dipping paws in water bowls - Page 3

DharmasMom · 08-17-2010, 11:59 AM

Dharma does it outside. She will also put her whole face in the water bucket or kiddie pool. One of the trainers I talk to at the dog park told me that every GSD he has ever known has done this. They figure out that it is a way to keep cool. The pads of their feet and their muzzles are their "cool spots".

Lilie · 08-17-2010, 12:33 PM

According to the theory of Lilie, some of the main blood vessels run through the legs. By standing in the cool water, it helps cool the body temperature down, but not shocking the system. Following this mind set, I took a plastic 55 gallon drum, cut it in two (a little more than half way down) and filled it with water. Hondo loves it, and will stand in the water for minutes at a time.

We did try a baby pool, but he had nothing to do with it besides attempt to chew the sides off. The drum seems to satisfy his need to soak. He never steps in his indoor water. Nor does he step into the water bowls outside, he only utilizes his drum for his soaking pleasure.

CHawkins · 08-17-2010, 12:37 PM

My pup has started doing this. I am going to purchase heavier feeding and water bowls. She thinks it's cute to spill water out of bowl and carry bowl in her mouth... a def no no! I know some people will put a clean rock in it to hold bowl down.

Shadow's mum · 08-17-2010, 06:02 PM

Shadow does this to. We have an elevated feeder in the kitchen with a bath mat under it, to soak up her spills. Shadow will also take a mouthful of water and walk threw the kitchen into the lounge room dripping water every where.

Thank goodness we don't have carpet. I always thought it was all about keeping their body temps down as well, because I've noticed it's worse after she has done a lot of running around.
I wouldn't bother with the rock, it just gives them something now to dive and dig at. Shadow dumps rocks, balls, toys etc into her water- perhaps they need cooling off to.

Dennq · 08-30-2010, 01:42 AM

My pup used to do this also. I picked up one of those plastic steps and put his water off of the floor. It stopped immediatly.

CaliBoy · 08-30-2010, 03:46 AM

This is just a wild guess. But out in the wild dogs may have to dig for their water. It is instinct that if they find a stream or river bed that has dried up, they can dig and find some water just below the surface. Soooo, I wonder if the "digging" into the water bowl isn't part of an instinct that, once they have "found water," they start digging into it to make sure there will be a steady supply!

Konotashi · 08-30-2010, 05:33 AM

OMG, I'm glad Ozzy isn't the only one! What sucks is, we have two of the huge auto-waterers with the jugs that you fill and they're right next to each other. He'll SIT in one of them, and have his front feet in the other one, drinking out of it. And he digs in it and plays in it and just has a blast. We don't get onto him for it though; we have tile. It's water. No big deal. lol

However, when we're upstairs in my room, he has a collapsible cloth water bowl that I put only a little bit of water in at a time and he doesn't play in that.

vat · 08-30-2010, 07:55 AM

How old is your dog? Both my pups did it but they stopped at about 6-7 months old. I just kept telling them no!

CainGSD · 08-30-2010, 09:07 AM

I have used a livestock feed bowl and placed their water bowl in it to contain spills.

Currently, we keep their water in the crates and Dazzle has a bucket that attaches to the wire and I keep it up higher so she doesn't seem to have theh urge to dig in it. Doc continued to dig even with the elevated bucket so for now he has a dog sized Lixit bottle that is attached to his crate. I am so hoping he will grow out of his need to dig to China.

GSD Mayhem · 08-30-2010, 01:03 PM

My 5 month old Hans likes to paw the bottom of his water bowl outside and inside. Being part sponge, he also likes to lay in any of his spilled water. He also feels it is important to "bring" his water bowl when there is about 1/8 left. Of course a full bowl of water is very useful in blowing bubbles and filling up his nasal cavity just to watch it drain out on the floor. Extra towels are kept in strategic locations to mop up the spilled water.

These behaviors are already tapering off and I can tell that he is just discovering the world and how it works.

08-17-2010, 12:37 PM	#23 (permalink)
CHawkins Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 203	My pup has started doing this. I am going to purchase heavier feeding and water bowls. She thinks it's cute to spill water out of bowl and carry bowl in her mouth... a def no no! I know some people will put a clean rock in it to hold bowl down. __________________ Gella, CGC Beau RIP 6/30/10 Katie RIP 12/27/09

08-30-2010, 05:33 AM	#27 (permalink)
Konotashi Knighted Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,093	OMG, I'm glad Ozzy isn't the only one! What sucks is, we have two of the huge auto-waterers with the jugs that you fill and they're right next to each other. He'll SIT in one of them, and have his front feet in the other one, drinking out of it. And he digs in it and plays in it and just has a blast. We don't get onto him for it though; we have tile. It's water. No big deal. lol However, when we're upstairs in my room, he has a collapsible cloth water bowl that I put only a little bit of water in at a time and he doesn't play in that. __________________ Ozzy - Chocolate Pom "In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog." My Photography

08-30-2010, 09:07 AM	#29 (permalink)
CainGSD Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Port Richey, FL Posts: 462	I have used a livestock feed bowl and placed their water bowl in it to contain spills. Currently, we keep their water in the crates and Dazzle has a bucket that attaches to the wire and I keep it up higher so she doesn't seem to have theh urge to dig in it. Doc continued to dig even with the elevated bucket so for now he has a dog sized Lixit bottle that is attached to his crate. I am so hoping he will grow out of his need to dig to China. __________________ Nora Cain von Hena-C, VPG A, TT 10/19/2003 - 12/17/2009 Gone but not forgotten. Dazzle von Linienbach, 02/07/2009 Learning the ropes. Doc vom Eisernen Loewen, 02/02/2010 SDIT

08-17-2010, 11:59 AM	#21 (permalink)
DharmasMom Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 2,467	Dharma does it outside. She will also put her whole face in the water bucket or kiddie pool. One of the trainers I talk to at the dog park told me that every GSD he has ever known has done this. They figure out that it is a way to keep cool. The pads of their feet and their muzzles are their "cool spots".

08-17-2010, 12:33 PM	#22 (permalink)
Lilie Crowned Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: South Texas Posts: 5,649	According to the theory of Lilie, some of the main blood vessels run through the legs. By standing in the cool water, it helps cool the body temperature down, but not shocking the system. Following this mind set, I took a plastic 55 gallon drum, cut it in two (a little more than half way down) and filled it with water. Hondo loves it, and will stand in the water for minutes at a time. We did try a baby pool, but he had nothing to do with it besides attempt to chew the sides off. The drum seems to satisfy his need to soak. He never steps in his indoor water. Nor does he step into the water bowls outside, he only utilizes his drum for his soaking pleasure.

08-17-2010, 06:02 PM	#24 (permalink)
Shadow's mum Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Melbourne,Australia Posts: 475	Shadow does this to. We have an elevated feeder in the kitchen with a bath mat under it, to soak up her spills. Shadow will also take a mouthful of water and walk threw the kitchen into the lounge room dripping water every where. Thank goodness we don't have carpet. I always thought it was all about keeping their body temps down as well, because I've noticed it's worse after she has done a lot of running around. I wouldn't bother with the rock, it just gives them something now to dive and dig at. Shadow dumps rocks, balls, toys etc into her water- perhaps they need cooling off to.

08-30-2010, 01:42 AM	#25 (permalink)
Dennq Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Kingsville, Ontario. Canada Eh! Posts: 216	My pup used to do this also. I picked up one of those plastic steps and put his water off of the floor. It stopped immediatly.

08-30-2010, 03:46 AM	#26 (permalink)
CaliBoy Master Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: California Posts: 559	This is just a wild guess. But out in the wild dogs may have to dig for their water. It is instinct that if they find a stream or river bed that has dried up, they can dig and find some water just below the surface. Soooo, I wonder if the "digging" into the water bowl isn't part of an instinct that, once they have "found water," they start digging into it to make sure there will be a steady supply!

08-30-2010, 07:55 AM	#28 (permalink)
vat Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Kingston, IL Posts: 3,027	How old is your dog? Both my pups did it but they stopped at about 6-7 months old. I just kept telling them no!

08-30-2010, 01:03 PM	#30 (permalink)
GSD Mayhem New Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1	My 5 month old Hans likes to paw the bottom of his water bowl outside and inside. Being part sponge, he also likes to lay in any of his spilled water. He also feels it is important to "bring" his water bowl when there is about 1/8 left. Of course a full bowl of water is very useful in blowing bubbles and filling up his nasal cavity just to watch it drain out on the floor. Extra towels are kept in strategic locations to mop up the spilled water. These behaviors are already tapering off and I can tell that he is just discovering the world and how it works.

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