There are a couple of problems when you keep an outside dog. A dog kept outside tends to bark more than an inside dog. An outdoor dog also seems to knock over his water bowl a lot. For the owner, it can be annoying when you have to fill the bowl up, again and again, as the dog continues to knock it over. For the dog, it can be agonizing, because he doesn’t mean to knock over his water, and he gets mighty thirsty as he waits for a refill. Put an end to all the madness by making him a hanging water bowl.
If your dog is kept inside a fence it’s really a simple matter to make the hanging water bowl. Just use a milk jug as the bowl itself. To prepare it, rinse it well, and put the cap back on it. On the area opposite the handle, cut a large opening, so that the bottom of the jug becomes a bowl. Leave the lid, handle, and whole back of jug intact.
Outdoors, position the handle of the jug against the fence. Make sure you hang the jug low enough so that the dog can comfortably drink. Thread a wire through the fence, and the jug handle, to strap it to the fence. Twist the wires to secure. Another option is to use a zip-tie to attach the jug.
If your dog isn’t inside a fence you can still make the hanging water jug. Pound a stake into the ground and hammer a nail into one side. On the opposite side, position the jug. Wrap the wire around the stake, threading it through the handle of the jug, and wrapping the wire at least once around the nail to prevent the jug from sliding down the pole.
There are variations you can do with the hanging water jug. If you have a milk or juice carton, instead of a jug, you can hang it on the fence or stake. Just cut the carton down to a bowl size on three sides, but leave it taller on the fourth side. Poke two holes on the long side and use them to thread the wire or zip-tie through.
Once you make the hanging water bowl your life will get easier. And your dog will have a much better life because, anytime it gets thirsty, it can count on the water being right where it’s supposed to be.