How do I teach my dog to stop spilling her food bowl?

Ben_From_Texas · 06-27-2011, 05:37 PM

My girl Abby likes to paw her food from the bowl and eat it off the floor. She does this even with a raised food bowl. Sometimes she dumps her water out too. How can I go about fixing this?

**JakodaCD OA** · 06-27-2011, 07:30 PM

glue her bowl to the floor? LOL just kidding of course, sorry no suggestions from me

Stosh · 06-27-2011, 07:33 PM

I feed Stosh in a pie plate so there's no tipping the bowl over. Some people use a cookie sheet, it makes them slow down their eating and it's less messy

**MaggieRoseLee** · 06-27-2011, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stosh

I feed Stosh in a pie plate so there's no tipping the bowl over. Some people use a cookie sheet, it makes them slow down their eating and it's less messy

That's a great idea.

I agree with going a 'management' route with this. Either big, heavy low bowls or something like a pie plate. Wonder if gardening stores have pots that would be heavy and work...

dogfaeries · 06-27-2011, 07:48 PM

Sage deliberately tips hers over any chance she gets. It helps to use the stainless steel bowls that have a wide base and a smaller top, like these.

Ah, I just reread your post. Does your dog DIG the water and the food out of the bowls? I have NO idea how to fix that, LOL. Sorry!

Ben_From_Texas · 06-27-2011, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogfaeries

Sage deliberately tips hers over any chance she gets. It helps to use the stainless steel bowls that have a wide base and a smaller top, like these.

Ah, I just reread your post. Does your dog DIG the water and the food out of the bowls? I have NO idea how to fix that, LOL. Sorry!

I have some bowls like the ones you showed, and yes she will dig the food out of those or find ways to tip them over. She's very persistent about eating off the floor.

Stosh · 06-27-2011, 09:05 PM

Stosh wasn't a great eater as a pup so the vet suggested the flat surface like a plate or cookie sheet where he could investigate without putting his face down into a bowl.

doggiedad · 06-27-2011, 10:16 PM

my dog use to tip his water bowl. i finally figured out that
i should let him drink some water and then take the bowl
away. he stopped doing it. i don't know if i trained
him to stop or he just grew out of it.

RogueRed26 · 06-27-2011, 10:28 PM

Same here. My girl does this with her food and especially the water bowl. For food, I simply serve it and take it away in 10 to 15 minutes. If she spills it ahead of that time, I simply pick it up and she gets to skip that meal. So far, she eats her food without spilling, but every once in a while she won't eat it all so I pick it up.

The water bowl is another story. She spills her water every time. What I do is not fill it up. If she spills it, then I don't refill it for a while.

What our dogs need to learn is that this behavior will not get them attention, nor will they a refill or change of kibble if they do so. Nilf needs to be practiced diligently.

CarrieJ · 06-28-2011, 02:17 AM

Alice used to do the flip the bowl over; it drove me nuts.
I got a shorter sided very heavy ceramic bowl that she couldn't flip over. I also wouldn't pick up the food. She still had ten minutes to eat, whether it was all over the floor or in her bowl. After the time allotment, I would pick it up but not replace it.

That heavy bowl lasted for about a year and a half until she was for some unfathomable reason tossing a primal bone around and it landed just right and split the bowl. She has a giant "Jethro" stainless bowl now and doesn't flip it. It think it was age that helped out there.

The water bowl outside was a swimming pool....*sigh*
I would go outside with her and right as she was lifting the paw to start the water festivities I'd say "OUT" in a firm voice.
I didn't want to correct her for drinking, just digging and flipping.
When she drank like a "big girl" I would praise her in happier voice.

We also got her a kiddie pool so that really cut down on the playing in the water dish.

When she was a puppy/infant, we controlled how much water she got; to work on the potty training. (picked it up and put it down, etc) It was after potty training that the games began.

06-27-2011, 05:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
Ben_From_Texas New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 18	How do I teach my dog to stop spilling her food bowl? My girl Abby likes to paw her food from the bowl and eat it off the floor. She does this even with a raised food bowl. Sometimes she dumps her water out too. How can I go about fixing this?

06-27-2011, 07:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
JakodaCD OA Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Location: Old Lyme, CT USA Posts: 14,237	glue her bowl to the floor? LOL just kidding of course, sorry no suggestions from me __________________ Diane Danger Danger vom Kleinen Hain aka Masi "Angel" Jakoda's Bewitchen Sami CD OA OAJ OAC NGC OJC RS-O GS-N JS-O TT HIC CGC "Angel" Steinwald's Four x Four CGC HIC TT Harmonyhill's Hy Jynx NA NAJ NAC NJC RS-N JS-N HIC Jakoda's Jagged Edge

06-27-2011, 07:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
dogfaeries Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Oklahoma City metro Posts: 491	Sage deliberately tips hers over any chance she gets. It helps to use the stainless steel bowls that have a wide base and a smaller top, like these. Ah, I just reread your post. Does your dog DIG the water and the food out of the bowls? I have NO idea how to fix that, LOL. Sorry! __________________ ~~Diane in Okla Carly (ch. pointed, HIC) Sage (show dog in training) Zelda IG

06-27-2011, 10:16 PM	#8 (permalink)
doggiedad Crowned Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Jenkintown,Pa. Posts: 9,852	my dog use to tip his water bowl. i finally figured out that i should let him drink some water and then take the bowl away. he stopped doing it. i don't know if i trained him to stop or he just grew out of it. __________________ "Life Without A Dog Is A Life Unfulfilled"

06-27-2011, 10:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
RogueRed26 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 403	Same here. My girl does this with her food and especially the water bowl. For food, I simply serve it and take it away in 10 to 15 minutes. If she spills it ahead of that time, I simply pick it up and she gets to skip that meal. So far, she eats her food without spilling, but every once in a while she won't eat it all so I pick it up. The water bowl is another story. She spills her water every time. What I do is not fill it up. If she spills it, then I don't refill it for a while. What our dogs need to learn is that this behavior will not get them attention, nor will they a refill or change of kibble if they do so. Nilf needs to be practiced diligently. __________________ Texas Lone Star Ranger Black GSD 06/10

06-27-2011, 07:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
Stosh Crowned Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: tyler texas Posts: 8,434	I feed Stosh in a pie plate so there's no tipping the bowl over. Some people use a cookie sheet, it makes them slow down their eating and it's less messy

06-27-2011, 09:05 PM	#7 (permalink)
Stosh Crowned Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: tyler texas Posts: 8,434	Stosh wasn't a great eater as a pup so the vet suggested the flat surface like a plate or cookie sheet where he could investigate without putting his face down into a bowl.

06-28-2011, 02:17 AM	#10 (permalink)
CarrieJ Knighted Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 2,428	Alice used to do the flip the bowl over; it drove me nuts. I got a shorter sided very heavy ceramic bowl that she couldn't flip over. I also wouldn't pick up the food. She still had ten minutes to eat, whether it was all over the floor or in her bowl. After the time allotment, I would pick it up but not replace it. That heavy bowl lasted for about a year and a half until she was for some unfathomable reason tossing a primal bone around and it landed just right and split the bowl. She has a giant "Jethro" stainless bowl now and doesn't flip it. It think it was age that helped out there. The water bowl outside was a swimming pool....sigh I would go outside with her and right as she was lifting the paw to start the water festivities I'd say "OUT" in a firm voice. I didn't want to correct her for drinking, just digging and flipping. When she drank like a "big girl" I would praise her in happier voice. We also got her a kiddie pool so that really cut down on the playing in the water dish. When she was a puppy/infant, we controlled how much water she got; to work on the potty training. (picked it up and put it down, etc) It was after potty training that the games began.

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