Life Pets Dogs Elevated Dog Feeding Station Raising his food and water bowls can offer relief to a pooch who has arthritis or back pain; it eliminates the pressure that stooping puts on the neck, spine, joints, and muscles. Our DIY feeding station cleverly repurposes a custom-painted stair tread and wall-bracket kit. By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Website An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 6, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email To determine the appropriate shelf height for your dog, measure the distance from the floor to the spot where his legs meet his chest. He'll like having ready access to his dinner—and you'll love how it stops spills and keeps kibble from scattering everywhere. Remember: Check with your veterinarian to ensure Lucky doesn't have a GI issue this elevated height could aggravate. Treat your pet's dishes like your own and wash them daily, says Purina veterinarian Kurt Venator. Otherwise, a germy film can develop. Stainless steel bowls are ideal: They're durable, nonporous, and a cinch to clean. For more ideas, scroll through our entire collection of dog crafts and cleaning tips that every pet owner needs to know. What You'll Need Materials Jigsaw Stair tread (Pictured: Pine stair tread, 36 inches $10, homedepot.com.) Measuring tape 2 metal pet-food bowls (Pictured: Harmony large brushed stainless steel dog bowls, $15 each, petco.com.) Sandpaper Primer and paint Wall-bracket kit with brackets, wall anchors, and screws (Pictured: Osborne Wood Lancaster Shaker brackets, in Soft Maple, $31 each, osbornewood.com.) Handheld electric drill Wood screws Wood filler Pencil Instructions Using jigsaw, cut stair tread to 28 inches. Mark center in pencil. Place bowls upside-down on tread, each 1 inch from center line; trace edges. Measure and draw a smaller circle 7/16 inch inside each of those. Cut out smaller circles (the bowls will rest inside these); lightly sand cut edges. Prime and paint stair tread and two wooden shelf brackets; let dry. Mount brackets on wall, 24 inches apart, per instructions for included hardware (or use wall anchors and screws). Center stair tread on top of brackets. Predrill screw holes at corners of stair tread and ends of brackets; secure with wood screws. Cover screw holes in stair tread with wood filler; paint and let dry. Place bowls in holes. This raised eating ledge is convenient for large-breed dogs, too.