The real risk is the stand, not the glass
Dogs rarely crack aquarium glass by pawing at it. The danger is force arriving through the furniture: a heavy dog launching sideways off the cabinet, two dogs wrestling shoulder-first into a stand leg, or repeated thumping that walks the stand slowly out of level. A full tank is enormously heavy and completely rigid, and that weight concentrates at the corners, so even a small rock or twist stresses the silicone seams holding the panes together. Placement is the first fix. Put the tank against a wall, out of the hallway racetrack and away from the spot where the dogs greet visitors at full speed. If the stand can be anchored to the wall with brackets, anchor it — a tethered stand cannot be walked across the floor.
Lids, latches, and keeping paws out of the water
A loose glass lid that simply rests on the rim will slide the first time a wet nose bumps it upward, and an open top invites drinking, paw-dabbling, and the occasional launched toy landing in the water. Fit a lid or cover with clips or a latch, and check that the cut-outs for cables and filter pipes are snug, because those gaps are exactly where a curious nose works. Keep the water level an inch or so below the rim so a bump sloshes less, and wipe splashes off the stand and floor promptly — a dog that learns the tank corner is interesting will keep returning to investigate it.
House rules that survive excitement
Equipment only goes so far; the household routine does the rest. Keep fetch, tug, and wrestling games in another room as a standing rule, not a sometimes rule, and feed the dogs away from the tank so mealtime excitement happens elsewhere. Give the dogs a defined place — a bed or mat — on the far side of the room, and reward settling on it while people work at the tank. Children need the same clarity as guests: no tapping the glass, no running past the stand with toys, and an adult present for water changes, when buckets and open lids make the whole corner more exciting and more vulnerable than usual.
Train the tank corner to be boring
Most boisterous behaviour around a tank is curiosity that pays off: fish dart, people react, the dog gets attention. Break the loop calmly. When a dog fixates on the glass, redirect to a chew or a training game away from the tank rather than scolding at the glass, which only raises the excitement in exactly the wrong spot. Practise short, dull sessions near the tank — walking past on a lead, settling, being rewarded for ignoring the fish — so the corner becomes part of the furniture in the dog's mind. A baby gate across the doorway during parties or when puppies are in the wild stage is not defeat; it is sensible management.
Check the tank after every collision
Even with everything in place, a determined collision will happen one day. When it does, check the stand is still level, look along every silicone seam for new bubbles or whitening, and inspect the cabinet and floor for water that suggests a slow leak has started. Jot down what happened and what you checked, because a seam that survives three bumps may not survive the fourth. Family Sharing through KinsLe means a chosen relative can be given access to the aquarium's profile.