Puppy water bucket tips

[Kitty]

Our 12-week-old puppy, Echo, has a water fetish (imagine that, she's a newfie ). Our problem is that she digs in her water dish, or tips over the full water bucket we leave out for our adult dogs. Also, she feels the need to physically stand in the water dish/bucket while she drinks. Rocks in the bottom of the dish don't help with the digging. I could just offer her water periodically throughout the day, but I would really prefer her to have a continuous supply of fresh water all the time. The water dish digging wouldn't really bother me, except that then she doesn't have ready access to water when she's thirsty.

Last night, she took a header into the toilet when SOMEONE left the seat up I think we're going to have to start looking for a swimming hole for our baby when it warms up!

Anyone have any tips, or do we just have to wait this out? We have been telling her no when she digs/stands in the water dish, and we have been rewarding her when she gets a drink without standing/digging in the water dish.

Thanks!

 

[Yogi & Cordelia's Erin]

Have you tried a raised bowl? Cordelia used to do this a lot (heck I think I Newfs must). We got one of those raised bowls where you can store food inside of it.
Of course, she'd still stick her whole FACE in ... but that's what they do.
Other than that, all I can say is towels. Lots of towels? And pics cause a wet-faced pup is cute!

 

[Blacknewfs]

Ahh, brings back memories... Neptune was terrible for this when he was a pup--not only would he stand in, dig in , lay in and play in the water bowl, but he also liked to pick it up and dump it all over himself (and my hardwood floors.) If left unattended for even a moment he and Zoë would tag team and dump water all over the place, splashing about on my kitchen floor, having a great time. We tried a number of things to curb this behaviour and save our floors but the easiest and most effective was giving him a bucket to play in outside. We monitored him closely and when he so much as lifted his paw to dip it in the water bowl in the house, he was sent outside to play in his water bucket out there instead. That really worked for him.....he still plays in any bucket he finds outside.

[ 02-23-2006, 09:51 AM: Message edited by: Black Newfs ]

 

[AngusMcDubhsMom]

Originally posted by Kitty:

Last night, she took a header into the toilet when SOMEONE left the seat up Thanks!

That's the best line!

I think you're trying to defeat a natural instinct. I agree: lots of towels. I used to put one down under the dish, just to sop up the overflow. Gracie has outgrown the tendency, for the most part. She does stand in her wading pool to drink though.

 

[Blacknewfs]

I should add, we used a plastic boot tray under the bowl in the house to protect our floors--we found towels or throw rugs got too wet too fast and held the moisture on the floor. Plastic trays with a lip catch and contain the water well.

 

[newfgewf]

Isn't this a Newf puppy tradition

Balli went through a spell of this and just about every Newf I've ever met has this puppy hood story!

It's fun, it's messy but it's a way of life....they grow out of it

Then when they get big enough they grow into the "can't brush your teeth without giving me some water too" phase.

Have fun with it

 

[krispykeith]

I second the raised bowl suggestion. Mojo will create his own wet-n-wild theme park with any water bowl not nailed down....but put the water in one of those storage feeder elevated things and he is a perfect gentleman.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

I use a cat litter pan under the water bowl to catch the splash/overflow/spills. This has worked best for me.
I formerly used a towel under the dish, but that just resulted in wet, moldy towels if not changed about twice daily!

 

[Kitty]

Thanks for the tips, everyone! We will have to look into a raised water dish. Sandra, the outside play bucket is a WONDERFUL idea. We'll be trying that one tonight.

 

[scout]

we use the "frame" of a paired doggie dish with a small galvanized bucket. Atticus can't tip it over, and we only fill it half way, so he can't dip his entire head into it either. The height of the bucket keeps the splashing down and it seems to be just the right height to "scrape" his jowls clean from extra water when he comes up for air.

 

[Rick]

Marlowe used to sleep with her paw in the water dish when she was small

While there is probably not much you can do about the splashing, you may want to try the above idea of placing the bowl in a lipped tray, but also take a lump of florists clay and "bed" the bottom of the bowl onto the tray with the clay. This will make tipping it over very difficult. If she figures out how to tip over the tray and the bowl together, You're on your own

 

[TerriW]

I wrap a towel around the base of the bowl so if it spills at least it's absorbed. Every night when I take him to bed upstairs, I spread the towel out to dry.

I also only put a couple inches in at a time, and just refill frequently.

Ben sleeps with his head in the bowl, anyway. Note how wet he is, at left.

[ 02-23-2006, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: Terri P ]

 

[Ginny]

Holly did this so much, that I finally put all the water outside. The tsunami in the office was the last straw! She'd still knock them over outside and would pick them up with her mouth and sling the buckets off the deck . All my dogs would be without water within minutes of her exiting the house.

I finally anchored each bucket to the deck posts with a double ended snap attached to a big fence staple. Works great.

 

[TerriW]

You just have to wonder what Holly was thinking, don't you? Love it.

 

[Fifi Applehead]

I actually watched to see how Fiona manages to spread water from one end of the room to the other last night. First she sticks a paw in - probably to make sure that the temperature is right - then she puts her whole head in the bowl and swoops it out causing water to fly out. She thinks it is the greatest thing...the runs right through the puddle, maybe even laying down in it real quick before running around the kitchen! The mop has never gotten so much use! I decided that I am going to keep the water in the bathroom from now on. Our bathroom is right off of the kitchen, so the dogs will have access to the water, but when unattended or after 8 at night - I can shut the door and prevent some of the flooding!!

-Danielle

 

[ardeagold]

Ours all did this as pups too...Newfs and Goldens!

We also raised the water bowl. We have a double bowl feeder filled with only water. That seemed to control most of it...but they'll still try to dip paws and dunk heads.

We still have a mop right by the water bowl, cause when they stop playing in it, they store it in the flews so the water can pour all over the floor, and on your lap!

 

[Kitty]

Great ideas! I'll have to do some shopping this weekend for supplies.

 

[2ndchance]

I used a spill proof bowl. the dog could actually pick it up and trow it around and still no water would come out. As they got older I went to raised dishes. I bought the wire plant stands from walmart for about 5.00. they work well

 

[sflyon]

We use a bucket outside too. We attached a key ring to the handle and a swivel clip(the kind at the end of a dog leash)and attach it to our chain link fence. It also works in Beau's crate. The bucket we is flat on one side and has a hook.

[ 02-27-2006, 08:38 AM: Message edited by: SFL ]

 

[NewbeeNewf]

Kitty I got the same problem...got a 12 week old that plays and stands in his water..constantly. Got a raised food/water bowl holder over a boot tray...now he climbs under the holder and somehow stealth-like pops out the bowls and viola..water everywhere..so I'm not sure what to do...be entertained by it and hopefully this will pass

the no-spill buddy bowl is great if your in eyesight of it...otherwise he's chewing it..and yes hes got tons of other chew toys he could be chewing..but loves the taste of a buddy bowl...wish it was made of stainless steel insted of plastic...it might work then.