• Ecourages pets to drink
  • More drinking reduces risk of urinary tract and kidney infections
  • Reduces splashing and spills
  • New pre-filter reduces cleaning maintenance, and wear and tear. 
  • Built-in 1 gallon reservoir makes refills less frequent.
  • Dishwasher safe prevents melting and damage.
  • The Drinkwell Fountain is designed, approved, and recommended by veterinarians, particularly for pets prone to urinary tract disorders. 


What should I do about my dog’s water bowl on hardwood floor?

Posted on Sep 27, 2009 under Best Dog Water Bowl | 22 Comments

Hi there – I am moving to a house that has hardwood floors – never lived with hardwood before. What do I do about my dog’s water bowl – should I be worried about water splashing on the hardwood? Should I put something under the bowl? THANKS!!

  • Pets can drink
    straight from the stream. 
  • New pre-filter reduces cleaning maintenance, and wear and
    tear. 
  • Built-in 1 gallon reservoir makes refills less frequent.
  • Dishwasher safe prevents melting and damage.
  • The Drinkwell Fountain is designed, approved, and
    recommended by veterinarians, particularly for pets prone to urinary
    tract disorders. 

they make little rubber mats for just this purpose. They even have a little lip to help control "overflow". Check your local pet shop

22 Responses to “What should I do about my dog’s water bowl on hardwood floor?”

  1. Shihfu Mike Evans Says:

    they make little rubber mats for just this purpose. They even have a little lip to help control "overflow". Check your local pet shop
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  2. PenguinsWife Says:

    If youre really worried about it, get him a cloth placemat to go under it.. it will soak up any water he knocks out,
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  3. jasonjason1212 Says:

    leave the toilet seat up
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  4. chelsea r Says:

    its always good to have a mat incase of spills. even a towl will work.
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  5. M K Says:

    they have water bowls where the bottom is made of rubber (non skid). works great on hardwoods
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  6. angelicrulz Says:

    Hey

    Maybe just put a rug under the bowl to catch any splashes to stop the floor from staining thats what i fdo for my cat
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  7. ESPERANZA Says:

    Put a placemat under the dish
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  8. Bobbobla Says:

    If your dog is a sloppy drinker, you could put a towel under the bowl. But mostly I just wouldn’t worry. Your new hardwood floor should be well enough sealed to prevent against water damage.
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  9. Steffanie P Says:

    What I suggest is getting one of those bowls that are on a stand so it’s almost a foot away from the floor.Then either put a mat or a towel underneath it. If the bowl is higher to his mouth, it will less likely spill a lot on the floor. And the water that does get on the floor a mat or towel will be there. Hardwood floors should not be stained by water at all… because you do need to clean it eventually with water or some kind of liquid. Have fun in your new house!
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  10. Frogface53 Says:

    Put a couple layers of towels down to prevent the wood from getting wet. We have done this since 1999 with no problems.
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  11. babygrillez Says:

    buy a doggie mat.. they are a plastic-ish mats that go under the dishes…. they r really good with any hard flooring!!!
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  12. michiganmommyx3 Says:

    I wouldnt worry about it to much unless he is a really sloppy drinker lol — They do have rubber mats or even just place a towel under there or news paper, and when it gets wet change it.
    Wood floors are beautiful, but a lot of work, have fun with that lol
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  13. Sue A Says:

    yes, a mat or towel.
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  14. icthus Says:

    If you make sure the floor is sealed with polyurethane or water based varnish, it should be fine. Otherwise get a carpet square and place the bowl on that.

    alternatively, try training him to drink from a drinking bottle, like what you would put in a rabbit or guinea pig hutch.
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  15. tlctreecare Says:

    Boot trays with a towel in the bottom are an easy way to control the water and keep things dry.
    Boot trays have a large lip on them so the water will not run out of the tray and you can empty it if needed. A twoel in the bottom of it will keep the mess to a very minimum.
    That is what I have always used and I have had hardwood floors the entire time I have had dogs.
    References :
    I am a dog trainer

  16. loryntoo Says:

    Doggie mats go under the food and water bowl to contain spills AND keep the bowls from skidding around. Available at any pet store or large store like WalMart. Saw them just today at a farm supply, too.
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  17. ashlg@sbcglobal.net Says:

    hey,
    What I do is, I put a rubber nonskidding mat then a placemat on top of that then put the bowl on top. even if water comes out it wont ruin it at all that bad…if it’s finished that is :)
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  18. asm Says:

    Go to your local pet store. They sale "place mats" for animals. They are fairly inexpensive. Buy one that is large enough to put both the water and food on (that way you won’t have to worry about the food getting on the floor – if you feed your dog wet dog food).

    Your biggest concern may be the hardwood floors scratching from the nails of your dog more than water stains from your dog’s water dish.
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  19. Chel-so Says:

    I don’t have a dog but in my house we do have two cats that love making a mess with there water.
    My suggestion is if you have a fenced in backyard put his water back there. If you don’t and you need the water inside, put in in a corner with a mat under it. Set it apart from everything else. Somewhere the dog can have space. If he does make a mess I don’t think it will be a huge problem on wood flooring. Just so long as you clean it up. It would be better to have that corner of the house a place where the dog relaxes. Somewhere he wants to be comfortable
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  20. mario dude Says:

    You should put a towl under the bowl or a mat and see if water still splashys . Don’t worry .
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  21. cloverivy Says:

    Put a mat down. They sell doggie decorated mats at petsmart and petco.
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  22. jbj115 Says:

    Do NOT leave a wet towel on hardwood floors, a combination tray/towel as mentioned.
    References :
    150 lb Akita named Bear; eats like a debutant drinks like a drowning duck!

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  • Pets can drink straight from the stream. 
  • New pre-filter reduces cleaning maintenance, and wear and tear. 
  • Built-in 1 gallon reservoir makes refills less frequent.
  • Dishwasher safe prevents melting and damage.
  • The Drinkwell Fountain is designed, approved, and recommended by veterinarians, particularly for pets prone to urinary tract disorders. 


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