Why does my dog carry water in their mouth and spill it everywhere?
Some dogs use holding and dribbling water as a coping mechanism during stressful or busy moments in the house, sometimes pawing at it to throw it around. This creates a severe slipping hazard that makes walking on kitchen floors dangerous.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
- This comes up 28.1× more often in r/dogs than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Using specialized slow-feed or press-down water bowlsDid this help you?
- 2Telling the dog off when she starts showing signs of tracking waterDid this help you?
- 3Hiring a dog trainerDid this help you?
- 4Giving the dog ice cubes instead of a water bowlDid this help you?
- 5Putting the water bowl in the bathtub or showerDid this help you?
- 6Accepting that the water fountain functions as a toy for the puppyDid this help you?
- 7putting down hayDid this help you?
- 8using wood chipsDid this help you?
- 9applying mulch glueDid this help you?
- 10installing concrete or permeable paversDid this help you?
- 11letting pets drink directly from the faucetDid this help you?
- 12using multiple kinds of rugs under the bowlDid this help you?
- 13using a boot tray with raised edgesDid this help you?
- 14combining rugs with a boot trayDid this help you?
- 15putting a cheap plastic kiddie pool under the water bowlDid this help you?
- 16putting the bowl in a big storage bin with a hole cut in the sideDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“He drinks from it but then he starts staring at the water, putting his paw in it and splashing everywhere like this is his new favorite game”source ↗
“My dog (age 7 I believe Jack Russel/Chihuahua mix) keeps dribbling water everywhere, not as an accidental thing it seems to be her method of coping any time the house gets “too chaotic” except her sense of too chaotic is anything from making a cup of tea to multiple people walking around.”source ↗
“she’s learnt to hold as much as she can in her mouth and then runs around drooling it all over the floor and she paws at the water to throw it around as much as she can.”source ↗
“I’m mostly posting this now and in here because I just almost broke my damn arm slipping on the floor, I don’t want to have to start wearing non-slip shoes in my own kitchen.”source ↗
“Needing any ideas for my bully who drinks like a madman and gets water everywhere in the process.”source ↗
“We have wood floors which he is slowly damaging with his spillage.”source ↗
“So far we have tried multiple kinds of rugs, a boot tray that has the raised edges, and a combo of rugs with the boot tray.”source ↗
“my jack russell mix does something similar but with food, not water. she'll grab a mouthful of kibble and drop it in different rooms like she's decorating”source ↗
“My last tuxedo was very obsessed with water. Whenever he saw running water, he would try to drink directly from the faucet.”source ↗
“Terrible muddy dog mess when it rains.”source ↗
“I dont want to do that much work again and I am too stubborn to hire someone. 57yr fm. I am talking about the green permeable pavers. Looking for an inexpensive solution that looks decent.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4Why does my dog pee inside right after a walk?
- 7House-trained dog won't go to the bathroom outside after moving
- 19Why does my puppy keep peeing on the sofa and bed?
- 11Why are there always aggressive dogs or bad owners at the dog park?
- 12How to handle chronic pet incontinence and constant messes at home
- 11How to stop your dog from causing embarrassing scenes in public