My dog is a messy eater. For years I have kept his food and water bowls on top of 6 inch tall plastic stands to prevent him from bending his neck too far down to reach them. I purchased the Neater Eater believing that it would solve both the messiness and the neck bending problems. Well, the drain in the feeder and its tall sides did clear up the messiness, but it did little for the neck issue. That's because when the bowls are inserted into the feeder, they drop so far down that the elevation just about vanishes. The feeder would require another 3 or more inches in height to make my little guy really comfortable.