People that aren't educated on proper feeding practices for their pets likely have no idea about the value of elevated dog feeders
. There is no need to feel guilty though, since a food dish on the floor has been a staple in many households for close to a century. Recent studies have shown that dog's become prone to problems swallowing their food properly when their feed bowl is below shoulder level.
It's easy for us to not take into account that a dog doesn't walk upright on two legs like we do. If your dog is extremely hungry, they may forget to lift their head to allow the food their swallowing to pass down through their esophagus. If you watch your dog feed at different times when they eat, it can be almost guaranteed that they will choke or gag at some point for the exact reason mentioned above.
At the same time that swallowing is made more difficult with a lower dish; air is ingested more easily as your dog takes breaths while attempting to properly swallow food and water -- while lifting their head up and down trying to balance eating, drinking and proper swallowing. This can lead to increased bloating and gas, which is more dangerous to dogs than people. Elevated dog feeders and watering dishes eliminate this problem.
Anyone who has had more than one dog in their life has likely wondered why some dogs don't make a single mess around their dish, while others scatter food all over the place and their water dish always has water overflowing on the floor. The reason all comes down the the fact that our dogs need higher mounted water dishes and elevated dog feeders so they don't always have to lift their head in between bites or gulps of water.