others have always told me that elevated pet food bowls (which we have) are essential for taller dogs. They said that the optimum height is for the dog to be able to lean their head down very slightly to eat. Too high is bad, as is too low. We have a taller Lab, and a shorter Basset Hound. They each have their own bowls. The Basset's bowl is resting on the ground, and the Lab's are elevated.

Here is an article that exactly describes what our vet told us:

Raised Feeding Stations
Can you imagine having to bend down to eat? With standard on the ground dog bowls, that is what your dog has to do every day.

Raised dog bowls are specially designed to provide food and water at just the right height for your pet.

Veterinarians recommend raised bowl feeders for dogs because they offer a number of advantages: hygiene and cleanliness, comfort for dogs and cats with arthritis, neck or back problems, and benefits for dogs with megaesophagus or other conditions that make swallowing difficult. An elevated feeder will allow gravity to help get the food down to the stomach.

Elevated bowls keep feeding areas cleaner. Elevated bowls help keep the food and water in the bowls and not on the floor. They prevent dogs from playing in their water, which some are prone to do. Dogs tend to lift their heads after taking a drink to facilitate swallowing. As the dogs raise their heads, water that doesn't make it down their throat often ends up on the floor. Over time this can ruin your floor. Moisture that may get under the dish creates a great place for molds and bacteria to grow. With an elevated feeder, they don't have to raise their heads as far and the water usually drips right back into their water bowl.

Elevated bowls minimize digestion problems, help to prevent choking and may help reduce intestinal gas in dogs. Eating bent over forces dogs to gulp their food. In the process, the dogs swallow more air. This air can end up as foul smelling gas a while later. The higher the food dish, the less gulping. In rare instances, swallowing an increased amount of air may result in a condition called bloat (gastric dilatation and volvulus - GDV). This occurs most commonly in large breed dogs, and is life-threatening. Some veterinarians recommend elevated feeders for dogs susceptible to bloat.

Elevated bowls are more comfortable for older pets. They lessen strain on your pet's neck, joints, and leg muscles. Bending over to eat isn't comfortable for pets with stiff muscles or sore joints, particularly for pets with neck or back problems such as intervertebral (IV) disc disease. Older pets often eat less anyway, which means they may not get the nutrition they need. If eating is painful or uncomfortable, they are likely to eat even less. Raising food and water to their level encourages eating and drinking. Elevated dog bowls allow your dog to eat in a healthier and better aligned position with less strain.

Finally, elevated feeders have an extra bonus for the dog owner, because the owner will not have to bend over as far to pick up or fill up water and food dishes. For the frail,
physically handicapped or persons with arthritis or back problems, elevated bowls can make a big difference.

By raising the bowls up off the floor it helps our canine companions in the following ways:

- Better posture, especially with older dogs.
- Better digestion - food moves from mouth to stomach quicker and easier.
- Less stress on the Pasterns (canine forearm/wrist area)
- Less "leaning", relieves stress on hips and shoulder area.

reno fan, thanks for posting the article on elevated feeding stations. I was a little worried about my doggie's health / well being after reading the earlier posts. She is 8 yrs old now & we love, love, love her!!!

Tricia

Just to be clear, there is still quite a controversy about raised bowls. The Purdue study, while flawed, brought up some very real concerns. It's important to note that the flawed methodology of the study doesn't mean that the conclusions were wrong, just that we'll never know for sure. Unfortunately, to date, the Purdue study is the only one that has examined the raised bowl issue.

The article renofan posted isn't based on a study, rather it's the conventional wisdom shared by many who have thought about the topic. My own decision to stick with raised bowls is based on my own experiences in 22 bloat-free years with giant breed dogs, combined with conventional wisdom and my doubts resulting from the flawed methodology of the Purdue study. Still, I know that decision is taking a risk that the Purdue study's conclusions were right.

I agree, Holligator. It's sort of like parenting. There are "experts" everywhere, but sometimes you just have to use common sense and do what's best for your scenario.

I have seen my large Lab trying to eat from a bowl on the floor. He has to spread out his front paws in an unnatural and seemingly uncomfortable position to lower his head, he does indeed have to gulp the food in what looks like an effort to keep it from falling out of his mouth, and he does get horrific gas after eating this way. (We've caught him trying to finish off the Basset's food!)

Oh well, my two terriers take a mouthful and carry it over to wherever I may be: living room, bathroom, kitchen; then spit it out and leisurely eat each piece. This must be a different topic: Is dining alone bad for your health? (Or my carpet?)

I have two portuguese water dogs (male and female) and use a Rubbermade dog bin purchased from Petsmart. The male eats from a bowl. The female is picky about where she eats and is currently on bowl-embargo. If I put food in her bowl she'll loudly protest and stand over it bark bark barking. Ditto for a plate. If you put it directly on the tile, she's fine. At some point she'll decide the bowl is okay again. The last time she went on bowl embargo she preferred to have her kibble on a placemat. It's probably some form of alpha-dog-logic and she's testing me. Hubs thinks it's because she's crazy.

My dogs are counter-surfing-food-crazed beasts. They'll sometimes even swipe napkins from your lap while dining. They ate a whole watermelon...rind included. Couldn't pry it from their mouths. They eat everything. We're on friendly terms with Animal Poison Control and our vet calls them The Indestructibles.

In the new kitchen remodel, I'd like to incorporate food storage in a drawer like someone else upstream mentioned. Funny how two furry clowns can dictate so many kitchen and home decor decisions ( dog friendly materials, etc) without voicing a single suggestion.

Laughing over all the stories. Pets do make our lives interesting.

Bumblebeez and Originalrecipe: I am laughing so hard over your stories I can hardly see the screen.

Holigator: Thanks for all the research and reporting back with all the info.

We live overseas at the present so can't have dogs but I'll tell you what - as soon we get back to the states guess what we're getting first! I miss having them so much it hurts sometimes. Thanks for your stories. I am bookmarking everything for future reference.

Thanks for the info Holligator - we buy the 25lb bags, but I was moving it to smaller containers. Think I'll move some of it to a smaller container for easier access, and leave the rest in the bag. Bumblebeez & Originalrecipe - wonderful stories!! They do keep keep us on our toes! You're right about decorating around our pets Original, as I watch our golden sleep on the golden carpet.

i keep benjis food in the garage...just a short walk from my kitchen....

Our 11 month old Husky X hasn't yet learned the art of counter surfing, but leave a file folder on the desk and its history. Our last dog, a lab/retriever mix (who we lost last summer at 13 years) would take anything - she ate a whole chocolate cake, 4 pounds of pork chops - twice, an entire bowl of stuffing, hot dogs right from the grill, and anything else she could reach. I keep the food in a large rubbermaid container kept in the broom closet. It works for us so far, but may need to incorporate that beautiful one from LL Bean in the new kitchen.

I got a freebie plastic container then added my choice of brand kibble.

The drawer is on heavy duty gliders and I put a metal shelf for treats and any other can, tub of additives.

Works out well. I can't remember the poundage, but it's the largest bag in the store!

I just had a litter of Samoyeds and rejected one home... so now I have a female puppy left... I'm picky about who they go to. Anyone interested? grins

Take a look at the pups and I guarantee you'll smile. Mauve girl is the one I have left. I've had a lot of fun and my travertine floor has come in handy with all the patter of paws of late!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pic of Dog drawer

whoooooooooosh, don't tempt me! DH's first pup was a Samoyed, named Toby. When we go to his folks' home, they still call our golden "Toby" :-)

That cabinet is a great idea! I turned one my drawers in the pantry into Casey's drawer - but I like yours better - it's deeper.