Why does my puppy keep scratching or pawing at the water bowl?

This is a fairly common behavior that pet owner witness with their dogs. It is not a concerning behavior and can be due to boredom, different water bowl, the placement of the water bowl, etc. There is no need to be concerned about the behavior and you can try using a different water bowl in a different location to see if this behavior lessens. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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.

Stop hand feeding your puppy, as he might get used to it and then generally refuse any food that is not being fed to him by hand. Depending on what type of bowl you are using, there may be an odor that he does not like. Plastic bowls often emit chemicals which could be uncomfortable for the dog (and also can cause skin problems). Change his food bowl to either ceramics or metal and keep it meticulously clean, ie wash it and rinse it well after each meal. Make sure he is hungry when you feed him, ie feed small amounts more often. Take away any food he has not eaten within ten minutes.

Find a tire into which the bowl fits, so she cannot turn it over, or get a really big bowl and put a large stone into it. Ultimately you can also have their drinking water in the shower where it does not matter if the bowl gets turned over.

Oh dear it sounds like your kitten is quite the rascal. Could you try training her to use a water bottle instead with a sipper? It also sounds like she is quite playful and needs a lot to keep her stimulated. You can look into cat toys that she has to chase. You can also find treat-dispensing toys at your local pet store, that require her to bat it around to get the kibbles out. I'm a big fan of these because they mimic a cat's natural hunting instinct. Laser pointers are a tried and true favourite as well. In the meantime, I'm afraid you may have to kitten-proof your home, at least for now. Take away any access to your clothes, etc. Only put out cat-friendly toys that you don't mind getting wet. And you can always try a lesser amount of water in her dish if the water bottle doesn't work out. I hope this helps! Good luck with your kitten!

Poor Momo! He could have a sore tooth in the back of his mouth causing him to scratch at it, he could have a skin infection of the side of the mouth called a lip fold pyoderma, it could be caused by allergies, or he could have a foreign body stuck in his mouth. I recommend taking Momo into your vet to have his mouth examined, have the cause of the scratching diagnosed, and you vet can determine the appropriate treatment.

It maybe the dog bowl is bigger or the edge of the bowl is different. I’d try a different water bowl for him to find one he likes better. Cats can be fussy but I’m sure he’ll drink out of a different type of bowl. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Oliver.