Best Dog Water Fountain & Dispenser

This fountain is similar in design to the pagoda except for the large ball shape in the middle. We have a dog that compulsively loves to lick things, and this shape is attractive to him. Whether your dog likes to lick or lap up his water, this fountain can accommodate both. The filters are easy to find in stores or online and we like the additional little spongy foam filter to keep debris from clogging the pump.

We love the Petsafe fountains but you do have to keep a close eye on volume, as they don’t automatically turn off. They will start getting noisy and sucking air if left too long without refills.

We were really disappointed that this fountain appears to be made out of coated steel and is not true stainless as it does rust. We love that you can change out how the streams of water fall. But there are a lot of places where scum and bacteria can harbor and this fountain will need to be cleaned at the very minimum once or twice a week. The filters can really slow down the flow of water. The plastic clips on the side of the bowl become brittle over time and break, plus they tend to collect slime and debris that ends up in the bowl. It may be harder for larger dogs to drink from the bowl portion of this fountain.

The two-tier design for this fountain is nice and we like that the bowl portion is completely seamless and dishwasher safe. This will send you information to a smartphone app about how often your pet is near the fountain, water levels in the fountain and how frequently you should change it. It comes with a fob that your pet wears that will activate the fountain when they are nearby. It will cycle every 40 minutes to keep water fresh. What we don’t like about this fountain is that there are a lot of parts to disassemble and clean. The bluetooth fob will activate if the dog is as close as 10 feet to the fountain, so if he’s taking a nap nearby it’s kind of pointless. If you are extremely busy and like electronic reminders of everything, this app will definitely keep you mindful of the status of the fountain but we’d rather just set a reminder than add one more app to our phones. It’s also quite expensive.

This is a simple little fountain with two different spouts- one in the shape of the flower and the other a maple leaf.  We like how simple it is to take apart and clean and that there are not as many crevices and cracks for bacteria to grow in. This fountain tends to run on the more quiet side and our favorite feature is the ability to adjust the flow of water for picky dogs who may be scared off by a faster running pump or not interested in a trickle of water. Like all fountains it will need to be cleaned frequently at least several times a week and we like that it can go in the dishwasher.

We love the idea of this bowl – a self-contained water source that can be plugged up for travel and that will fill itself as the dog empties it.  This has a critical design flaw in that the reservoir cannot be cleaned, only flushed out. The manufacturer suggests using sterilizing tablets but we don’t like the idea of our dogs’ drinking water coming out of a reservoir that we can neither see or reach to verify that there is nothing contaminating it. If there was some way to take the bowl apart  this would be an outstanding product but until manufacturer fixes this flaw we cannot recommend it.

For those dogs who love to drink from the faucet this is a great innovation. If your dog prefers to drink from a tray/bowl, he could easily cause the water coming from the spout to spatter or spray onto the top of his head or the floor, so this fountain is definitely not for every dog and may be best for smaller dogs. It does have some crevices and grooves on the bottom of the bowl where the spout affixes but the entire unit is easily disassembled and run through the dishwasher. Overall this is a great fountain for both dogs and cats if you have both in your household.

This dog water dispenser has lots of great features. We love the surface skimmer (if your dog has a lot of slobber it’s nice!), the water level  indicator on the side, and the quiet pump. What we don’t like is that the divider in the reservoir may allow unfiltered water to pass it below and on the sides. The unit does break down quite easily for cleaning and the top tray is all smooth and rounded. The spout at the top allows dogs to drink from the bubbly part or the calm water portion of the tray depending on their preference.

This is a great for smaller dogs. It is a very unique design with the three disc filters, an internal reservoir, and outer shell. It’s very easy to take apart and clean and we also like that it has a small piece that you can put in to adjust the height of the bubbling water. It  is more affordable than similar fountains that cost three times as much. We like the design and appearance. It’s just very small and probably better suited for cats and small dogs.

There are a lot of indentations, crevices in this product that could harbor bacteria. This product recently underwent a design change that has more flaws and issues than the previous version. Product can be broken down but cleaning out the pump and the crevices around the pump housing can be difficult. One of our favorite parts of its design is that the wires for the pump are not near the water and routed through the bottom and rear of the unit. Water has to be refreshed daily or the pump may burn up. We do like that there is the option to add a reservoir behind the unit to keep water levels higher for longer but with the buildup of grime in this fountain we’d recommend cleaning it more frequently. We do like the option of leaving the top of the fountain off for a dog who may want to drink out of the top.

Some areas of this fountain can be difficult to clean. It does have 2 filters (1 carbon, 1 foam) which helps cut down on hair and other larger debris from clogging the fountain as well as removing odors and bad tastes from the fountain. We like that you can control the flow of the water to adjust for your pet’s needs and even turn off the cascade allowing the water to circulate through the bottom tray only. The rounded corners and interiors allow for easier cleaning of the interior but the pump and other components can be difficult to clean. Filters are relatively inexpensive but need to be changed frequently, especially with larger or multiple dogs.

This is a great water dispenser with a high capacity, no pump or electronic parts, and a simple screw-on valve that regulates the flow of water from the bottle reservoir to the tray below. It will not need to be cleaned as frequently as a fountain but it will need cleaning and the water reservoir/bottle could be difficult to clean inside as it has a narrow mouth and this may make it near impossible to scrub out the inside of the reservoir. The gravity effect generally keeps it cleaner than the inside of a fountain but it will still need cleaning. The biggest flaw on this one is that the water valve piece on this water dispenser breaks easily.

It’s always disappointing when a product is advertised as stainless steel when it is a coated steel product that easily rusts and has rolled edges with sharp edges. We loved the idea of a stainless steel bowl cutting down on the amount of scum and slime that tends to form in the plastic fountains, but the design of this one has some flaws. The water bottle/reservoir does not easily come off and has to be forcibly removed, and that can damage or crack it over time. Great concept but poor execution.

This gravity-fed bottle style water dispenser has a pressure release valve cap to keep it from dispensing all over the floor but the valve may need some adjustment to keep water flowing. As with most bottle-style dispensers, you will not be able to scrub out the inside of the water bottle/reservoir without a special long-handled brush and this may be a problem. We like the smooth rounded interior of both bowl and the water dispenser base which is easy to clean.

This is a very attractive little fountain and we like that it comes in two sizes, has an upper and lower drinking area and that the filters are easy to find (same listing as product). Where the spout tray sits in the bowl could be an area that could harbor bacteria but the amount of holes in it will make it less likely that fur or other debris would clog the fountain. It will need to be cleaned frequently but this one is easy to take apart and put back together.

This a very attractive, well made ceramic fountain and we love how easy it is to clean and maintain. Smooth, rounded surfaces make it easy for your dog to drink and not encounter the issues he might with a plastic bowl. Dogs can drink from the top tier or the lower. Our biggest concern is the lower quality pump that does seem to go out frequently on this product. It will likely need to be replaced in the first year, so if you are a big fan of the fountain itself, you may want to consider finding a higher quality pump for it. Filters are relatively inexpensive and a pack containing both the foam and carbon filters is available. Due to the size of this fountain it is probably best suited for a smaller to medium sized dog.

This fountain looks lovely at first glance with clean, modern lines and a glowing white cube in the center with the water bubbling out of the top. Upon closer examination it is made of sketchy textured resin material painted black and the paint comes off in the water inside, going straight to your dog’s water source. The material is cheap, textured and extremely porous making this a tough one to keep clean. The pump is weak and will burn up if the unit is less than a third full because the hose provided for it does not reach the bottom of the unit. We cannot recommend this one.

This is a very attractive, easy to clean unit. We love the water bubbling at the top curving over the teardrop shape of the top tray. This unit is dishwasher safe. It does have several flaws. The most critical issue we have with this design is how the wire is threaded through the unit and then bent over a steel edge at a 90 degree angle, putting strain on the insulation of the wire. The other is that if your pet likes to drink from the bottom bowl, the edges of the top tray are not wrapped and may chafe against his neck or face.

This is a simple design with a round donut-shaped foam/carbon filter in one unit instead of two separate filters that have to be bought seperately. Like all fountains it will require weekly maintenance and cleaning but there are not many areas for slime to form and accumulate. We like that this fountain is refilled directly from the top and does not require disassembly to refill. One of the design issues with it is the power cord is held at a sharp angle encapsulated in an inset groove on the side of the unit and the little plate that holds it in place can snap or break.

This is a well-designed fountain  with a very pleasing, simple design. We love the water level indicator on the side. Unfortunately, the pump is built into the bottom, which is why it is so quiet. It can be removed but with a little effort and will need to be cleaned frequently otherwise it will burn up. Carbon filters are proprietary design with 3 layers and are designed to last longer than cartridge style filters but they are expensive. There are add-on parts and accessories available for this one including placemats, cleaning kit and different top tray style.

This is a cute little fountain with lots of smooth, rounded edges and a very simple assembly. We like the 3 water stream modes that can be changed by removing or adding the little flower: fountain bubbling mode, a faucet like waterfall, or a bubbling fountain and waterfall mode. It uses a foam filter for hair and larger debris, and a charcoal filter to purify the water. The light can be turned on or off, but some dogs may benefit from the illumination at night.

While this is designed for cats, we think it’s perfect for smaller dogs. It’s a simple design, easy to clean and has three flow settings adjustable by removing or adding the flower. Another reason we love this fountain is a hack we learned for it- it’s the perfect size for using coffee filters (to be changed every day) instead of expensive filters. The sloped design makes it easy for a smaller or toy sized dog to drink from.

This is in theory a great design but the larger size can be frustrating to assemble and disassemble. We like that the interior is smooth and rounded for easy cleaning but it does harbor bacteria easily if not cleaned several times a week. We like the color choices and the spill resistant lip, but mold can grow under the lip if it’s not cleaned regularly. This unit does not automatically fill itself to the brim as some other bottle style dispensers do and that’s a huge benefit for sloppy drinkers.