Ever since I got my second dog a few months ago, they’d been going through a great deal of water. Since it was the same bowl I’d been using previously, I’d have to refill it several times a day.
Not wanting to miss a few times, I bought one of those doggie water coolers. Just like in the office, but smaller, and connected to a dog bowl. Holds about 10 gallons, and is absolutely great. The new dog was the one going through the most water, and he loves it.
Tilly, on the other hand, is terrified of it. A few weeks ago, she was in the kitchen getting a drink. She happened to be standing there when it GLUG GLUG GLUGGED. It was like a Scooby Doo cartoon - she was trying so hard to run away, her feet couldn’t get any traction on the linoleum.
Well - she won’t go near it. Her only water source these days is licking the splashed water from around the bowl when Toby drinks. She also licks his face dry every time he gets water. She lunges for puddles outside as well. Today I hand fed her a bowl of water, and she gulped it down incredibly fast. She started shivering afterwards. Not good.
I can go back to the old water bowl for her and sell this on craigslist or something, but I’d really rather keep it and get her used to it. But she’s a skitish dog, and this is currently at the top of her list right now. Any suggestions on getting her accustomed to it?
Just give her time. Casually toss a few treats over near the thing every day so she gets used to being around it. Don’t make a fuss about it and she’ll eventually ignore it too.
Personally, I’d also be very concerned as to why the new dog is drinking so much. Is it much larger? Excessive water consumption can be a sign of some medical issues. I’d mention it to the vet the next time you’re in with the dog.
If it’s any consolation, there are a few encouraging comments in this thread: How long can our dog go without water?. It can be pretty nerve-wracking – hopefully things will work out.
Oh - the new guy has 10 lbs on Tilly. And he’s not very…efficient…when he drinks (he’s a complete mess - he’s maybe part shar pei, and has a bunch of extra face skin that just slobbers all over the place when he drinks).
If you’re at all handy with power tools and a compass (the drawing sort), you could buy yourself a double-lipped rubber stopper (like those found in piggy banks and such), then driill out a hole in the bottom of the tank (what would be the top once it’s in place) that the stopper would fit snugly in, and plug it with the stopper when filling the bottle. Once inverted on the ground in its normal position, remove the stopper. That should equalize internal pressure and eliminate the “glugging” that scares your pooch.
Then the trick will be convincing her that it no longer makes scary noises and is safe to drink from.
**Mindfield **- I was thinking that exact thought last night, except I was thinking of where I could get a small plastic valve of some sort. It’s a thought.
Could you perhaps force it to glug while she’s at the other end of the room enjoying a special tasty treat, thus gradually getting her used to the sound from a safe distance? and also getting her to associate the sound with YUMMMM?
Or, put broth in the bowl part, make sure it won’t glug (as I don’t know how it works, I don’t know how to do that) and let her lap the broth - as above, associate the thing with Really Good Tasty Stuff.
I was going for cheap, but a valve switch would work just as well, and could be sealed to eliminate leaks; close it to fill, open it when situated.
We have a similar water dish for cats (same thing, just smaller). Two of our cats don’t care, but one of them is fascinated with the glugging and keeps trying to catch the bubbles. She even devised a strategy of hiding just a few feet away, and then running at it when it glugs, trying to catch it by surprise.
