Help please! Female pup flips water bowl - Page 1

My 8 month old female long coat constantly knocks her food and water dish over--and she's done this since she was 10 weeks old. When she's finished eating, like Snoopy, she flips her dish (but not after balancing it on her nose). Same thing with the water bowl. The thing that worries me is that I can't keep water in her pen with her as she'll inevitably dump it, no matter how large and heavy the bowl. I've tried reprimanding her when she does this, but she doesn't seem phased by it. I'm really not sure what approach to use because this is becoming a serious problem because I can't keep fresh water available for her, but have been having her on a schedule to drink which is ridiculous. I never had this problem with my two male shepherds when they were pups, but she's a girl with very high drive and is really challenging me on this issue. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Get a a plastic mop bucket, some zipties, and totally handcuff that puppy to the fence (the bucket i mean:) not the dog! ) I've seen it done in professional kennels, and it's a bit cheaper than an automatic waterer. But what we did in our yard last summer as it's a nicely fenced 2 acres that the dogs have to themselves to frolic was to provide a small plastic pool that we filled with fresh water everyday. Hard to dump over, and the dog can hop in to cool off when it's too hot. Just turn over and rinse out at the end of the day. Easy.

Go to page http://www.bromet.de/futtergeraete_uebersicht.html it might give you some ideas

Wow - I read that again. It really does sound like your Fido does have a lot of drive. Also Sounds a Lot like she is trying to get your attention, just like my toddlers & little weiner dogs have been doing to me. Reprimands won't phase her becuz she is getting what she wants - your attention, even if it is negative. If you want the best from your dog, and everyone is understandably busy at times, take a few minutes out when she does the water-dumpy thing & go throw the kong a couple times. You could also try, instead of scheduling water times, having a strict work schedule that you adhere to, with times for ob, time for fun, etc. I am not presuming you do not do this already, just I had this same issue with my dogs, and when a police K9 friend of mine made the same observation about his dog and why that was it was like the lights in the attic went on! Thanks to him, I understand my dogs a whole lot more, and we are a whole lot happier! august

We use a stainless bucket, a couple gallons, and use a double ended snap to attach to the fence or kennel wall. Plastic zip-ties can be chewed and swallowed. With a double ended snap they can't chew through and it's easy to clean the bucket daily. The first year of our one females life we could not leave a water bowl on the floor in the house. She outgrew it finally.

These horse buckets are great..http://www.robinsons-uk.com/products/Productdetail.asp?ProductCode=45143

The next time she does this take a tin or metal can of pennies and put it behind your back so she cannot see it. Stamp your foot on the ground and say "No!" while shaking the can behind your back. It worked for me.

Buy a chimney block and then find a ss feeding bowl the exact size of the hole in the block. The bowl will fit it the block tight enough so that she won't be able to remove it. A ss bucket will also work, but most dogs can still get one of them out of the hole if they try hard enough. Most can't remove a dish if is fits flush with the block. I never had a problem finding the right sized bowl, but can't remember what size I used. The chimney block is a standard size.

I've also used fiber horse buckets, they chewed them. Snaps work fine until it gets cold and they ice up making it almost impossible to get them opened without blowing on them or pouring warm water over them. Most of my dogs would play with their wateer buckets batting them around even if they were hooked to the fence. It didn't take them long to empty a water bucket that way. The chimney blocks were the one and only thing that worked for my more determinded dogs.

I use Lixit automatic drinkers. They cost less than $6.00. The dog always has clean fresh water and it is labor free. They fit on water faucets or water hoses and if you have to run PVC pipe it is also very cheap. Ususally my pups are drinking out opf them by the time they are six weeks old.