# water dish on travel crate



## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

I'm looking for suggestions on ways to keep the water dish attached to the door of the vari kennel. I'm talking about the plastic dishes required by the air carriers to be attached to the door of the crate. I have a bitch who I am shipping back east on Friday, but she is known to paw the front of her crate when she gets excited, and those little water dishes are so flimsy, they break off so easily, and I would hate for her to miss her flight because she paws off the dish.

Any ideas? I'm not looking or interested in training her not to do it in 3 days, just looking for suggestions on how to attach the stupid plastic dish a little better.


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## Matt Vandart (Nov 28, 2012)

my next door neighbour had this problem when he brought his dog from russia, can't remember what he said he did but I will ask him tomorrow.


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Go to the pet store and buy the dishes in the bird section, they have dishes that look similar to the crate dishes (no perch on the front). Those have metal pieces that go over the bird cage door and hold up to pawing a little bit better than those plastic clip on things. Or drill a hole in the plastic ones you have, near the top, and zip tie the dish to the door of the crate. If you zip tie near each of the plastic tabs they usually have to paw it quite a bit before it comes off.

My experience has been once they see the dish there, it doesn't matter if it comes off later, they know the dish was in the crate so the requirements have been met. So I usually don't put the dishes in the crate until the crate and dog are going into the cargo area on the scales. Or I have the dishes in the crate but the dog out of the crate on leash, then put it in last minute.

You can drill a hole in the bird dish also if you want, but be careful, they are a little more brittle of a plastic, I think to keep the birds from chewing on them.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> Go to the pet store and buy the dishes in the bird section, they have dishes that look similar to the crate dishes (no perch on the front). Those have metal pieces that go over the bird cage door and hold up to pawing a little bit better than those plastic clip on things. Or drill a hole in the plastic ones you have, near the top, and zip tie the dish to the door of the crate. If you zip tie near each of the plastic tabs they usually have to paw it quite a bit before it comes off.
> 
> My experience has been once they see the dish there, it doesn't matter if it comes off later, they know the dish was in the crate so the requirements have been met. So I usually don't put the dishes in the crate until the crate and dog are going into the cargo area on the scales. Or I have the dishes in the crate but the dog out of the crate on leash, then put it in last minute.
> 
> You can drill a hole in the bird dish also if you want, but be careful, they are a little more brittle of a plastic, I think to keep the birds from chewing on them.


Thanks!


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

I've flown and shipped dogs with a SS pail with a double clip like this attached to the door.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Thanks Geoff, that's a really good idea, too.


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## Ang Cangiano (Mar 2, 2007)

Similar to what Kadi said with zip ties, but I don't drill holes, just use a sort of figure-eight pattern around the clip and door. I prefer the coop cups she's talking about though. Duct-tape the dish into the holder and then ziptie the holder to the door.

Ang


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

i have had half a dozen dogs fly into japan from the states and am familiar with that dumb rule .... the "checkers" are not usually dog savvy and just want to see something so i suggest securing something the dog won't chew on or rip off and be done with it.

my concern is always that the dish will not get chewed up because that WOULD be a problem
- mostly depends on the dog and if they have already been conditioned to "something" hanging off their crate ... which can be done and proofed way before you need to have it there 
- so i always tell the owner to get it "proofed" in advance when the dog can be supervised


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## Paul R. Konschak (Jun 10, 2010)

I think this might be what you are looking for

http://www.petco.com/product/6987/Lixit-Carrier-Cage-Crock.aspx


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Ang Cangiano said:


> Similar to what Kadi said with zip ties, but I don't drill holes, just use a sort of figure-eight pattern around the clip and door. I prefer the coop cups she's talking about though. Duct-tape the dish into the holder and then ziptie the holder to the door.
> 
> Ang


Thanks Ang


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Paul R. Konschak said:


> I think this might be what you are looking for
> 
> http://www.petco.com/product/6987/Lixit-Carrier-Cage-Crock.aspx


Thanks Paul.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

susan tuck said:


> Thanks Geoff, that's a really good idea, too.


The double clip with a small SS pail like this







usually a 1 qt as it doesn't take a lot of room up in the crate. It is pretty bulletproof. Any of those bowls that clip, bolt or hang for me have always come loose for me when flying for whatever reason. I'm sure you can rig up stuff that works, but with the double snap and SS flat sided pail no rigging is required. The double snap and SS flat sided pail you'd be pretty hard pressed to have a dog or airport handler screw one of those up. You can turn the double clip around as well so that the thumb levers face away from the dog as well if you are worried the dog will mess with it. It is a little less convenient to attach this way as you have to twist your wrist to attach to the cage, but it makes it even harder for accidental removal. I'll take a picture later today and show how mine is set up. Another thing I do is, you can fill up the bucket with water and freeze them over night before shipping then put in water before the dog goes in the box. The ice block won't spill readily with rough handling or turbulence and the dog has fresh cold water for hours.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Geoff Empey said:


> The double clip with a small SS pail like this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Seems like your suggestion would be the easiest for me. I have a flat sided 2 quart stainless and I have a 1 quart stainless, but it's not flat sided. I'd order one, but it wouldn't get here in time. There is a pet store in town, I'm going to take a look to see if they have one by chance.

If I can't find a 1 qt (or less) flat sided stainless, I will go one of the other suggested routes.

I agree about freezing the water, that's always worked out well for the dogs I have shipped too.

Thanks everyone, for taking the time to help out, much appreciated.
:smile:


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## Ang Cangiano (Mar 2, 2007)

Every time I've tried the frozen water route the dog ends up popping the ice cube out and then there's a puddle in the crate from it melting.

These are the dishes I was talking about: http://www.petedge.com/product/ProSelect-Stainless-Steel-Hanging-Bowls-for-Cages/43869.uts Very easy to secure and I've never had one come loose, with many international and domestic shipments of dogs.

Ang


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

susan tuck said:


> Seems like your suggestion would be the easiest for me. I have a flat sided 2 quart stainless and I have a 1 quart stainless, but it's not flat sided. I'd order one, but it wouldn't get here in time. There is a pet store in town, I'm going to take a look to see if they have one by chance.
> 
> If I can't find a 1 qt (or less) flat sided stainless, I will go one of the other suggested routes.


Hi Susan,

A regular side 1 qt bucket would be fine probably just do a test fit. Really all the airline employees need is something to pour h20 in if the dog gets stuck somewhere on a layover. 

Here is what my setup looks like I just use the same setup for every thing. You see how I have reversed the clip so there is less chance of it getting bumped and opened by accident by either side.


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## Annie Wildmoser (Nov 18, 2012)

Geoff Empey said:


> I've flown and shipped dogs with a SS pail with a double clip like this attached to the door.


+1


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