Not drinking out of his bowls

[jujuli]

Charlie is getting funny about drinking out of his bowl.  I have always had to change bowls around as after a while he wont drink out of them and rushes out to find puddles or flower pots with water in them.  He has a ceramic one, a stainless steel one a plastic one and his travel bowl he uses after a walk.    He only wants to drink if it is being poured out so I was wondering if anyone has tried a drinking fountain bowl and do they work and which ones are the best and are they fiddly to keep clean?    I am just wondering if he just wants to drink outside for some reason because he will drink out of the bowl if it is outside although not always.  Or is it the water from the tap he might not like (it is filtered)?  Perhaps dirty rainwater is more tasty?

[Mary]

I'll be interested to see the answers as Lottie has peculiar drinking habits too.  She has an identical ceramic bowl inside and outside but always wants to drink from the one outside and therefore sits and whines by the backdoor when she's thirsty

It's not that she likes it cold as she'll drink it in the summer when it's been stood in the sun all day and is often caught with her head in the watering can which has been filled with tap water

[Millbean]

I'm looking forward to the replies too, Bertie will only drink out of the hose pipe attached to the outside tap.  I have spent hours waiting for him to finish drinking in rain, snow, etc. in nightdress with the wind howling through it.  The worst is first thing in the morning when it's icy and the water is frozen in the hose pipe he just won't budge until I get a large plastic bottle and tip it out for him. 

We took him on a long car journey and we stopped to let him run about drink, etc.  I produced the normal water in a bottle and started to pour it for him to drink.  A man came up to me and offered me his dog's bowl and couldn't understand that Bertie wouldn't drink from it!!

By the way it has to be freezing cold water.

[jujuli]

Aaah yes temperature could be part of it I suppose as we do have underfloor heating and it could warm up the water on the floor.  I will try raising the bowl off the floor.   

[elaine.e]

William is a fussy drinker too. He won't drink out of plastic bowls, so I keep an enamel bowl in the car for when we're out and about and ceramic bowls at home.

Neither will he drink from any bowl that another dog has just drunk from. That makes it difficult at home as Louis is always slurping water (not that he drinks much of it, most ends up on the floor) and William will only drink from the bowl if Louis hasn't already been there. I have 2 ceramic water bowls and change them and wash them about 3 times a day. Each time I put a clean bowl of water down I have to quietly call William over so that he can have a drink before slobber chops appears

William likes to drink from puddles when we're walking in the New Forest, but usually selects clean looking ones.

[SimonandMandy]

Harvey's favourite bowl is a glass one with a few stones in the bottom, it used to be decoration that I put fresh flowers in till he arrived  .  I took it away when I had fosters staying for safety and Harvey would only drink our of the pond.  Someone else mentioned recently that they put stones in bowls too as it can add a mineral flavour.

I really don't like water out of stainless steel or ceramic either so it could very well be a taste thing

[supergirl]

Saw something similar on one of Victoria Stillwell's programmes "Its me or the dog USA" where there was a dog that would only drink out of a running tap.  They used one of the Doggit fountains and it solved the problem straightaway.

[jujuli]

Gosh how funny  .  I didnt realise drinking water was such a precise science! I suppose in the wild dogs had more chance of drinking clean water if it was running, maybe??  It could explain why Charlie sits and waits for his ice cube to crunch when we use our dispenser as its nice and cold. 

[Karma]

Honey will completely ignore her bowl of water and ask to go out to drink from the empty flower pots.... 

Bless her, she hasn't quite understood what's been happening when she's gone out to do this and the water's been frozen - she's stood for ages licking the ice!!!!! 

And she hates drinking from a bowl when another dog has been drinking.... though will do if she's really desperate!!!

[hanandhen]

Henry won't drink for ages and then suddenly be desparate - I've been trying to think of some way to flavour his water to encourage him to drink more. Any ideas?

[Nicola]

Henry won't drink for ages and then suddenly be desparate - I've been trying to think of some way to flavour his water to encourage him to drink more. Any ideas?

You could put a small splash of milk into his water to encourage him to drink more.

This thread made me laugh, my lot all drink out of their water bowls ok but they do all love running water too, we have a tap outside and if I turn it on Caoimhe will put her face right under it and gulp away and Rodaidh will stand with his paws up on the bathroom sink if he gets a chance and drink out of the running tap or out of my hands if I cup them to catch the water for him.

[PennyB]

Henry won't drink for ages and then suddenly be desparate - I've been trying to think of some way to flavour his water to encourage him to drink more. Any ideas?

You could put a small splash of milk into his water to encourage him to drink more.

I do this too - all it needs is just a tiny bit that will colour the water