If you have a Labrador Retriever, you most likely know what it is like to have water puddles everywhere after your dog drinks. It is like walking through a slobbery swampy minefield where you never know what you are going to step on and whether it will send you falling to the floor.
We live this day in and day out around the Lab Brats house. Sure, Cheyenne is a very easy and neat drinker but Dakota brings “water dog” to a whole new level!
So what do you do to protect your floors and yourself from the slippery mess? Here are some tips from our Lab loving house to yours.
When Dakota drinks, the water must be deep enough or she will signal that she needs more water to drink. When her elevated bowl is full, she does not just drink but dips her entire chin and mouth into the water. The view kind of reminds me of a baleen whale that is trying to scoop up dinner!
When she lifts up her chin to stop drinking, water goes everywhere. It is even worse when she hears someone passing by our house while she is drinking because she will bark and then run from our kitchen and through the living room with water pouring everywhere!!
4 Dog Loving Tips to Deal With Messy Water Drinkers
- Buy Indoor/Outdoor Mats – you can get these at any hardware store and they are easily placed under the dog’s feeding/watering area. When messes occur, they land on the mats instead of your nice floor and keep you from slipping on the dog slobber and potentially hurting yourself.
- Use an Elevated Dog Bowl Holder –an elevated dog feeder is not only great for keeping the water off the floor but helping prevent bloat in large breed dogs. Opting for a wide-based plastic model with stainless steel removal bowls is best as they are more hygienic, clean easier and aren’t easily pushed over.
- Have a Water Schedule – give fresh water only at specific times a day. This way there is less likely to be a mess waiting for you when you least expect it and you are available to clean up any messes immediately. The best times are after feeding and after play. (Fresh water should also be given during hot or humid days more frequently.)
- Reuse Old Towels – hold onto those old bath and kitchen towels. Place a hook near your dog’s water bowl and once you hear your dog drinking, slowly grab the towel, wait for your dog to finish drinking and wipe it’s mouth and chin down. Don’t forget to get under the jowls, as water tends to hide there until they tilt their head back down. In our house we will call out “Damage Control!” when a family member notices Dakota is drinking water and the closest family member will attend to her chin wiping when she is done.
Dakota has gotten so use to this process that she will now wait patiently if we don’t notice that she has finished drinking.
Of course, there are times when we aren’t paying attention or are not fast enough to get to her before she begins walking away with a trail of water following her path. However, it is an art really… who is faster… the dog or us but at least these three tips help decrease the collateral damage!
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