# Food and water bowl antics...



## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Little Kira has been doing terrific. She's 100% housebroken, and she's now slept for her third night in a row, without crying.

She's doing something with her bowls. and I would like to correct it.

When I feed her, she likes to romp with her food bowl. She tries to flip it, bite the edges, and will sometimed stick her paws in it, as if she's digging.

When she drinks, she likes to stick as much of her face into the bowl, then shake her wet face all over the place. I know she's having fun, but it's a real mess for us.
After she wets her face, she also "digs the water" in her bowl too.

Any idea what she's thinking?


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Yay Kira!! Glad you're all getting some sleep. As far as the puppy bowl antics you're not going to get much help with that, most of us have tried everything without success! I put Stosh's food in a glass pie plate and that might work with her biting the bowl. Good luck with the water thing, she's having a blast. I put the bowls on a mat so there's less water on the floor. Gsd puppies are a lot of work!!


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## Shaina (Apr 2, 2011)

I can't even have a water dish left out for my pup! She likes to grab it and spill it and run around with it every once in a while. ESPECIALLY those two gallon refillable water dishes... that is the coolest toy ever for her. I keep the bowls away from my dogs and fill them periodically throughout the day. They've gotten pretty good at letting me know when they'd like water.  Good luck!


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Honestly.... If that's the worst of it, she can enjoy it.

We live beach front, so I encourage her to enjoy the water  .... Even though she hasn't touched the ocean yet.

About a half mile from home, there's a place called "dog beach". It's a beach area designated for dogs. Every weekend, you'll find 25-50 dogs just having a blast in the ocean.
I watched some of these dogs go out pretty far to fetch their ball.
I'm looking forward to introducing Kira to that play area.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Shaina said:


> I can't even have a water dish left out for my pup! She likes to grab it and spill it and run around with it every once in a while. ESPECIALLY those two gallon refillable water dishes... that is the coolest toy ever for her. I keep the bowls away from my dogs and fill them periodically throughout the day. They've gotten pretty good at letting me know when they'd like water.  Good luck!


 
I guess it's a "Shepherd thing"


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Chama (who was a rottie mix) liked to swim in the (gallon size) water bowl...be glad that's not happening! :laugh:

You could always place the food on a mat on the floor until she gets over the excitement about the bowl...


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## mwiacek10 (Nov 8, 2010)

We can't keep ice buckets for parties around our house. Gunny tries to climb in them! He dumped a big bowl full of white wine bottles (non broke) last time! Now, we know better.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

WOW! I didn't realize how common this is.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Oh yeah, it's everybody. They also burp and snore, pant when it's not hot, get the zoomies right before bedtime, bite your pants leg when you walk. Then the whole ear thing- up and down, up then sideways. All subjects of new puppy owners. See what you've gotten yourself into!


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## k_sep (Jun 21, 2011)

I've heard this is a big GSD thing! Luna's never been much for digging in her water dish (though she does like to stick the tip of her nose into it and blow bubbles, which is just strange!) but there is another puppy in her obedience class that does something similar. Luckily we work mainly outside and they have several water dishes, but this one GSD pup always goes for the biggest. She'll take a drink for 3-5 seconds, then go crazy! She digs and splashes all the water everywhere. If we're doing off leash work, she'll take off with the bowl like she wants someone to chase after her. It's really funny to watch, though the owner seems less amused than me.


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## sprklnh2o (Dec 17, 2010)

This sounds like Berlin! My Berlin used to spill his food bowl before he eats it. The trick I found to get him to stop spilling was to make his food tastier so that the only thing he wanted to do is eat it and not play with it. To make his kibbles tastier, I just added some water to it. I think it makes it smell more and it entice them to eat it faster. I hope this helps!


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## shepherd513 (Jan 26, 2011)

Ha ha! Gideon does the same thing! He takes his toys to the water dish, plops them in there while he gets a drink, and then proceeds to drag them all over the house soaking wet!


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

You will be amazed what toys you will find in the toilets. Dont worry they can open the doors and they can lift a closed toilet lid because, after all, that is THE best water in the house (hence, no tank chemicals here to keep the toilet clean). And yes dancing in the water bowl who woulnt like that, even my 8 year old does that number.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I love this site. I can't wait to tell my husband we're not alone!


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## blehmannwa (Jan 11, 2011)

When Havoc was a pup, he delighted in digging in his water bowl. He started doing it during dinner when we had a guest over. Our guest sarcastically said, "Oh, what a blessing!" So thats what we called it, "Havoc, stop blessing!"


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## RMF (Oct 1, 2011)

Deezul used to play in his water bowl, till we nipped that in the bud. 

He will put his paw down in the bowls & start banging it when he's out of food or water.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

food and water bowl antics is something
they have to do. it's like nipping. i keep
a dish towel or two on the floor near the bowls.
my dog doesn't flip his bowls anymore
but he dribbles water everywhere. when he dribbles
i walk over to one of the towels and put my foot
on it and slide it over the wet trail. i also keep a
large towel near the front door and the back door.
when my dog needs to be wiped off after being outside
i can grab a towel with ease and he doesn't track stuff
through the house. when it's snowing i lay towels
on the floor leading from the back door to the basement
steps. my dog comes in i grab a towel that's near the
back door and dry him. then he walks from the back door
to the basement steps. i call him back, pet him maybe
dry him some more. then he walks to the basement steps again
and i call him back. by calling him back to me he dries his
feet on the towels that are on the floor.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i like that. i guess you said "Havoc, stop blessing" when he tipped his bowl.



blehmannwa said:


> When Havoc was a pup, he delighted in digging in his water bowl. He started doing it during dinner when we had a guest over. Our guest sarcastically said, "Oh, what a blessing!" So thats what we called it, "Havoc, stop blessing!"


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## godiva13 (May 1, 2007)

Ii have a 4 month old aussie puppy that loves the water also. He would climb right in the water bowl and lay down and then run thru the house., He also dug in his bowl and he would stick his nose or paw in then watche the water drip on the floor and jump on it.
What i did that worked was get one of those spill proof bowls for vehicles with the small opening for him for in the house . it worked great. For the other dogs water dish i put it in an elaveted feeder so the the puppy could not reach it but the bigger dogs could. He can now reach it but can not play in it.
I was worried that he would jump up and try to play in it but he didnt.
Now that cooler weather is here he is not soo water crazy except for on our walks he swims in the river. He was swimming by 12 weeks old!


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## Salix (Feb 13, 2011)

Anthony8858 said:


> Little Kira has been doing terrific. She's 100% housebroken, and she's now slept for her third night in a row, without crying.
> 
> She's doing something with her bowls. and I would like to correct it.
> 
> ...


Eating issues are often easy to solve. The food is the reward itself. Misbehaving means the dog gets _no food_. 

Your dog is thinking it's fun and you're not doing anything to correct her behaviour. IMHO, anything that inconveniences the human or allows the human to feel powerless or out of control is undesirable behaviour that should be weaned or cut out in a dog. There's a reason why you're feeling 
'it's a real mess' and as if it's an inconvenience to you. There's a reason why you're feeling like you probably shouldn't be experiencing frustration during feeding time. It looks cute and fun when she's small. I don't share any joy or humour in behaviour like this. I'd snap it out of a human child too. It's definitely inappropriate. I would correct this behaviour like I would food possession or any other misbehaviour.

Denver went through a short phase at 3 months which lasted about three days and it was strongly discouraged. He began to understand food is food, toys are toys. They don't mix. He's very clean.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

We've had Joey for 3 months. For the past week, after he's eaten, he carries his food bowl into the family room, sits down and drops the bowl in front of him. 

Does this mean he's still hungry? We feed him plenty, and don't want to overfeed and make him heavy. He's a good weight now (76 pounds).


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## Geminon (Oct 8, 2011)

Geminon has been doing this ever since he could pick up the bowl in his mouth (around 12 weeks) and he still does it, he'll growl at spin the bowls jump on them it's funny to watch and it keep him entertained for a few minutes. Water is usually spilled everywhere! Im glad to know we arent the only ones lol


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## GSDMUM (Aug 18, 2011)

Mine does the same thing. I changed the bowls to the set in kind that are raised so she can't swim in the bowls like she did. She does splash and dig in the bottom tray that catches the water. It is a mess, but I put towels right by it on the floor.

To divert her away from that and to have some fun I fill the tub up with a few inches of water. She jumps in and digs like crazy. I add a floating toy and she is in heaven. The walls are tiled so that's good but the floor gets wet...more junk towels for the floor. This is not for everyone, and I only do this a couple of times a week. She started to jump in the shower with me but now I'm sure to keep her out so I can have my time in the shower!


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## GSDMUM (Aug 18, 2011)

My 11 yr old male GSD does this all the time. He just wants to savor the remnants of flavor in the same room as we are so he carries his bowl in the living room after he eats. A few times he did want more and actually lifted it up and dropped it in my lap while I was on the recliner!


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