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Your dog won't drink from his bowl? That could be the reason.
It's maddening: your dog has a full water bowl available 24/7, but he won't drink from it at all. As soon as you take him outside, he throws himself into the nearest puddle or garden pond. A tricky situation. On the one hand, it is important that your dog drinks enough liquid. On the other hand, you cannot create a puddle in your house for him.
In this article you will find out why your dog is not drinking from its bowl and what you can do.
Dog doesn't want to drink from his bowl
There can be various reasons why your furry friend doesn't want to drink from his bowl. One of them is that he got scared while drinking and linked it to the bowl. Maybe it was a metal bowl that moved and rattled. Maybe he fell over once and now your dog is afraid of him. You should also keep in mind that there can be light reflections in a metal bowl. For some four-legged friends, this is a reason not to want to drink from it.
Moreover, some dogs love to drink stagnant water. The garden pond, the puddle or even the watering can are very high on the popularity scale for them. However, stagnant water can lead to health problems, especially in hot weather. There is a risk that your furry friend will become infected with bacteria and become ill. To prevent this happening at home, it is important to clean the drinking bowl well.
But beware: if you clean the bowl with detergent, your dog may smell the residue. And now we have the next reason why he doesn't want to drink from the bowl. It's better to rinse it out with hot water.
The fact that the taste of the water can differ depending on the bowl also plays a role. It may taste more neutral from a porcelain bowl than from a plastic bowl. Which flavor your four-legged friend prefers is very individual. If he likes to drink from a watering can, he might like a plastic bowl.
This is how you find the right bowl
When choosing the material, you have various options: ceramic, plastic, stainless steel or combinations of them.
Porcelain bowls
These are easy to clean and do not affect the taste of the water.
Plastic bowls
They are cheaper and lighter, but some have an odor of their own. Their light weight makes them ideal for taking with you on a trip.
Stainless steel bowls
These are also easy to clean, but they weigh less than those made of porcelain. This can affect their steadfastness.
When making your selection, make sure that the bowl is non-slip so that your dog doesn't get frightened when drinking. A pad that prevents slipping can be helpful. This is also suitable for four-legged friends who distribute their water around the bowl when drinking. A factor in your decision should also be that you can clean it easily. For example, some are suitable for the dishwasher, which makes cleaning easier for you.
The size of the bowl should correspond to the size of the dog. A small dachshund needs a small bowl, a large mastiff a correspondingly large one. How much liquid your dog should consume every day depends on various factors. If you feed him dry food, he needs more water than a dog that gets wet food.
Encourage then dog to drink
So that your dog drinks from the bowl, you can try to make the water palatable for him. Mix it with a small dash of yoghurt, oil or something else that your four-legged friend likes. A small amount is sufficient, because dogs have an extremely good nose. If you choose this method, wash the bowl with hot water daily to prevent bacteria from building up.
Also try different locations for the water bowl. Perhaps your pet is being bothered by something like the refrigerator, a door, or a loud noise in its current location. A quiet place that is easy for your dog to reach and undisturbed is better.
Find the right drinking bowl
Your patience may be required to find the right bowl. If you have the feeling that your dog is drinking far too little, talk to your veterinarian. Together you can find out if that's really true or if you're worrying unnecessarily.
If your four-legged friend absolutely doesn't want to drink from his current bowl, you can test a different one, add something tasty to the water and/or change the location of the bowl.
My Jule has very clear ideas about what material she wants to drink from and what not. Plastic doesn't come into her house, it has to be stainless steel. My other bitch, on the other hand, doesn't care at all, the main thing is water. So every Jeck is different, even among dogs.