Circle C,
I currently have these.
As you can see by this pic, I slant them slightly down.
Generally if placed low enough, when pups are about 6-7 weeks old they will have learned to drink out of the above by watching momma. I have some of the hog nipples in 2 pens in addition to the dog lickers. There was a time, I kept some wild shoats up at the kennels for a project I was working on. The lickers will run if they are touched at all . However, they don't produce a lot of water even with a 70 PSI. The hog nipples produce a lot of pressure, but must be litterally bit on to flow. This is why hog farmers use them. The hogs can't just play in them without having to do some work. I have had plenty of dogs in those 2 kennels. I have never seen them drink out of the hog nipples. I think most likely it is a little hard for them to do. I have recently placed some chickens in some of my kennels. I equipt them with the Little Giant 2500 autowaterers. I should note, in my chick pen, I utilize the 2525 (chick) model. It is not as deep. The 2550 is really deep. If I raised labs, I'm sure I'd invest the extra $5 for them. Anyway, this litter I am raising now, I have them in with one of the 2500 models. They love it. The momma actually prefers to drink out of it over the licker. Both the bowls and lickers are in that pen. Everytime I hose the pens out (several times a day), I just shoot the water stream into the bowl. It washes out anything that may be in there including food that has fallen out of pup's mouths.
http://incubatorwarehouse.com/index.php/little-giant-automatic-poultry-fount-2500.html
