Automatic dog feeder

[faffadoodledo]

We rarely leave our golden retriever home alone. He's a very lucky dog! However in the next few weeks we have a couple of accessions when we'll be out over his feeding time.
Can anyone recommend a good brand and model of automatic dog feeder with timer for us to buy?
Thank you

Why can't you leave his food out before you leave? How long are you leaving him for, which might make this an issue? Is it wet/ dry / raw food?

Because he'd eat it the moment we put it down. He eats at 4.30-5. If we leave at 3 and come back at 6.30 he'll have scoffed it by 3.05 and be waking us because he's hungry at 5 in the morning.
He is a retriever and lives by his stomach. And I felt it would be kind for him tk stick to his feeding routine

And it's dry food

Personally, I'd simply feed 1.5hrs late when you return. My 3 dogs are also very rarely left alone as DH and I are usually home. If DH or I go out, they are usually a little anxious missing us, so they are reluctant to eat anyway.

Back to your original question, the PetMate (CatMate/ DogMate) brand seems very popular. I used to work as a cat-sitter, visiting them in their homes once or twice daily. Some owners used these, so I would wash, refill and reset them. No real issues, especially if using dried food. I'd just recommend practising with it first to see if DDog is happy to eat from it. The mechanical version would tick, but with a food motivated pup, this shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks @hedgehoglurker
Yes I'd planned some dry runs in case the whole concept freaks him
out. Pretty sure tho that the food drive would override!

If he's driven by his stomach as many retrievers are I'd just leave him with a frozen Kong and then feed him when you got home. If he can see the food in the feeder he will likely try and succeed in destroying it to get to the food as he won't know it's an automatic feeder that will eventually give him his dinner.

Now that, @MuffinToSeeHere could be a good point. Hmmm...

I speak as the owner of a rescue who is very motivated by his stomach...an automatic feeder wouldn't last 5 minutes in this house, he would see it as a personal insult that I dared leave food in his eyesight which he couldn't immediately eat. 😂

Frozen kong is a good idea. I have an auto feeder for the cat but I suspect that the dog would destroy it if he were left alone with it. He's got a lot of puzzle toys with treats and I think he'd treat the feeder as one!

@Clymene do you have a golden too? Or a lab?😂
They are stomachs on legs aren't they?

Can you just give him half his usual food at 3pm and the other half later in the evening when you return?

Great suggestion @Caspianberg
I'm not thinking straight today. My buy is so used to his routine but sometimes I think it rules us!

No I have a terrier and he is the most destructive creature I've ever encountered. He seems to think it's his job to destroy any toy 🤣