Re: Automatic Pellet Dispenser

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Dave Harper" <dharper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1172238355.967425.64000@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> For what it's worth, I had pretty much the same reaction as "jack ak"
> when I read the initial post.  Having read the details in the followup
> post it's obvious that it's an entirely different situation.  I love
> dogs and am impressed with your rescue efforts; I don't think I could
> do it myself - I'd find it too depressing.

I probably should have prefaced my first post with the details, but time is
more precious these days with round-the-clock dog care.   I spend perhaps
1/10 the time on the net that I used to.  That's got to make at least *some*
folks happy!  (-:  And yes, it's very depressing at times, especially when
we lose one.  But just tonight I looked at some movies we made of Rascal
when she arrived so caked in dirt, blood and other junk it was hard to tell
what kind of dog she was.  Then I looked at her now and it feels good.  No
one expected her to survive except my wife.  Not even me.

> That said, perhaps you could provide some more details.  It's been a
> number of years since I last had a dog

Really?  Well, I've got some great candidates.  Newspaper and leash trained,
basic obedience training and mostly broken of bad habits like shoe chewing,
furniture eating, etc.  (-:

> and I'm not familiar with  kibbles.  Therefore:
>
> 1) Could you describe kibbles?  Approximate size, weight, shape, etc.
> Anything that might be relevant information to consider when
> constructing a dispenser.

I've got a choice of pellets from puppy chow (about a 1/4" diameter
cylinder) to the larger Beneful treats which are about 1/2" diameter but can
be round, pillow or pyramid shaped.  It's pretty flexible, the main
specifications being that it be at least mildly nutritious and something
they don't get every day.   We've got a remarkable assortment of dry dog
food since sick puppies tend to go off their feed quite often.  So for
purposes of discussion, let's stick with 1/4 to 3/8" maxium diameter
pellets.

> 2) Are you thinking in terms of a single unit that would dispense to
> all crates or something you would replicate on a crate by crate basis?

I was thinking of something that could be used on a crate-by-crate basis.
Some dogs don't need any "quiet" positive reinforcement.  The end of the
chute should not protrude into the crate area or it will chewed off in short
order!

> 3) Do you have any problems preloading the dispenser with individual
> kibbles or are you looking for something with a hopper type
> arrangement where you just pour in a bag of kibbles and somehow the
> kibbles settle out into individual treats before being dispensed?

I was thinking of something that operated like a gumball machine where one
"operation" should result in a single pellet being dispensed from a hopper
that can hold at least one hundred.  Maybe I should be looking into buying
old paint ball guns on Ebay.  (-:

Thanks for your input, Dave!

--
Bobby G.