****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I love this dog food storage container! I really didn't want to spend the money for it at first, but since none of the cheaper containers were truly air-tight with a full seal, I had no choice. I am glad that I had to buy it, though, as it looks a LOT nicer than any of the cheaper containers! Since I feed my dog in the kitchen by the wide opening into the sunroom and keep this container in the sunroom right behind the wall the dog bowls are against, looks are important. Because the container could be mistaken by visitors for a trash can (especially since our kitchen trash can is hidden in a pull-out cabinet), I purchased a flat, black car magnet that is a silhouette of my dog breed and placed it on top of the can nearer to the handle end (the magnet is about an inch or so smaller on the left and right than the width of the top) - it looks great and I don't think anyone will mistake the container for a trash can! Magnets attach just fine to the stainless steel, though you could alternatively use a vinyl decal on it.I do find it unbelievable that some people have left bad reviews because they don't understand how different dog foods vary in size and weight, so went solely on the estimate of weight instead of the actual measurement of the interior of the container, so I feel that I must point out to anyone looking at buying this product that you need to measure your bag(s) of dog food, not go by the estimate, especially if you feed a quality food without fillers in it. I fit one 13-lb. bag of "i and love and you" dry kibble dog food AND one 5-lb. bag of "i and love and you" dehydrated dog food at the same time in this container, with the bags sitting side-by-side. (The 13-lb. bag doesn't come with a resealable zip-top, unlike the small bags of dry food of another brand that I fed to my previous dog, who also ate canned food, so that is the reason I needed to buy an air-tight container.)Dog food spoils when exposed to air and you must store it in an air-tight container and not store it in a garage, outside, or in direct sunlight/heat to keep it safe for your dog. If you pour the food into the container instead of keeping it in the bag, you need to wash the container out after you finish every bag (and do not mix food from a new bag with that of the old bag), so it is easier to keep it in the bag, plus you will still have the information of expiration date and lot number in case of a recall. I still washed the container out before the first use even though I keep the food in the bags and I used the handheld shower head to do it (or you could use an outdoor hose, but mine was broken). I will also rewash it from time to time.The wheels are very helpful on this container, as I wheel the container out a couple feet each night when I make the next day's dehydrated food (add water and refrigerate) so I can have the container right next to something on which I can place the two containers I make the food in. The only issue is that the left wheel gets stuck and I can hear it scraping on the floor instead of rolling, but thankfully the wood floor is not scratched from it. This is not enough of an issue for me to remove a star from my rating, though.The handle and the latch lock work perfectly for moving the container and opening/closing it. The food stays fresh inside it because the air-tight seal works well - just make sure that if you keep your food in the bag(s), you don't allow the tops of the bags to get in the way of the seal, as that may prevent it from being air-tight. (I cut the top of the 13-lb. bag to just below the height of the inner container so I don't have to worry about this. I still reseal the zip-top on the 5-lb. bag of dehydrated food, so I just make sure it is pushed down far enough to not be in the way.)I don't use the included scoop because it is important to correctly measure your dog's food with a measuring cup and I don't use either a one- or two-cup measurement for my dog (I use 1/8, 2/3, and 3/4 measuring cups as well as a 2-tablespoon measurer). I do think the magnetic storage for it on the inside of the lid is a great idea, but I removed it since I don't use it.The stainless steel is fingerprint-proof as described, though of course it is not wet dog nose smudge-proof. At first, my dog was very interested in sniffing the container, so I kept having to wipe off nose and wet muzzle hair (from drinking) smudges, but she got used to the container and it holding her food, so thankfully I don't have to clean smudges anymore. It still needs to be dusted, of course.I highly recommend this container for dog food storage! It is worth the high price.
