Rochelle,
 
Congrats on your puppy!  We got Alky in 1992 after already having Mickey (my
Sheltie) for three years.  They get along fine, but we have been through some
trials and tribulations with food and water bowls.  We got a heavy ceramic bowl
for Mickey soon after we realized that Alky could tip over the original plastic
one.  In our experience you can't keep the ferret away from the dog's water
bowl unless you have somewhere the dog can get at that the ferret can't.  Not
likely.  Ever since we got her, the *first thing* Alky has done upon arising
from a nap is to go swimming in Mickey's water bowl.  (Fortunately he doesn't
seem to care.)  This results, as you've described, in puddles in the vicinity
of the bowl.  Our solution is to keep a big towel under the bowl to soak up
spilled water.  We've considered trying to train her to stay out of the bowl
but I think it would be a losing proposition.  Besides, I'd feel really guilty
taking away her favorite activity.  It's really fun to watch her float
ping-pong balls across the water - she looks like Bill the Cat when she's wet.
As long as we don't have standing water on the kitchen floor, we'll let her
swim.  And, it keeps her cool in the summer.
 
About the dog food.  When we first got Alky she used to eat Mickey's food all
the time.  I was initially concerned because dog food isn't as good for ferrets
as cat food, and she seemed to be filling up on Mickey's dinner.  (Fortunately
again, Mickey's pretty laid back about this sort of thing - some dogs wouldn't
tolerate a ferret or anybody else stealing their dinner).  But after the
novelty of dog food wore off she went back to eating her kitten food, and we
haven't had any more problems.  I have heard that dog food isn't as highly
flavored as cat food (apparently cats are pickier than dogs) - that may have
something to do with it.  She will sample Mickey's food if we buy a new kind,
but even then she doesn't eat more than a couple of pieces.  Hopefully this
will be the case for you.  On the other hand, Mickey *loves* cat food, and the
only solution we've found is to keep Alky's food bowl in her cage.  She can get
to it but Mickey can't.  This seems to work well for all concerned.
 
Good luck!
 
Liesl Fisher
 
[Posted in FML issue 0744]