Water intake

[rday]

Just took my dog for his first hike in Otter Creek. I noticed very soon he wasn't drinking as much as he should. I had bought him one of those collapsable REI bowls, which he does use after he eats at home. Well, when we got to the trail he would only drink from that bowl after he ate, not while hiking.

Twice I sat down and wouldn't let him move until he had drank at least a little bit. I admit, he only used the bowl for two days at home, I figured he didn't have a problem because he would use it. I'm wondering if anyone has had a problem keeping their dog hydrated. Maybe I just didn't give him enough time to get used to the bowl, or maybe I have to force him to drink?

[Appalachian Tater]

Maybe it has a plastic taste he finds unpleasant unless it is masked with food?

Maybe he knew he needed electrolytes so wouldn't drink plain water but then would drink after eating?

How would you force him to drink? Would that be wise?

Was he still urinating sufficiently and was his urine of normal color? Or did he have whatever the early signs of dehydration are in a dog?

Do dogs need as much of an increase in water when active as humans do? I know their body temperature regulation does not depend on sweating or evaporation.

However, a vet in a trail town told me he gets a LOT of dehydrated hiker dogs, sometimes several in one day during the summer, so dehydration is definitely a problem.

[rday]

By forcing, I would just sit with him, and stop hiking, until he licked the water a few times(this would take around 15-20 minutes of just sitting). That does sound harse though, I hope people don't think I am running water down his throat. Whenever I would just stop to rest, or look at the trees, I would fill his bowl and just dump it after he didnt' drink.

He was no longer urinating. He would certainley try, but nothing would come out. This is when I started to get worried and would stop walking until he would drink something.

I thought I may just be worrying about him, but when we got home he drank a full bowl of water from his "official" water bowl. That is when I decided to ask.

[Appalachian Tater]

Maybe you should let him use the hiking bowl all the time to make sure he's very well used to it since it won't be in a familiar location which makes it harder to recognize as his.

It may also be that he is only used to drinking when he eats.

The water may have had a strange flavor. Crumbling up a couple of pieces of food in it might make him like it better by giving it a familiar taste.

You might also pretend to drink out of the bowl so he knows it's okay.

You were right to be worried since he was unable to urinate.

I am at a loss as to exactly why he would refuse to drink if he so obviously needed water.

What has he done about eating and drinking when he has been away from home before? I know from experience that some domesticated animals will not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate in unfamiliar conditions.

[Rouen]

going off from what tater said, can you wash it to get any plastic taste out?
try giving him a week with home usage of the bowl so he can get use to it and you can better monitor the situation.

[SteveJ]

I quit using the REI collapsible bowl for a couple of reasons. It seemed to stay wet, keeping Phoebe's pack wet. After a while, the seams, apparently from being folded while collapsed, kept it from staying upright. Would stay upright enough to keep the water in, but would close up enough to make it hard for her to drink out of. Went with a small round tupperware bowl - close enough to what she drinks out of at home that it's never been a problem....of course, I've seen her drink an entire litre of water in about 2 or 3 minutes when we've been hiking in warm weather - which is why she usually stays at home during my warm weather trips.....

[N9ZYE]

I took my dog on a weekend trip this summer. When I stopped for a break, I offered water and a treat. He would not take a puppy treat at all. He did not drink until I set up camp. He ate very little of his food that evening. I figure he was out of his comfort zone. I have not taken him back to the trail again. Maybe we will try again sometime.

[Jan LiteShoe]

As a side note: If your dog is comfortable with it, an excellent, ultra-lightweight doggie bowl is the Glad "Stand N' Zip" gallon plastic bags.

The bags stand on their own when filled with water, and weigh next to nothing when dumped. Roll the enges down a few times to make a "bowl." I may have gotten this idea from Superman and his white shepherd Winter. I use the versatile bags as a portable "laundy and wash tub" during my hikes.

But the "dog bowl" concept impressed me the most, and I keep one in the car for my traveling companion.

[frieden]

Yes, force your dog to drink!

This is a training issue. Just like some dogs are trained to sit, every time the handler stops walking, train your dog to drink at ever break. With Ed, I use the command "vusser" (I am probably spelling that wrong).

Start out at home, by saying "get your water", and pointing to the water bowl. Say it in the excited, high-pitched playful voice you use (not so much to get the dog excited, but you don't want him to think you are angry with him). When he doesn't do it, say your wrong command (no, nein, etc) in your deep command bark voice, and repeat the water command - holding a treat the entire time. Stick your finger in the water, if needed. The instant he touches the water, say "yes! good vusser!", and give him the treat. Make a big deal out of it, with lots of love. Do that often enough, so he'll understand what "get your water" or "vusser" means.

Ed and I take lots and lots of mini water breaks (less than 5 min). We both drink our water at the same time. He used to do the same thing, but now he'll drink his water at every break. If I have to use a command to get him to drink his water now, then I know he's overtired or overheated, and I make the break longer.

You may think that by taking so many breaks, we'd never make any time, but the opposite is true. I have learned to hike at the speed of Ed, which means we hike fast. If we are hiking with someone, the long breaks allow the person to catch up.

[Adam B]

Rday you are right to be concerned this is a serious issue. Your dog was clearly dehydrated. If this behaviour extends to normal drinking have the dog evaluated by a vet because some illnesses can manifest this way. As a stopgap measure consider adding fruit juice, salt, bullion, ice cubes, oil etc. You can also boil water into his dry food to increase his water consumption.

You need to also consider temperature of the dog, water and environment. If it is too hot or cold the dog may refuse water. You can try warming the water slightly or putting the bowl in an appropriately sized hole in the ground. Some dogs refuse water because they insist on moving water, i.e. toilet bowl, streams or those special water feeders. If this is the case a water bottle that you can spray out might do the trick.

First step is throughly wash the bowl in the washing machine and then rinse carefully and set to dry in the sun if possible. Now that the bowl is in optimal condition consider, is this the bowl you want to use whenever you hike? If so you might try removing the regular water bowl and replacing with this bowl. This is could be a matter of conditioning. Make sure the bowl is large enough for him to fully open his muzzle while drinking without touching the sides. You may just have to carry the extra couple of grams and bring his regular water bowl. Does he normally drink around people at home. He may simply be uncomfortable with drinking in front of you.

If on the other all of these things fail, you are probably looking a behavioral issue. I would at that point recommend removing regular access to water around the home and providing it say every hour along with a command to drink. If he doesn't drink remove the bowl and try again in an hour. Repeat until he drinks. Once he drinks, go nuts, praise him, give him a treat After a week of doing this he should be able to drink on command.

In terms of water consumption, it goes up with energy output. My guy gets most of his water from diet and when we are working he will drink extra but at home doesn't touch his water bowl unless he has been playing. Each has their own needs. I would calculate how much water he drinks at home without and after play/work. That will give you good estimate of base amounts.

Finally if you can't resolve this on your own I would ask a good trainer in your area to help you work through this. If this ever occurs again while hiking stop and get things under control before continuing. If you aren't able to resolve this you should not take your dog with you hiking, you could cause serious injury to the dog. Best of luck rday and please feel free to PM if you need some more help with your pup.

Adam

[mudhead]

I have never had, been around, or heard of a dog that will not drink water unless sick or injured.

I have heard of dogs that would not eat a particular type of food. That I smile about...

What is up with these animals?

[rday]

Thanks for all the good information. I may just scrap the REI bowl and use his normal dish. I'll test out with some long dayhikes, and let people know if I have any problems. Thanks again!

[shelterbuilder]

Just took my dog for his first hike in Otter Creek. I noticed very soon he wasn't drinking as much as he should. I had bought him one of those collapsable REI bowls, which he does use after he eats at home. Well, when we got to the trail he would only drink from that bowl after he ate, not while hiking.

Twice I sat down and wouldn't let him move until he had drank at least a little bit. I admit, he only used the bowl for two days at home, I figured he didn't have a problem because he would use it. I'm wondering if anyone has had a problem keeping their dog hydrated. Maybe I just didn't give him enough time to get used to the bowl, or maybe I have to force him to drink?

I see this sort of thing frequently with sled dogs - they NEED water, but don't want to drink. Try "baiting" the water with "tuna juice" from the can, or beef or chicken pan drippings - if if smells like the dog's favorite meat or fish, they tend to drink more.

[mudhead]

Why do they not want to drink? Or is it a volume issue you speak of?

[shelterbuilder]

Why do they not want to drink? Or is it a volume issue you speak of?

Some dogs - like some people - are just head cases! They are okay at home, but won't drink enough on the trail. Some will drink too much, throw it all up, and decide that they "can't" drink until they're back at the truck (or home). For others, I suspect that it's the "need" for familiar surroundings before they feel "secure" enough to lower their guard enough to drink.

Training can help some dogs, but baiting their water is just easier sometimes. And it's cheaper than a trip to the doggie-shrink.

[mudhead]

I sure hope they have other redeeming qualities...

Like the biker that got chomped by the bear in WA. Needs two new dogs.

I am sure if I had one of these head cases, I would save tuna juice for it.

[shelterbuilder]

Yeah, they do - but after they worm their way into your heart, it doesn't really matter. The stuff that you can "train away", you do, and the rest of the "head case stuff", you just deal with. (Lots of times, it's the "head case stuff" you miss most when they're gone.)

[Adam B]

I have to agree some dogs are head cases, my childhood dog decided not to drink one day when she was about 3 years old and for about 5 years refused to drink anything. Ended up at the vet a few times until we just started boiling water into her food. Then one day another dog joined the household and she decided to drink again. That wasn't the only crazy thing she did but it was one of the stranger things.

[Uncle Silly]

My dog has some drinking issues too. She'll drink at stream crossings when we're hiking, but it's pretty rare for her to drink from her bowl during a snack break. I do try to pause at stream crossings and give her the chance to drink, but I worry about some terrains where streams are rare.

Thanks for the training tips, Frieden, I'll have to work with Katy on that for our next outing.

[oldfivetango]

My wife actually got our dog to drink some water for her
urinary tract infection by adding some sugar to it!(I doubted
it would work but it did)

Oldfivetango