A good dry dog food storage container is important to keep dog food fresh and dry, and to keep it from insects such as ants and flies, as well as other pets in the house. The container has to be sealed in a way that only adults can open it to avoid children and toddlers from opening it and eating whatever is inside. It is also important to keep the food dry at all times to prevent the growth of molds and mildew.
There are several ways of storing dry dog food. If you are buying dry dog food in bulk, it will be sold to you in sacks or big plastic bags. However, keeping it that way might attract rodents that will chew through the sack or plastic bag and create a hole that will eventually spill the contents. Even if the dry dog food is packed in a sack or plastic bag, it is best to store it in a sealed container, either made of plastic, metal or wood.
For dry dog food containers made of wood, you can build your own container. A basic box type wooden container is enough to keep out rodents, but not the ants and termites. If you are going to use a wooden container for dry dog food, make sure the plastic bag that holds it is sealed properly to keep out the ants. Have the wood cured first to keep out termites, but paint the inner portion of the container with water based paint to prevent the termite cure from contaminating the dry dog food. The good thing about building your own wooden dry dog food container is that you can design it in a way that matches your kitchen, where you store all the food. You can also place it in other parts of the house like the garage, if the dog lives in a cage outside the house.
Another option is to buy a dry dog food container made of hard plastic in pet stores and home depots. There are several designs for these containers. There are dry dog food containers that can contain up to more than 50 pounds, and are sealed air tight to keep out insects and moisture. There are containers that have wheels underneath so you can easily move them to another area of the house. There are others that have dispensers so you do not expose all the dry dog food to air when you take a few cups of dry dog food.
When choosing a dry dog food container with a dispenser, check the dispenser carefully and make sure it closes and seals by itself, otherwise, air might seep in and will change the texture of the dry dog food. After a few years of wear and tear, you might need to replace your dry dog food dispenser since its movable parts are prone to damage. If you prefer a container that does not have a dispenser, you might need to buy a smaller container where you can place the dog food for the day, so you do not need to open the bigger container more than once a day.