Oh, how we love our dogs! Aren’t they great to have around? As lovely as they are by our side, sometimes our loyal companions can tend to be a bit on the messy side when drinking their water. Are you considering water bowls for your sloppy drinkers?
Sometimes when they drink their water, it can look like a leak has sprung. I often wonder if the dogs actually got any water at all when the floor around the bowl ends up so wet!
If you have a pup that’s causing potential damage in your home due to sloppy drinking, read on as the following solutions may help alleviate this problem. Also, check out some of these waterproof mats to help contain water. They may help if your dog is not that sloppy.
Besides the damage to the home and potential mold issues, another reason to resolve this is your pet’s health. For some pets, taking in food or drink too quickly can cause digestive problems, leading to vomiting sometimes.
First off, let’s cover some non-bowl solutions. Later, we’ll get into some bowls that have been designed just for this.
Other Than Water Bowl Fixes
For fixings not having to do with the water bowl, consider the following:
- Be sure each dog has a water bowl. Even if they don’t use a particular one as their own, often an overzealousness can occur when they end up drinking from the same container. This gives them a chance always to have water. This can also be helpful if you stress about a water bowl running dry.
- Ensure there is always enough water. If the water dishes do ever run dry, then the next time you water your dog, you may be in for a thirst-quenching frenzy that causes the splashes and spills itself just because of growing thirst.
- Locate the bowl wisely. Position the water bowl in a spot where splashed water will not cause lasting damage or be in a walking path. Water is easy to slip on, and a water bowl in the wrong spot could lead to slipping.
- Use a water tray or mat around the bowl. They have plastic trays available for users that have a lip on them that makes it so that a certain amount of water will remain in the plastic tray instead of reaching the surface around it.
Water Bowl Solutions for Sloppy Drinkers
When looking at bowls to solve these issues, there are various kinds. When changing over to a new way of watering, be sure to keep an eye on your dog and make sure they’re getting the amount of water they need. At first, they may not know how to use a bowl, and you may be surprised that the quantity is different than what you thought they drank.
Anti-spill dishes – Anti-spill dishes are bowls that are spill-proof and limit your dog’s water access. It works by making the dog work harder to get the water.
Controlled-filling dishes – Self-filling dishes that limit the amount of water dispensed at a time so that the dog doesn’t have to apply pressure but just has to more consistently drink from a smaller pool that is released.
Obstruction based dishes – Some dishes obstruct access to the water in a way that just makes the dog more carefully drink from the bowl to get the water. It’s kind of like the obstruction based food dishes where it slows them down enough to help avoid a mess and yet allow for a more steady digestive intake.
Hopefully one of these solutions will work for you. Consider your dog’s size, breed, and personality when considering an option to go with. Some special scenarios to consider are dogs who ‘dig’ in their bowl, dogs with floppy ears, and timid dogs. You may even wish to start with a waterproof mat to contain the wetness and proceed to the next step of getting water bowls for your sloppy drinker only if the drinking habit continues to be an issue.
