DIY Modern Elevated Dog Bowl Stand

Free step by step woodworking build plans for a DIY modern elevated dog bowl stand.

If you have been wanting to make an elevated dog bowl stand for your dog here is a sleek design that will look great in your home. Your dog is going to love their new elevated feeding station.

How High Should You Elevate Your Dog’s Food Bowl?

Before you get started, you’ll need to determine the proper height for your dog’s food and water bowls.

Measure from the ground to top of your dog’s shoulders and then subtract about 6″. This will put the feeder height around mid chest for your dog. The goal is to raise the feeder so that your dog can eat and drink without raising or lowering their neck.

Modern Elevated Dog Bowl Dimensions

The height an elevated dog bowl should depend on the size of the dog. These plans and directions are for a raised dog feeder that is 9 1/2″ tall with 3″ tall bowls on top so the total height assuming food or water is 2″ high in the bowls would be 11 1/2″.

For reference, Abby (my dog) is a Great Pyrenees. So she’s pretty large.

This DIY raised dog bowl stand is designed for these large size bowls from Amazon. They are about 8 1/4″ in diameter on the top but the bottom portion that sits in the holes on the stand are just shy of 6 3/4″ in diameter. If you use a different size bowl you’ll need to adjust the hole size accordingly.

The directions/build plans are based on using a standard 1×12 board which has actual dimensions of 3/4″ thickness and 11 1/4″ width. I actually used a piece of rose wood that I planed down and ripped to meet the project needs. I know that not everyone has tools to do this which is why the plans use a standard 1×12.

How to Make a DIY Elevated Dog Bowl Stand

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DIY Elevated Dog Bowl Stand – Cut List

The top and two legs will need to be ripped down to 10 1-4″ width. Use a table saw or a circular saw to do this.

The final dimensions of the top piece are 10 1/4″ width x 20 1/4 length.

Both legs are 10 1/4″ depth and 9 1/4″ tall.

The front board is ripped to 3″ in width and 18 3/4″ length

DIY Elevated Dog Bowl Directions

Step 1 – Cut 45 Degree Miters

The top board will need 45 degree miters on each end as shown below. I used my miter saw to make these cuts.

Each of two legs will also need a 45 degree miter on the top where they match up with the top board. See graphic below for more detail.

Step 2 – Cut Holes for Bowls

Measure the centerline for each of the two bowls and determine the diameter of hole needed to accept the bowls. If you are using the exact bowls that I used, below are the hole measurements.

Each hole is 6 3/4″ in diameter and the center of the hole is positioned 5 1/8″ from the front of the top board and 5 1/16″ from the sides of the top board.

I would highly recommend using a circle jig and router to cut the holes as they will provide the cleanest most accurate circle. If you do not have a circle jig and router you can use a jig saw but if you’re anything like me, it’s going to be a sloppy circle.

I used the milescraft circle jig with my Dewalt plunge router.

I set the jig to 6 3/4″ diameter for the circle.

Step 3 – Attach Legs to Top

To attach the legs to the top, I first used wood glue at the miters and clamped the parts until the wood glue dried.

Use a generous amount of wood glue and spread it evenly across the joint.

I cut scrap blocks to 18 3/4″ to keep the legs square. You can see them resting on the table in the image below.

If you’re anything like me, your miter cuts will not match up perfectly. Be sure to get the best fit on the front of the piece. The back can be filled with wood filler and no one will ever see it since it’s pushed up against a wall.

Since glued miter joints are not very strong, I added 3/4″ corner brackets as additional support on the underside of the raised feeder.

If you are using a hard wood like me, I would highly recommend pre-drilling before you attach your screws.

When pre-drilling holes, be careful not to go all the way through the board. One easy trick is to place tape on your bit so that you know when to stop.

Step 4 – Attach Front Board

The final step for assembly is to attach the front board. I inset the board 3/4″ from the front and attached it with wood glue and corner brackets on the backside.

a 3/4″ inset was perfect because it allowed me to use a scrap piece of 3/4″ material to ensure it was evenly set back on the entire front.

I used a small bit to pre-drill holes for the screws and then attached the brackets.

I realize now that I didn’t take any photos of the corner brackets on the front board so here is a shot of the underside of the completed raised feeding station.

Step 5 – Sand and Finish

I sanded the wood with 120 grit followed by 240 grit sandpaper.

For any finish that you choose, keep in mind that you’ll want something that is safe for food. Your dog will likely lick the wood at some point if it gets water or food on the wood so be sure to keep your dog safe! I like to use Walrus Oil products for anything that we’ll eat off of.

First, I applied a thick coat of Walrus Oil cutting board oil. I let this dry overnight.

The next day I wiped off any excess oil and then applied a generous coat of Walrus Oil wood wax. After 15 minutes I buffed it with a rag and the piece was done!

I love how this feeding station turned out. The bowls look like they are just sitting on top of the wood even though they are securely seated in the holes that were cut.

Abby seems to like it too!

Check out my other woodworking projects for more inspiration.

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