The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsDog experts - advice needed
My 9 YO hound husky mix has started doing something really weird. Last couple of weeks, I'd come home to find water all over the kitchen and his water bowl across the room. He sometimes has trouble walking on hard floors so I thought maybe he had slipped those few times.
So, here I am sitting on my recliner enjoying popcorn and an adult beverage while watching the news. Dog goes to his bowl, drinks to his fill.....
then uses his snout to knock the rest of the water out of the bowl!
I hollered to him to stop and he came back to the living room, looking not a bit repentant. He's giving me this "well, what are you going to do about it?" look.
He gets plenty of fresh water in a clean bowl. Here's what's changed...
as some of you may recall, our little dog, his best friend, died several weeks ago. This new behavior started about a week after. Other than sometimes seeming to be looking for her, he hasn't reacted to her passing at all.
Could this be a reaction? Is he just bored and taught himself a fun new trick?
Help!
True Dough
(17,320 posts)Or could you switch it to a dish that is set inside a solid stand of some sort, making it impossible to knock over unless the entire stand goes with it?
mcar
(42,372 posts)Thanks!
lettucebe
(2,336 posts)Any new strange behavior is usually due to something having changed. I'd give him tons of love and maybe a new stuffed animal for comfort while he adjusts
mcar
(42,372 posts)I've been trying to get him to play with a tennis ball again. He kind of gave that up when little dog came along.
I do think he needs more attention.
Phoenix61
(17,019 posts)Huskies are, as a breed, very smart. Hes probably bored and irritated with you for leaving him home alone. My huskie would get irked with me if I was gown too long. To get even she would wait to poop until I got home and she could put it in the middle of the living room. The door would be open to the yard but no... middle of the living room.
Harker
(14,034 posts)one of my old man's fancy loafers with soft serve.
Good doggie.
mcar
(42,372 posts)She'd wait till a few days after we came home. Then boom!
diabetes in a dog,,not enough to drink is one of first signs
mcar
(42,372 posts)He just started tossing the rest.
in2herbs
(2,947 posts)eating (and drinking).
mcar
(42,372 posts)We always had them eat in different parts of the kitchen.
dempls
(35 posts)My lab used to do this when she was hot. Knocked water out of her dish onto the tile floor and the lay in it to cool off. She would look at me quite pleased with herself.
mcar
(42,372 posts)We are in FL and it's a slice of hell here now. But the house is cool and he didn't go lay on it.
Karadeniz
(22,572 posts)mcar
(42,372 posts)They got her a baby pool and filled it up in the summer. Bet he'd like that. I wouldn't like muddy dog coming back in.
samnsara
(17,635 posts)mcar
(42,372 posts)Never did this, though. Nice to know it's not way out there.
Liberty Belle
(9,535 posts)He's probably trying to tell you he's lonely!
mcar
(42,372 posts)I'll be honest - I love the big guy. Broke my heart when the little gal died. But hubby and I are close to retirement and looking forward to traveling without having to worry about fur babies.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)The mom's favorite thing was flipping the water bowl over (there were a bunch lying around the park) and "skating" it all over the place. She would place one front paw on top and push it around. She could do that for hours. If you picked up the bowl and tossed it, she would chase it down, flip it over, and start skating it again.
What I'm trying to say is that dogs can do some weird things with their bowls. Is this in reaction to the loss of your other dog? It could be. Is it a sign of something more serious? Not necessarily. The one thing I would ask is, "Does this constitute destructive behavior?" It could be that he is acting out to get your attention (and this is happening because he isn't getting as much attention now that his buddy is gone.) So my final advice would be to give him more positive attention and correct his water bowl shenanigans.
Laffy Kat
(16,386 posts)As far as she can so my older dog can't have a drink. This started when I began giving them a water bowl while I'm in the bathtub, so they won't try to drink the hot bathwater. They love each other, but the puppy is a brat to her older sister. I get the same "so what?" look you get.