What’s the most organized dog food storage or dog food container?

Back in April, I was asked by Diana Bocco of Pet MD / PawCulture to answer some questions about the most organized options for dog food storage and suggestions for a dog food container. You might be thinking to yourself, “What does this have to do with productivity?” Well, my fellow pet parent, if you have to spend more time than necessary hauling out Fido’s food and putting it away, that means you’re losing out on spending time on something that’s far more fun. That’s an example of inefficiency and lower productivity.

Below are her questions and my answers.

Any suggestions on how to repurpose a trash can as a dog food container? 

You’ll want to use a trashcan that is roughly the same size as the bag of dog food that you purchase so that you don’t have opened, half-empty bags that you need to store elsewhere as well. If you have a larger trashcan, it might be hard to bend down into the can as your dog food disappears, so you don’t want something too large, either.

Your trashcan should be hole-free so that bugs can’t creep in easily. This is especially important if you’re going to pour the food out of the bag.

What type of things should you look for in a container for dog food storage?

Dog food can be hidden in almost any type of canister. The type of canister, however, will depend on how much food you need to buy and how quickly it will be eaten.

You’ll want to purchase a container that is roughly the same size as the bag of dog food that you purchase so that you don’t have opened, half-empty bags that you need to store as well.

If your dogs go through food quite quickly or if you don’t have to worry about insects, your canister will not need an air-tight lid. But if your dogs will take more than a week to consume the food and/or you have insects in your area, you’ll want to find a container that is airtight.

If you have small children who might possibly enjoy nibbling on kibble, you might consider purchasing a container with a lid that is tough for small hands to open.

Any suggestions on how to decorate it? Any fun ways you can suggest to cover a large plastic container to make it look attractive (so you don’t have to hide it)?

These types of projects make for great family fun! If you want to paint a metal can, you’ll want to use paint like Rustoleum, which is made for adhering to metal. For any dog food storage container, you can also use wallpaper, shelf paper, fabric, stencils, stickers or decoupage to jazz up your can. If you can glue it down, you can use it for decorating! The Sunday comics. Your kids’ artwork. Duplicate photographs. How about a little bedazzling, even? You could go with a dog theme or beach theme or match the décor of the room in which the dog food container will sit.

If you plan on hosing down your can in order to clean it, however, paint would be the way to go.

If you have a large bag of dog food and plan on keeping the food in the bag, any tips on hiding the bag? 

Another way of storing food is to purchase a container that is large enough to fit the entire dog food bag. You simply place the bag inside the container, use a binder clip or clothes pin to keep the bag sealed (like you would a bag of crackers or chips), and cover the bag with the lid of the container. Home décor stores often sell large pots, vases, trunks, and decorative wastebaskets which can be used to hide the dog food.

Here’s an example of a container for a large bag of food: http://amzn.to/2pqZgoO

Keep in mind, though, that even though the food will be in a bag, kibbles can spill out as you’re filling up the bowl, so you’ll want a container that won’t allow kibbles to roll out. Over time, you might have a small build-up of crumbs along the bottom of the dog food storage container, and the dog food bags can become greasy, so you’ll want a container that you can wipe out.

If your container will be hidden in a walk-in pantry or mudroom, you can also use a simple kitchen wastebasket like this one: http://amzn.to/2oqTvGD

What kind of cans are ideal to repurpose to hold dog food? 

In addition to giant tins of popcorn or big tins from holiday cookies, think about the large containers that you buy from the grocery store, hardware store, and gift shop. Large detergent buckets, bulk food cases, and holiday tins can all hold a fair amount of food. You’ll want to be sure that the container is thoroughly sanitized and dried before repurposing for dog food storage.

Here’s the link to the dog food storage article, published on PawCulture, PetMD’s sister website:  http://www.pawculture.com/lifestyle/home/6-creative-ways-to-store-pet-food/