Hi guys & gals!

My dogs spend a LOT of time outdoors. They have inside/outside access via doggy door all day, but my grandmother (who's home all day) says they're rarely inside, mostly just to get a drink then it's back out to chase lizards or lay in the shade. (which is odd to me, it's 112 degrees right now!)

I've been thinking of getting an outdoor bowl for them, maybe one of those that attaches to the hose so it stays full. Any suggestions? Where can I get one?

I'm fine with them coming inside to get water, but my grandmother can't keep picking up the bowl & refilling it all day. (Plus, if they get a little dirt in it she insists on washing it out, because her little dog won't drink from it)

Hopefully this isn't OT for the board....

Years ago we had one but our Lab thought it was some kind of a toy and destroyed it. I just use 2 5 gallon milk pails now and keep them in the shade. It's not as hot here as where you are but we do get a good amount of 100 degree days.

http://www.revivalanimal.com/catwaterers.aspx?catid=21&a=google&_oskwdid=1959812&gclid=citxo46xtpmcfsozagodzcikcq

http://www.gundogsupply.com/feeders---waterers.html

I don't remember seeing one on Leerburg ... anyone else?

Steve: That's what I'm afraid of! Any time a water bowl gets emptied outside, it becomes fair game and I find it on the OTHER side of the yard, all chewed up.

Connie: Thanks! I looked around on this site too, but didn't see one, so I figured I'd ask. The closest thing ive seen here is the bowls that attach to the kennels, but they don't really help me.

I'd go out and score a kiddie pool someplace.
Plenty of water to drink.........Some place to cool off.
Win win.


Enjoy the heat, we got none here.
Randy

Randy: I've thought about that very seriously. However, I have this vision in my head of me coming home to find the house muddy, dogs sprawled out, and a grandmother fuming, lol.

Last week, I came home to find maverick had been oh-so-kind enough to scatter an ENTIRE 10lb bag of potting soil around the porch. (Keep in mind, this porch is the entire length of the house, and probably 30ft deep) And he was SO proud of his decorating skills!

I have one. They are great but you still need to clean it. I rinse it out once a day with a hose. I have a splitter that attaches to the hose bib. One side goes to the automatic water and the other to the garden hose. Its still easier than filling a bowl with water. Here I can't use it in winter due to freeze up. I don't think that's a problem in your locale.

A word of caution is make sure the auto waterer and the hose leading to it are in shade. If not the hose will heat up from the sun.

You can find hose bib splitters at the hardware store such as Home Depot. I got my automatic waterer at a feed and farm store. If you don't find it on the shelf they can usually order it.

Another option is they have this thing that attaches right to the hose bib. I can't remember the name of it. The dog pushes this little lever and gets a drink. I actually like it better because you never have to clean the bowl.

There is a little learning curve for the dog. The only reason I use the bowl is I have one dog who never figured it out. Every other dog I've owned understood how to use it after a few hours.

I was typing while others were posting. I may have been fortunate but I've had 6 different dogs on the auto waterer over a 15 year period and never had a dog destroy it or even bother with it.

That includes Rotts and Dutchies and one Lab.

This older thread has a couple of ideas you might be able to use, though a lot of them are just variations on the bucket theme.
Link

Edited to say: do you have a spigot inside the yard or just hose access?

I was thinking of using a flush toilet outside, just hook the garden hose to it, and flush once or twice a day, it will always stay full and if you leave the lid on it will keep the leaves out