When it comes to providing drinking water for your dog at home, the type of water dish is extremely important. The shape should not only work for the dog, but since you have to pick it up and wash it out a lot, it should be easy to grasp and carry. If your dog has long ears that dip in the water when he drinks, use a tall narrow bowl that lets his ears hang on the outside when he drinks from it. Seeing their own reflection in shiny stainless steel bowls, disturbs some dogs to where they will not drink. Dishes that look earth colored and natural are ideal. Dogs prefer them too. Get in touch with your community pottery clubs; sometimes they have left overs or rejects that are perfect for water dishes. Dogs with short or flat muzzles need a wide bowl type of dish, pointy faces can use a narrow dish. The material is important too. Stay away from any type of plastic, especially ice cream buckets. They can affect the pigment on a dog’s nose and lips so that just can’t be a good thing. Certain glazes (imported) have been bad for dogs to. Check out the material the dish is made from, especially if your dog is hyper sensitive to the environment.
Keep the water dish freshened. Just because there is water in the dish that does not mean the water is fit for your dog to drink. If he has licked out of it at all, it most likely saliva you are looking at and not water. The water dish needs to be emptied out and refilled at least twice a day if not more. ANNA LEE changes water dishes AM NOON PM and before bed. The water dish needs to be washed daily with hot soapy water and rinsed thoroughly. If you let scum and mineral deposit build up around the dish rim expect to be cleaning up tummy bug messes. (puke and poop) Yes, dogs drink out of toilets and puddlesor creeks and so would you if that was the only water you could get at. Most normal dogs to not turn on the water tap, but if they could, they would use water from the tap before water from the toilet. If mineral deposit is built up around the rim of your dog's water dish, set the dish in a sink, fill the dish to the rim with white vinegar, let it stand until the deposit disolves, wash it out with hot soapy water.
Pet supply stores have no shortage of food and water dishes, so consider your dogs needs before you purchase. There are slow feeder dishes, anti-tip dishes (difficult to pick up for refilling) portable dishes, and eleveted dishes on stands for short or tall dogs. There are low profile dishes, anti-chew dishes, raised sloping dishes, anti-ant dishes. There new ones are developed daily as companies jump on the pet product band wagon. Base your choice on the shape of your dog, his habits, the material the dish is made of, and how easy the dish is to look after.
Keeping your dog healthy with good food, fresh water at all times, exercise, love and clean bedding, establishes the trust needed to build a solid obedience training relationship. If your dog cannot trust you to provide clean water, bedding, food and exercise, he will not trust you at all. Obedience training is a discipline and a learning experience.
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| Stainless Steel hook on the crate type of dish does not work for all dogs. |
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| The ring that holds the dish should fit very snuggly around the dish so it won't come out and become a hazard |
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| Raised dual feeder style |
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| Wide bowls for flat noses |
