The Owner’s Side

Guys, I’m going to hit you with the facts straight away, no meandering, no preface. I got Bella a drinking fountain. Yup, you heard me. No longer would she drink stale water; the era of freshness was upon us (if you’re wondering why I’d invest in a doggy drinking fountain, I’ll chalk it up to another session of late-night online shopping, with two treats on the side).

The day the package arrived, I ripped it open like a kid on Christmas. Excited does not begin to cover it. I’d seen those adorable videos of pets obliviously pawing at the fountain. Bella, though, was skeptical from the beginning. I swear I caught a glimpse of disbelief in her big brown eyes. She stared at me, then at the fountain, then back at me.

Set up was smooth, and soon enough, the gentle hum of the fountain was our new background noise. I was beside myself with joy. Bella, on the other hand, refused to go near the contraption. The moment of truth was here: Bella’s first attempt at a drink. And, let me tell you, it was not pretty. She took one look at the flowing water, tucked her tail, and bolted in the other direction. She didn’t stop till she made it to the very farthest corner of the backyard.

Honestly, I expected a lot of things — curiosity, confusion, maybe even some playful exploration. An outright boycott of hydration, though? That was a slap in the face, the longest, saddest sigh in dog history, if you will.

Bella’s Perspective: When The Strange Contraption Came Home

Guys, I’m telling you, there’s something wrong with my human. She brought home this weird thing today. It hums, and worse, it moves without anyone touching it. I’ve never seen anything like it. And trust me, apart from the time she made me wear puppy booties during the snowstorm, this tops all her wacky ideas.

Seems harmless at first, right? WRONG. IT. MOVES. Without. Anyone. Touching. It. I kid you not. One moment, it’s still, then BAM, water comes trickling out of the spout. Is this normal? To my horror, my human dumped my favorite BOWL out of the water and replaced it with this anomaly of a contraption.

To be clear, I wasn’t just trying to avoid it — I was trying to protest. I’m not going to let her think that she can bring home every fancy gizmo she finds online and think I’ll hop onto the play-wagon. No, sir. I took a stand — and no water was to be had that day.

Crisis Averted

With Bella giving the cold shoulder to our new drinking fountain, and me on the verge of pulling my hair out (not to mention the waste of hard-earned money), I knew something had to give. Long story short, when Monday rolled about, I found myself turning my car into The Hungry Puppy. I had a feeling I could find a solution there.

As soon as I stepped in, I noticed the colorful aisle of toys and accessories. With a hunch, I asked the helpful associate about any interactive water toys, and voila, they had just the thing! The good people of The Hungry Puppy guided me to this innovative water toy — the sumo splash guard floating fetch toy.

Back home, Bella sat away, eyeing me suspiciously. But when I set the toy down in her water, Bella’s eyes lit up, and she was bounding towards her water bowl in no time. Picture this: Her tail wagging happily, a wet toy in her mouth, running around the backyard. Guys, she was drinking water again. The world wasn’t ending. Dogs can rejoice everywhere!

Crisis averted. Trust regained. Dog no longer hates me (for now anyway!)

If you find your pet turning up their nose at their water dish, take a trip to The Hungry Puppy for some creativity. Their range of water toys might be the panacea to your troubles. Check out their selection online at The Hungry Puppy

• 🐕 Sumo splash guard floating fetch toy — an ingenious solution
• 🌿 FREE local NJ delivery — don’t stress, they’ve got you covered
• 🏪 In-store shopping — Bring your pup for the full experience
• 💚 Lots of love — We get it. We’re dog people too.