Water bowl theft!

Hi All,

I have a little problem regarding Jenzi (6 month old female GSD) and the water bowls outside.

My dogs have 5 large water bowls outside on the patio area and 3 bowls inside. The reason behind this was that during the summer I noticed that Yiannis particularly would be outside playing for example, and would come in for a drink, getting water all over the floor (ceramic porcelain tiles in the kitchen are so deadly when wet!). I found that having bowls both inside and out meant that they could drink inside if they wished and wouldn't hold water in their mouths whilst walking about.

Now Jenzi has decided that it's fun, not only to submerge her whole head in the water bowl, but to slam both front feet into the bowl, grab it with her teeth and throw it up in the air. I find this mildly amusing but twice it has gone over the fence (side of the nice neighbours). Fortunately it hasn't landed on anyone yet.

This isn't a problem regarding the water because I seem to spend all my time renewing it all day anyway, But it's frustrating when I have to go looking for the bowls.

Any ideas on how to train her NOT to do this. Usually I don't know she's done it until I hear the bowl land on the floor. By the time I get to her it's all over and she's playing with something else. It's only ever one of the 5 bowls that are outside, never more than that and never the bowls that are inside.

I've tried watching her until she does it, distracting her with a tennis ball (she loves her ball) and then rewarding her for playing with that. But as soon as she knows I'm not looking directly at her, she'll do it again. If she was human she'd spend all her early educational years in detention!

I won't shout at her or tell her off, partly because it's too late by the time I get to her and partly because she's only playing. I accept I need to encourage her to do something else but I won't tell her off for being a pup and playing naturally.
I'm sure people here wouldn't recommend I shout at a young puppy but I've had a couple of friends tell me I should and it's not the way I train my dogs.

It's only a problem when I'm at home with the dogs. If I go out, usually I take at least one of them with me and if Jenzi is left at home, she's crated.

Any ideas please?

Laura xx

is there any way you could secure the bowls to the floor ie drilling a small hole and putting a fine chain through it so she cant pick it up to throw it?

Its all i can think of....sorry....does sound very funny to watch though! bless her!

Hi,

I hadn't thought of that but would't I need to also drill a hole in the water bowl to secure it at the other end too - thus creating leak?

It is funny to watch but maybe in laughing at her antics I've encouraged her to continue?

Laura xx

Hi Laura , I agree with Alexandra that prevention is better than cure. What about a large 'none tip' shaped water bowl or a metal bucket with a weight or heavy stone in the bottom, Jenzi would find it difficult to fling these anywhere. If you drilled a hole it the top of the existing bowl it wouldn't leak .

I was going to suggest that too ~ a brick in the bottom of the bowl? Bricks surrounding the bowl so that it can't be picked up? A large bucket? Water bowls on a stand?

I've known several GSDs that seem to love to "play" with water bowls. A friend's GSD used to regularly put her front feet in the bowl & splash around till it was empty, another GSD would drag a metal bowl around, seemingly loving the clanking noise & another would deposit tennis balls & toys in the bowl. It must be genetically programmed into GSDs

Hi,

I'm going to get some metal stands (that are used for plant pots) that can be bolted down intot he patio so they can't move. The metal water bowls will sit in the stands, being held quite tightly by the rim so hopefully she won't be able to pull them out (little mare!!).

I must admit is it so funny to watch her play but so frustrating at times as well when she does this.

So from now on (or at lewast from the weekend) I think water play will have to be restricted to the hosepipe!

Who wants to bet we end up with a hosepipe ban next week??!!

Laura xx

I use a plastic builders bucket for their outside water, they can get their entire head in if they want to and it takes quite a lot to empty it and when full is very heavy.

Now there's a thought. Jenzi submerges her whole head in the bowl as it is. I'd have to be sure she couldn't drown!

Laura xx

Yup, us too.... I got 2 or three bright orange ones from B&Q and just fill them up for the boys to drink from (and slobber into!)

When I kept horses I bought extra large buckets for water which are really heavy duty plastic, with heavy duty metal handles. They would be ideal as they were heavy enough to stop the horses kicking them around their stables, and held enough water to keep them going all day.