Why do German shepherds put their paws in the water bowl?
Tyrel Crona
2025-07-04 20:55:26
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: 9
Dogs do not sweat through their skin. The cool their bodies/regulate temperature primarily through either panting or through their foot pads. If it is very warm some dogs learn that putting their feet in water can have a very rapid and satisfying cooling effect. It might be that your dog just likes to do it and there is no other deeper explanation. Another possibility is that the bowl slips when he drinks and he is trying to stop it from moving.
Malika Hirthe
2025-06-27 08:35:47
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: 14
Our pup is about 3-4 months old and has been with us for 2 weeks now and she just started doing this. It seems like whenever she drinks water she puts her paws in the bowl and splashes water everywhere. Is this common for dog/puppies?
Delfina Boehm
2025-06-27 08:01:42
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: 12
Dogs and, especially, cats instinctively know that still, stagnant water can be a dangerous breeding ground for bacteria and parasites so that pawing at the water is basically a depth, temperature and water quality check. It also gets the water moving which immediately makes it more appealing to drink. Let’s be real, the fur-kids are like human kids and therefore playing with water is ALWAYS fun. For dogs, water play also keeps them cool. But all that poking and prodding does actually serve a purpose.
The other factor playing into a water pawing are whiskers. So for bowls with high sides the paw is deployed as a bit of a dipstick.
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