Why does my dog paw or dig at her water bowl before drinking?

That bowl is very small for the size of your dog, so it could be that she is trying to get to more water. Switching to a larger bowl, or one that is a different material may help her paw at it less. If it is kept close to her food, she may also be trying to "bury" it for later, like a bone or toy.

There could be a couple of reasons why Pilot is showing this behavior. If he is drinking from a stainless steel bowl, he could be seeing a reflected light in it, leading him to try to catch it by digging in it. I would use a non-reflective bowl. It could be that Pilot likes moving water, and digging the bowl creates movement in his water bowl. You can use a doggy water fountain instead of a bowl. It provides continuing streams of water, and dogs love drinking from them. I know this from personal experience! You can get a doggy water fountain online or from a pet store. It could also be that Pilot is bored. Set up a regular routine with play and training to keep him busy and occupied. Finally, you can keep the water at a lower level in the bowl, which decreases his ability to dig at the water.

I understand that any change in behavior worries you - it would be so much easier if they could just tell us what they were thinking! I don't think this sounds like anything concerning as long as Athena seems to be drinking the same amount of water and isn't having trouble drinking. If your gut is telling you something is wrong however it may be best to have your vet examine her and make sure everything is okay.

The close up vision of cats is much weaker than their long distance vision and so, when they are right at their water dish, they can’t see the water level. In order to check where the water starts – or if there is even any water in the dish – they will move it to cause the water to ripple and splash. Once they are satisfied they know where the water is, then they will commence their drinking. That is my best guess. If you are not happy with this change in behavior you could always get her a drinking fountain to drink from. Most cats prefer to drink from running water so this may help. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/cat/cat-feeding-supplies/cat-waterers-fountains-and-accessories/catit-flower-cat-water-fountain )

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dog behavior is very complex sometimes and does not always make sense. Dogs dig for various reasons including digging at the ground and circling before lying down, as though they're trying to make a softer resting place (many dogs do this on the carpet or furniture as well.) Dogs also dig when trying to get warm or stay cool, to entertain themselves, to bury valued items, and when hunting ground-dwelling animals. Oftentimes we see our pets do things that seem odd and there isn't a good answer for their behavior. I'm not really sure in this case why Chacha is doing this but I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you start to notice other odd behaviors or signs that something is wrong with her medically. Good luck with Chacha.

That does seem a little odd. She could have been playing in the water, but I also worry that she could have fallen and maybe in a position that she couldn’t get out? I would monitor her closely and if you Feel the bowl is too deep maybe switch to a wider more Shallow bowl until she grows some more. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

It could be that Uno is moving the bowl to a place that is more comfortable for him to eat, he could be moving it to find a food odor he likes, or he might be moving the bowl so his left side isn't by a wall. Research has found that dogs have a dominant side based on gender, and male dogs tend to favor their left paw. Uno could be moving the bowl to that his left side isn't next to the wall. This is a common behavior in dogs to move their food with their nose before eating, and I wouldn't worry about it :-)