I have a question related to this topic. One of my two dogs doesn't get it that she can drink from a water bottle. She hates water and she acts like I am trying to dump it on her when I try to get her to drink from the bottle. Does anyone have any tips for convincing her to drink from it? I am sick of carrying a bowl everywhere.

Get one of those folding cloth bowls. It will fit in your pocket when you're not using it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Ok. Most will learn pretty quick if you kinda pour it into your hand and let them lap at it. Then just remove your hand.

Or just get one of the collapseable bowls that outward hound makes. You may indeed be tired of carrying the bowl, but it is far better than a dead dog.

I have a couple bowls that live in the car and got these really neat flat water containers that will fit in really tight places.

one of the easy things about being a canine State Trooper, the dog is rarely far from his transport unit. Handlers are issued gallon jugs, chemical ice packs and containers for the inside of the car. Our cadaver, track and service dogs will drink out of canteen cups which the handler wears when he is in the field on a call. All our units are equipped with "HotDog" systems and screens on the windows. All handlers are given classes, and reminders each year of the signs of heat exhaustion or impending heat stroke. We've been fortunate, and a lot of it is to the credit of the handlers that can readily identify and treat a problem if it happens.

DFrost

Those collapsible cloth bowls get all nasty with water and slobber and dirt and then I don't want to put them back in my backpack. I think I need to get a nice canteen cup I can wear on my pack like DFrost mentioned instead of just hunting around for an old tupperware before every hike.

I have tried pouring water in my cupped hand but she won't touch it. Even when I give her a bowl or cup she just takes one lap. I'm working on teaching her a "drink" command but so far she isn't catching on. She just really hates water, doesn't ever seem to drink enough, loves the sun. She gave herself mild heatstroke as a puppy from just sitting happily in the middle of the yard in the sun on a hot day - the first hot day of her life I guess. Since then I always have to watch her when it is sunny and make her move to the shade - she never goes to the shade on her own. Her coat is so thin, I guess it doesn't keep her very warm. Every fall when it starts raining she starts sneaking into the basement to crap so she won't have to go outside in the wet grass.

I'm sure feeding BARF helps her get extra water along with her food but I wish there was another way to encourage her to drink more, especially when we are hiking or traveling. Her pee is often bright yellow which I know means she isn't drinking enough. She is also really bad about communicating discomfort/doesn't feel a lot of pain I guess (pitbull) and I am worried that one day she will overexert herself and not even notice until she collapses.

cnielson,
My dog is the same way. Won't drink out of a water bottle OR my hydration pack. I adopted him as an adult, so I always chalked it up to him probably being disciplined with water in his previous life. I had the plant sprayer out the other day, and he shied away from me like he thought I was going to use it on him, which I have never done. I've been desensitizing him to water fountains by making him eat a treat or retrieve his ball out of the fountain with the water on, and he will drink out of my hand. But, I can't really cup enough water in my hand to give him an adequate drink. He will also drink out of his nylon frisbee. But water bottles, hoses, sprayers, or even a bowl, if it is in my hand, he avoids like the plague.

Anyway, I carry one of the collapsible bowls in my pack (slipped into the elastic lashing on the outside), but I think the canteen cups are much much better, if DFrost is talking about the kind I think he is. You can get them at GI Joe's or any store that sells camping stuff. It won't really add much weight to your pack (but then again, it all adds up, doesn't it?).

Oh, and one last thing: Has anyone tried one of those battery powered misters that they have at Petsmart? Is it worth it having one, or is it a waste of $$$?

That is interesting, it never occurred to me that her water aversion might have come from being squirted as a puppy. I never disciplined her like that but I'll bet her foster family did before I got her. I always thought it was a great way to discipline, but I guess not for all dogs. She is very soft.

I just started on the "drink" command (just praising her when she drinks) but I hope it starts to work. I finally got her to swim last summer (all of three feet, to me and right back to shore) and will be working on that a lot more this summer, so hopefully that will help her learn to like being wetted down in the heat.

The best thing is to hike where there are lots of streams; drinking from streams seems like it is part of the adventure for the dogs. They stop at every one. Plus that way I don't have to carry so much water when they will just drool out half of it as they drink anyway.

Puppies that have been exposed to water from a young age sometimes are more comfortable with entering it when adults. If you introduce them
to a good puddle or calm pond as part of a puppy walk and they are let to get in it at will and not coaxed or forced they usually get the hang pretty quick. Being as puppies like to follow,wear rubber boots on your walks and search out puddles and wade through - they'll usually follow. My 3 alaskan husky puppies are right little water dogs now at the age of 15 weeks and have been paddling and swimming since the age of 8 weeks in the beaver ponds and spring-fed wallow behind my property. It's messy but fun. As for dogs that are reluctant drinkers you might try baiting the water with something tasty to make it more appealing to drink. Kasco makes a powdered supplement called SDX-P that mixes well with cool
water and the dogs really go for it. Believe it or not but drinking habits can be inherited.

Tiggy2, thanks for the tip on the supplement. Fortunately for me, my dog is a Labrador who loves to swim, especially if there is a retrieve in it for him! In that way, water has never been an issue.

Cneilson,
I, too, have been working on a cue. I say "Thirsty?" and gesture toward the water dish, or if the water is in my cupped hand, offer that. Plenty of praise when he drinks. He does not take issue with my hand, or a dish if I am a foot or two away from it, but if there is an object containing water in my hand, that's where the problems come in (with the exception of his frisbee, as I mentioned earlier). I've decided to accept this peculiarity, and simply carry a water dish. I'll continue to work on it, but it's not the hugest deal in the world, know what I mean? What's strange to me, is that this is a dog who trusts me 99.9%. Thunderstorms, helicopters, fireworks, strangers, if I say it's OK, he believes me. Water is the .1% where he just doesn't believe me. So, I would like to work through this and have a dog who trusts me 100%. I'm just not going to stress on that one thing.

Anyway, as a result of this, I always cringe when people recommend squirting as a form of discipline. Great way to build trust with your dog, NOT!

My dog was taught the words "drink" and "water". It does come in handy. But he also does not usually like to drink water that another dog has used. He prefers fresh water. So I bought a little bowl (Trail Runner Water Bowl) from WolfPacks a few years ago. It folds up to the size of a pack of gum. It's great! They also sell great backpacking gear. The bowls are easy to wash/rinse and are small enough for any size dog. I find it's a lot easier to use this as opposed to a small cup or even a stainless steel small animal food bowl (which I used previously). Here is the link.
http://www.wolfpacks.com/bowls.htm