Black & Decker Slow Feeder Rocking Dog Bowl

I put the rocking slow feeder through a couple of weeks of daily meals with two dogs: a 55‑lb mixed breed who gulps and a 22‑lb terrier who’s cautious but curious. My goal was to see whether the rocking base actually slows eating without creating a mess, and whether the bowl’s materials and design stand up to real-life use on tile and hardwood.

Design and build quality
The bowl is compact—about 7.5 inches in diameter and 5.5 inches tall—with a gently rounded, weighted base that encourages controlled wobble. The form factor matters: the narrower opening and internal contours make dogs work around the edges rather than inhaling a mouthful at once. The material feels like hard, food-safe plastic. It’s smooth inside, with no sharp seams, and the outer surface wipes clean easily.

At 1.4 pounds, there’s enough heft to resist easy tipping, though a determined dog can still send it rocking. The “Ocean” color is understated and actually makes it easier to see leftover kibble dust and clean accordingly. There are no separate pieces to assemble, which I appreciate—just scoop in the food and set it down.

In use: slowing without frustrating
With dry kibble, the bowl did what it claims. My gulper usually finishes a standard meal in under a minute from a normal stainless bowl. In this feeder, the same portion stretched to roughly four minutes on average, sometimes longer if the rocking motion sent food to one side he had to work around. The terrier—never a speed eater—took about twice as long as usual, which is still a useful slowdown without pushing her into boredom.

The rocking motion is the key difference from maze-style slow feeders. Instead of navigating fixed ridges, the dog has to adapt to where the kibble pools as the bowl gently shifts. That variability kept my gulper engaged. He didn’t get stuck repeating the same lick-and-snap motion in one channel; he had to reposition and angle his tongue differently around the perimeter.

Spill control and stability
“Rocking” and “no-spill” sound at odds, but on tile the bowl kept food contained impressively well. A few kibbles occasionally hopped the rim during enthusiastic nudges, yet the mess stayed modest. On hardwood, the movement was quieter than metal and didn’t scuff. On a rubber mat, the wobble dampened slightly while still slowing eating; that’s a good option if your dog is heavy-pawed or your floors amplify noise.

One caveat: dogs that lead with paws rather than snouts will try to pin and pry. My gulper tested the rim with his incisors after the first few feedings. Supervision the first couple of sessions helped redirect that habit, and after that he focused on the opening rather than the edges. If your dog is a known power-chewer who treats bowls as toys, this design won’t magically curb that impulse.

Wet food and mixed meals
With canned food alone, the benefits are limited. The rocking motion spreads soft food but doesn’t really gate access the way it does with kibbles. Where the bowl shines is with mixed textures: a sprinkle of kibble or freeze-dried pieces on top of wet food gave the wobble something to move around, extending the meal and reducing the chance of gulping the softer portion in one go.

Noise and handling
Compared with stainless steel slow bowls, this one is quieter. The rocking base glides rather than clatters, and there’s no metal-on-floor ping. That said, a strong nose bump can still thump on tile. If noise is a concern, a thin mat under the bowl is an easy fix without killing the wobble.

The guidance to “handle from the bottom when filled” is worth following. Lifting by the rim with a full load can tip the contents toward you. Palming the base keeps the food centered and prevents accidental spills between the counter and the floor.

Cleaning and durability
Dishwasher-safe is accurate. I ran it on the top rack multiple times. No warping, no whitening of the plastic, and no lingering odors after a normal cycle. For handwashing, the smooth interior wipes down quickly. There aren’t deep channels for food to dry and cement into, which is a common frustration with maze feeders.

As for durability, after two weeks there were light tooth marks on the rim from that early exploratory nibble, but no cracks or stress lines. I wouldn’t leave this out as a dedicated chew target. If your dog finishes then keeps working the bowl, pick it up; that’s good practice with any slow feeder.

Fit and capacity
Given its footprint, the bowl suits small to medium meals best. It handled a standard portion for my 55‑lb dog without issue, but if you feed very large servings to giant breeds, the opening could feel limiting and the slow-down might veer into outright frustration. Short-muzzled dogs can use it, though they’ll get more slowdown than long-muzzled dogs, which may be a plus or a minus depending on their patience.

The opening is intentionally narrower than most standard bowls. That’s the mechanism for slowing, but it also sets the boundary for who will enjoy this. If your dog routinely struggles with deep or tight slow feeders, this one is likely too restrictive. If they’re comfortable working around edges and don’t mind a bit of nose effort, it’s a solid fit.

Value and oddities
At $32.99, it sits in the middle-to-upper range for slow feeders. The unique rocking action and easy cleaning give it an edge over some maze-style bowls that are cheaper but harder to keep sanitary. Two notes, though:

• Branding and manufacturer: it’s billed under a well-known tool brand, while the manufacturer of record is Vanderbilt. That doesn’t affect function, but support and warranty clarity matter to some buyers.
• Spec sheet hiccup: a “No. of Batteries Required: 1” line appears in some materials. It’s a bowl—there are no batteries. Treat that as a data-entry error, not a hidden feature.

What I liked
- Effective slowdown with dry and mixed meals without becoming a puzzle toy
- Compact footprint that doesn’t hog floor space
- Easy to clean, genuinely dishwasher-safe, and no lingering smells
- Quieter than metal options and kinder to floors
- Rocking motion keeps dogs engaged and distributes kibble variably

What could be better
- Narrow opening will frustrate some large or short‑patience dogs
- Not ideal for purely wet food
- Determined chewers can test the rim; supervision recommended early on
- Capacity may be limited for giant-breed portions

Who it’s for
- Dogs that eat too fast from standard bowls and benefit from gentle pacing
- Households that prefer easy cleaning and minimal corners/crevices
- Medium and small dogs, or medium meals for larger dogs
- Owners who want slowdown without a complex puzzle

Who should look elsewhere
- Power-chewers who treat bowls like toys
- Giant breeds with very large portion sizes
- Dogs that have previously shown frustration with tight slow-feeder openings
- Owners feeding exclusively wet or raw ground meals without any kibble component

Recommendation
I recommend the rocking slow feeder for small to medium dogs and moderate gulpers who need their meals stretched without adding a complicated puzzle. It reliably slowed my fast eater, stayed reasonably tidy, and held up well in the dishwasher. If your dog is a determined chewer, has a very large snout, or gets frustrated by narrow openings, I’d pass—there are broader, maze-style options that trade a little slowdown for greater comfort. For everyone else, especially mixed-meal feeders who want a simple, sanitary way to curb gulping, this bowl is a practical, well-executed choice at a fair price.