# Gross or not - Dog drinking from regular fountain at park **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 18, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071 "2010-07-18T00:43:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/1 "2010-07-18T00:43:27Z")
It’s public fountain in a public park. It’s a metal bowl with a standard metal fountain attachment with a concrete base. The dog puts his front paws on the edge of the bowl. The owner pushes the button with his or her hand to activate the fountain. The dog laps the water as it arcs over the bowl (not licking or touching the fountain part itself or the the hole where the water comes out). My thought: Who cares? The dog is not touching or contaminating the spot where the water comes out. All the excess water falls into a bowl that’s already filthy. You know what those pesky kids do to that fountain when nobody’s looking? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/2 "2010-07-18T01:01:48Z")
You’re talking a regular _drinking_ foutain, right? That’s disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/3 "2010-07-18T01:03:08Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > You’re talking a regular _drinking_ foutain, right? yup. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/4 "2010-07-18T01:05:37Z")
As long as he’s not touching the fountain head, not gross at all. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/5 "2010-07-18T01:19:14Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > As long as he’s not touching the fountain head, not gross at all. Agree. Where are the germs getting, exactly, that affects anyone? Unless you’re washing your face in the basin or something, it’s about as gross as, well, the concept of a public water fountain. ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/6 "2010-07-18T01:24:50Z")
Not gross and I lift up my dog to do this in parks (when we live in countries that have ‘em). He doesn’t put his lips on it or nothin’ , just takes a few polite slurps then on we go. ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/7 "2010-07-18T01:27:48Z")
Is there any split flying out of the dog’s mouth? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/8 "2010-07-18T01:36:02Z")
> [@gladtobeblazed](#): > > Is there any split flying out of the dog’s mouth? Nope ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/9 "2010-07-18T01:36:46Z")
I know you’re saying “but his lips aren’t touching any part of the fountain!” but how do _I_ know that you were vigilant about that when I see you sticking your dog’s disgusting face into the fountain? Sorry but no. I vote for gross. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/10 "2010-07-18T01:57:22Z")
Birds shit on that fountain. Dogs are fine. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/11 "2010-07-18T02:11:51Z")
Gross. Sorry, I know you say there’s no spit flying, but I’ve never seen a dog that didn’t dribble water at least some of the time. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/12 "2010-07-18T02:29:48Z")
Gross. Dogs drool, slobber, and lick way more than the average human and I have a horrible aversion to saliva. As in, I sometimes have to get an entirely new glass of water halfway through because I don’t like how the rim looks where my mouth touched it. Yes, there may be something wrong with me. ---
**Author:** ![hougaswd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@hougaswd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hougaswd)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/13 "2010-07-18T02:31:49Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Birds shit on that fountain. Dogs are fine. How true. Also, I’d rather drink from a fountain slobbered in by a dog than hacked and wheezed into by my sick coworkers. Any day. ---
**Author:** ![misterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/14 "2010-07-18T02:33:04Z")
Not disgusting at all. In a public fountain, that would be the least of my worries. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/15 "2010-07-18T03:23:47Z")
I don’t care if he does touch the fountain part; compared to many of the people I share the local park with dogs give me no problems. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/16 "2010-07-18T03:41:01Z")
I’m not worried about the dog drinking from a fountain. After all, I’m not going to drink from it. I’d be to worried about what people have done to it to be bothered by a dog. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/17 "2010-07-18T04:55:18Z")
I’m sorry it’s just gross. But if I was thirsty I probably wouldn’t be so squicked out I couldn’t splash about some water to rinse off any dog slobber (and of course they do when they’re licking water with their tongues!) and have myself a sip. It kinda grosses me out when my cat walks by and her tail hits my glass. I still drink my tea though. ---
**Author:** ![Sonnenstrahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Sonnenstrahl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonnenstrahl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/18 "2010-07-18T05:09:18Z")
If he’s touching the fountain head, I suppose it could conceivably be gross. But who cares if there’s dog saliva in the bowl? You guys aren’t drinking out of the bowl, are you? My standards are pretty low, though. I left a glass of wine outside for a minute today and found a bee in it when I came back. I fished the poor thing out and finished the glass. And kept drinking from it. I like to think that’s what makes my immune system so strong. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/19 "2010-07-18T05:16:48Z")
Doesn’t bother me or gross me out, but I don’t tend to drink out of public fountains 'cus they’re generally kinda gross, dog slobber or not. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071/20 "2010-07-18T06:41:38Z")
I answered “no”, but that is dependent on the dog not lapping at the spigot. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-or-not-dog-drinking-from-regular-fountain-at-park/547071.md?page=2)