Water bowl issues

Darkginger

This isn't a particularly serious problem, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions that might help. Our 5 month old lab/collie cross has started tipping her water bowl up (thank gawd we have lino!) and flooding the floor. She'll have a drink, and then just pick the bowl up, turn it over, and bring it to me, wagging her tail and looking like she's just done something really clever. I simply take it from her, don't shout, don't praise her (obviously), then sigh and go mop up the water. Our one year old collie looks on with interest (so it seems) whilst this is going on.

I can't really restrict access to the bowl, nor would I want to, also I can't supervise every visit to it. The water is fresh and clean, it just seems to be a self-taught trick that she's thrilled with having learned. She's doing it at least three times a day at the moment, and short of putting a brick in the bottom of the bowl so it's too heavy for her to pick up, I can't think how to stop this. Any ideas? She's a good pup in all other ways, it's just this water issue! A previous lab/collie cross of ours did something similar, but his trick was to put both front paws in the bowl and splash the water everywhere.

TooManyDogs

I've had water bowl paddling dogs but never a bowl picker upper! You can buy really heavy ceramic dog bowls, maybe try one of them?
One of these type of bowls may be a bit more difficult for him to pick up



Good luck!

Cedrus

Get a different bowl, we had this with before with one dog hogging the food bowl, she would take it away with her and not let the others near it. We got a bowl without a rim to grab and she learnt to share/couldn't be bothered to stay by it. It was M shaped in cross-section so the rim went down to the floor.

Like TooManyDogs pics above.

KTRIC

TooManyDogs wrote: »

I've had water bowl paddling dogs but never a bowl picker upper! You can buy really heavy ceramic dog bowls, maybe try one of them?
One of these type of bowls may be a bit more difficult for him to pick up



Good luck!

They're great bowls. I had the same problem with a cat who thought it was highlarious to tip over his water when he was annoyed and not getting attention. One of those same bowls sorted it.

gregers85

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_bowls_feeders/stainless_steel_bowls

Have a look at this link a few types here that might work for you!
My own GSD female does this what i got was a bowl which came with a bracket and attaches to the side of her run so she cant tip the bowl! Il try find a pic of the type i mean!

Darkginger

Many thanks - have ordered a couple of large non-slip stainless steel bowls from Zooplus, and hope it will solve the problem (she's done it twice so far today, once between original post and now!). On the plus side, we have a very clean floor!

Thanks to all who replied - and am glad she's not the only dog who does this

Discodog

This idea won't help you but it's great for avoiding spills. I use one of those rectangular plastic food storage boxes with the snap on lid. Then I cut out the middle of the lid to leave a wide lip that stops any spills if it gets kicked. It is about 12 ins by 8 ins so it holds a lot of water. I ended up making two so that it's easy to pop one in the dishwasher.

The steel bowls may not work because if the dog can't pick it up it will end up pushing around the floor & spilling water. I would go for one of the really heavy old styles ceramic bowls - the one's that usually have "DOG" written on them. They seem to be getting harder to find.

evilmonkee

When we were adopting our dog from a rescue we were warned that she did this, according to the rescue (in her case) it was related to boredom/anxiety/frustration so perhaps looking at those area's may help?

Also, we fill a large pot with water, there is no way that she is strong enough to lift or tip it, so with a larger dog, maybe you could try a bucket....

She then attempted it with her foods bowl, so we bought a heavy ceramic bowl for food, she can tip it, however to do so she needs to push it onto the tiles... She doesnt because she doesnt like the noise it makes :rolleyes:

Darkginger

I don't think she's bored, anxious or frustrated, because she mostly does this after running around the house like a mad thing with her 'sister' dog - they're at the bitey-face stage. She's a very laid back pup - getting her to move quickly is a bit of a challenge -she'll lie in the middle of our field, watching the other, older dog chasing a ball madly, and will only bother herself to stand up when she thinks she's in with a chance of grabbing her sis's ear as she zooms past! She has a stuffable Kong that she can't be bothered to play with - would rather watch our other dog play with hers, whilst she relaxes on the sofa. On the beach she mooches - will chase a ball if I make really excited noises about it, but then will forget she's got it and go off to sniff something. She's with her 'sis' and at least one human 24 hours a day - always someone at home to let her out when she needs it - she even has a kitten to play with (and they do!).

Having said all that about her being laid back - twice a day she is far from laid back - when we go to bed, and when we wake up - both events seem to provoke her into frenzied, bouncy activity - chasing the kitten (who turns around and chases her right back, then attacks her tail), the aforementioned bitey-face and play-growl sessions with our one year old dog, and attempts to literally dig me out of the bed Right now she and our other dog are bouncing on the sofa (they will stop if told to, but it's a dog sofa, not a person one, if you see what I mean - we don't actually use it), and this is when she's most likely to go dump the water on the floor and bring me the bowl.

Ah, she's just arrived in here (a different room) and is distinctly wet - so I have a feeling this is the 5th time today I'll find a flood by the bowl area...

Tug-O-Sock has just started in the hall, and I need to go find the mop again 12 years ago we had 3 pups under 6 months old - how the memories are flooding (no pun intended!) back!



This is them a couple of months ago - she's bigger now!



See? Bigger (and this was a month ago!)

Kali_Kalika

I'm thinking its a collie thing alright, my girl does it as well and she's just a collie cross. I've read the thread and it seems you've gotten some good advice but I'll stick my own personal one on just in case. I had a regular silver metal bowl for water (and matching one for food!) and from the day she arrived until a few weeks ago she's used them no problem, no spills (on her end, I did kick it over a few times, but not her fault!)

One day I could hear her at her dishes out in the kitchen - then I heard the strangest noise - sorta like bubbles being blown - I went to investigate and there she was with her snout pushed all the way to the bottom of the bowl - rooting around and merrily blowing bubbles! :rolleyes: We deemed this as "scuba diving" :rolleyes: - many were amused by it - in fairness, it was quite funny. But after a few days of her scuba diving she started flipping the dish after blowing bubbles for a bit.

So I pulled out the old (less glam) dishes that are the flat bottom ones that another poster gave you a link to - with our previous dog he could never flip them despite trying his little heart out -so for the water at least - I made the switch. It took her a bit to get used to the new dish but she did and life went on for 2 days. Then I came home to a flooded kitchen again - watching her I realized, no she wasn't flipping it but she was bashing her nose against it bumping it into the press behind her bowls and with each bump water would slosh out and she'd keep repeating it until it was empty.

At this point - I had a sudden moment of clarity where it ALL made sense. I realized when we'd go to visit her boyfriend (aka - my friends sable collie (like lassie)) she'd never do that. I realized the difference was in the dish they have ceramic (or something similar) dishes - I have the metal ones - she was seeing her reflection in the metal bowls! And was trying to get to the dog she was seeing! She loves dogs and reflections of dogs - the amount of times she'll fly into exuberance at seeing her own reflection in the hall window - convinced to the core another dog is here for a midnight play date! :rolleyes:

So - I went and got 2 bowls of the non metal/ non shiny variety and not a drop of water or a crumb of food has been spilled. No scuba diving - nothing. Just normal eating and drinking. So hopefully your new dishes work out and the great floods will end. But if not - try switching the dishes for some that aren't metal - your dog too may be trying to reach the dog in the bottom, or the sides or wherever they can see the dog looking back at them!

Cedrus

Kali_Kalika wrote: »

she was seeing her reflection in the metal bowls! And was trying to get to the dog she was seeing!

One of our fellas does this with anything shiny at his height, like candlesticks or bowls on the hearth, he stares into the reflection and snuffles at it for ten minutes or more every time he spots them. He doesn't do it with the metal water bowls, probably because they're a bit old and the shine has gone off them.