Featured Product: Buying Automatic Dog Waterers

Like most living things, dogs need water to live. How you choose to water your dog, however, is where the choice lies. There are many different ways to ensure your dog’s thirst is quenched when you are home, away, or out in the field with your pup. The best way to begin is to ask yourself, “What fits me best?”

Whether you use an old fashioned bowl or an Automatic Dog Waterers, the biggest thing to watch out for is a situation where your dog(s) could actually turn the bowl over. No-tip bowls are a quick fix for this problem. Since dogs are known for chewing, a stainless steel, no-tip bowl is going to work especially well inside. These will usually hold about 96 ounces of water or ¾ of a gallon, at most. If your dog isn’t a chewer, the Buddy Bowl is perfect for at home or while traveling. The Buddy Bowls allows your dog access to water at any time without the risk of them tipping the bowl over or digging in the bowl and splashing the water out.

Watering Outside Dogs

For outside dogs or if you have many dogs, stainless steel water buckets. are ideal. Water buckets come in many different sizes, however, 4 to 5 gallons is a good size to ensure your dogs don’t run out of water. Water buckets can also be made stationary by clipping them to kennels using brass snaps. This will keep your dog from turning over the bucket and running out of water.

Another easy and effective way or watering your dogs outside are the Lixit waterers. Lixit makes two kinds of waterer, the auto waterer for faucets Lixit automatic dog waterer for faucets and the auto waterer for pipes Lixit dog waterer for pipes. Both work the same way, but one is built for outdoor faucets and one is built to attach to ¼ inch water pipes. Although it is classified as an automatic waterer, Lixit is a little different than most. Unlike most automatic waterers, the Lixit doesn’t continually fill up; it uses a lever that your dog presses and the water comes out. The Lixit auto waterer is very similar to a water fountain except instead of the water shooting up, it actually runs down. Although it takes a little training to get your dog accustomed to the Lixit, once they’ve got the hang of it, most dogs love it. Training your dog to use the Lixit automatic waterer is as simple as the Lixit itself. Once it is attached to the faucet and the faucet is turned on –no water is running until your dog presses the lever- place peanut butter on the en dof the lever and as your dog licks it off the water starts running. Since most dogs love peanut butter, this is an easy way to train them. If you want to have a bucket but you are concerned about your dog not having access or are concerned about your dog knocking over your water bowl or something like that, a Lixit is a really good secondary source in those situations. Although it cannot be used in the winter due to freezing, at only $6.95, the Lixit is an ultra-afforable, unique and effective way to keep your pup hydrated.

Watering Dogs in Kennels

For an owner who keeps their dogs in kennels or runs, there is a variety of choices and methods of keeping your dog watered. Along with the buckets that can be attached and the Buddy Bowl, auto waterers specifically designed for kennels. Automatic waterers come in both plastic and stainless steel and vary in price from $15 to $100. With the proper care, cleaning and vigilance automatic watering systems can be convenient and rewarding for both you and your dog. Although the automatic waterers can provide convenience to the owner, it’s still important to check the device daily to make sure it is working properly and your dog has access to water when he needs it.

With an automatic waterer as your dog drinks, the bowl refills itself with fresh, clean, cool water, allowing for a constant supply of water to your dog. Conceptually, automatic dog waterers are little bitty commodes, using the exact same technology that fills your commode when you flush the handle. So there is nothing really revolutionary going on here.

The difference in $15 waterer and a $100 stainless steel automatic dog waterer is what they are made out of. A $15 one is made out of plastic, whereas a $100 one is made out of stainless steel. There is also a good bit of difference in the parts, from plastic pieces compared to medal pieces and that kind of stuff. The majority of automatic waterers are connected to a hose or directly to a water pipe.

The Critter Cooler Dog Waterer, however, is an auto waterer that does not require a direct water source. It uses a reservoir that you fill up with water which allows you to keep a large amount of water where the dog can’t get to it. He can only get to the bowl. This is a good choice for folks who want a large amount of water for a dog but are not close to a water source. The Critter Cooler Dog Waterer is available in 3 sizes: small 3.5 gallon,medium 5 gallon, and a large 6.5 gallon

Automatic Waterers Material Composition

When purchasing an auto waterer for your dog it’s important to decide early on what material it will be made out of. This is a simple questions to answer. Is your dog a chewer or not? If he isn’t, the cheaper, plastic automatic dog waterer will work just fine. The Aqua Buddy is a plastic automatic waterer that starts at $14.95. If your dog is a chewer or you are just looking for a stronger waterer, both stainless steel and galvanized metal waterers are an excellent choice. Stainless steel will rust but it is not as inclined to rust. Galvanized metal typically will not rust, but it will turn a grayish brown. A lot of that depends on where it is; It is a sunlight factor. The most popular automatic stainless steel waterer is that Nelson Automatic Waterer. The Nelson Automatic Dog Waterer 1200 high quality and high grade stainless steel. At $100 they are definitely not the least expensive item out there, but well worth the money. It is designed to attach to a chain link setup or to a wall and the hose can either set up on the left side or right side. That is true on all the Nelson and Kane units. They are set up where, depending on what you need, you can do it either way.

The Kane galvanized automatic waterers models are also very effective, but unlike the Nelson they are galvanized metal. Kane makes a variety of auto wateres in varied price ranges. They also make a double waterer that is set up to put it in between two kennel runs and you put a chain link fence in between it, allowing two dogs can work off of one waterer. It also works great as a stand alone waterer. One thing to keep in mind when using it in a double kennel situation is that you have got two dogs sharing the same water bucket. If one of them gets sick the other one is going to get sick too. Both the Nelson and Kane models are great for at home, out door use.

Winter Time and Heated Automatic Waterers

Automatic waterers are great for summer time use, but need to be used with caution in the winter due to freezing. There are heated waterers for dogs, but these combine water and electricity, so a close evaluation of your dog’s chewing habits is a good idea before purchasing one of these. The Osborne heated water buckets are really nice. It is just a water bucket, but it is a heated water bucket. The Osborne is not an automatic waterer. Kane makes an auto waterer with a heating option.

Keeping your thirsty pup hydrated is not just an at home issue. On the go watering can be just as tricky, but also has a variety of solutions. Most crates come with small, plastic bowls that attach to the crate. While these may work for a little while they are not effective in the long run. Coop cups are a stainless steel replacement for the cheaper, plastic ones. The main thing is your dog is getting enough water and it isn’t spilling all over your dog. The Kennel Deck floor system is an easy way to make sure your dog isn’t laying in spilled water.

Keeping your dog hydrated is essential for their health, but it doesn’t have to drain your bank account. Whether you choose a standard steel bowl or bucket or an automatic waterer, be sure your dog’s water stays fresh, clean and free of algae. The most important thing is to figure out what type of waterer will work best for you and your thirsty pup.

Featured Product: Buy Dog Training Collars

Ask yourself at what distance you expect to need control over your dog


Innotek collar receivers are the smallest you'll find anywhere, and their transmitters are comparatively small as well.



Only Innotek Gives You a Choice. Rechargeable receivers use NiCad batteries. Innotek's exclusive SMART Charge technology makes charging fast and efficient and eliminates the risk of overcharging. Replaceable-battery receivers operate on long-life alkaline or lithium batteries. Transmitters use replaceable batteries.


All models provide continuous stimulation in which the stimulus is delivered as long as the transmitter is held, to a maximum of 10 seconds.

Consider their features and options for the type of training you do. If you have questions, please contact us, we'll be happy to help!