Optimal hydration is key in helping your dog go farther and longer on your outdoor adventures.

Certain things can affect your dog’s thirst level: age, food, size, exercise, weather, and medications.

Your dog might be a habitual over-drinker or under-drinker. If so, here are some tips:

The Hydrant

Signs your dog is an over drinker:

  • Beautifully moisturized lips (and snout, whiskers, tongue, and jowls)
  • Empty toilet

Seeking treatment for their drinking problem:

  • Consider purchasing lick bottles, rabbit feeders, or bowls specially designed to slow down water intake.
  • Automatic watering bowls are another option.  Or, if you are home all day, manually ration their water rather than letting their water bowl be a free-for-all.
  • Fill the bowl up with less water, more often.

The Garden Hose

Signs your dog is an under drinker:

  • Lip smacking
  • Cotton mouth
  • A kiss that feels like you’ve been licked by desert sand

How to get them to loosen up and have a few:

  • Praise your dog and give him or her a treat when taking a nose dive into the water bowl.
  • Add water to their dry kibble (similar to how we put milk in our cereal).
  • Keep water bowl in sight, and in mind.  Placing water near their favorite eating and resting spots will help remind them to hydrate.
  • Consider flavoring the water with chicken or beef flavored broth, diluting it more and more until your dog is guzzling only pure h2O.
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