Curiousity- How long do you walk your dog for without offering water?

splashgirl45

Lurcher lover
Joined
6 March 2010
Messages
15,043
Location
suffolk
Visit site
i walk by the river so they always have the option and when it is hot i offer them water when i get back to the car as well, they very rarely drink at the car and my journey is only 5 mins so they then have their water bowls at home if they want a drink.. i walk mine just under an hour for each walk..
 

AmyMay

Situation normal
Joined
1 July 2004
Messages
65,908
Location
South
Visit site
I rarely carry water with me as I’m (more often than not) close to water sources. However, if I’m going for a good old yomp then water is offered at the end of the walk (again, as I’m rarely far from water).
 

CorvusCorax

Justified & Ancient
Joined
15 January 2008
Messages
57,223
Location
Mu Mu Land
Visit site
Apologies for the completely out of context epistle, I was walking and browsing at the same time ?

I normally walk near rivers/lakes anyway or follow a water course of some description but if I'm going for a big walk I'll take a backpack with water in it.
 

Honey08

Waffled a lot!
Joined
7 June 2010
Messages
19,005
Location
north west
Visit site
In hot weather pretty regularly. This time of year there’s usually a lot of water around on walks, so wouldn’t carry it unless going for a pretty long walk (3 hours).
 

Keith_Beef

Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
Joined
8 December 2017
Messages
11,376
Location
Seine et Oise, France
Visit site
I never used to take water when I was out walking my dog.

We'd go out for between four and six hours, but almost always along the river valley; the dog and I would drink from the same ochre water spring, get a half dozen eggs at the post office and share them, then walk home.
 

Moobli

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 June 2013
Messages
5,843
Location
Scotland
Visit site
I’m almost always near fresh water of some form so I don’t carry it. In particularly hot weather I always make sure to walk where there’s water for swimming and drinking. I do take water to the beach to try to avoid them drinking salty sea water and offer it on return to the car.
 

Amun

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 December 2020
Messages
216
Visit site
tbh I don't know, we always walked in the woods with plenty of water available so he could drink if he wanted ?
 

paisley

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 August 2005
Messages
858
Visit site
Just out of curiousity as the above title says ...

Obviously factors such as heat etc would make a difference.

When I stop for a drink. Its complicated. Whippet previously refused to drink ever and acted as if you were attempting to waterboard him, now will accept water only from the lid of my water bottle.

So, I have to have one massive drink and then give him the rest, because although sharing is caring, dog dribble is not on my list of hydration ingredients
 

JGC

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 September 2011
Messages
2,445
Location
France
Visit site
If we're walking in less than 15-17 degrees, probably about an hour. If we're running, usually every half an hour. The hotter it gets, the more frequently I offer. If we've been near a stream, I'll probably be ignored, but sometimes she surprises me by being thirsty, so I keep offering.
 

Books'n'dogs

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 June 2020
Messages
143
Location
Minnesota, USA
Visit site
To everyone saying they allow their dogs to drink 'wild' water, do you not have to worry about harmful bacteria in the water in the UK? I'm curious because it's a serious concern in Minnesota, I've known two people who lost dogs after allowing them to drink/swim in lakes here and my vet clinic sends weekly emails reminding people to be cautious about their dogs' exposure to lake and pond water during the warmer months.
 

Amun

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 December 2020
Messages
216
Visit site
To everyone saying they allow their dogs to drink 'wild' water, do you not have to worry about harmful bacteria in the water in the UK? I'm curious because it's a serious concern in Minnesota, I've known two people who lost dogs after allowing them to drink/swim in lakes here and my vet clinic sends weekly emails reminding people to be cautious about their dogs' exposure to lake and pond water during the warmer months.
Speaking for myself, I knew our area well and wild water was actually top quality (natural springs etc), not just dogs but even people drank the same water. Would never allow my dog to drink dirty water.
 

Keith_Beef

Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
Joined
8 December 2017
Messages
11,376
Location
Seine et Oise, France
Visit site
To everyone saying they allow their dogs to drink 'wild' water, do you not have to worry about harmful bacteria in the water in the UK? I'm curious because it's a serious concern in Minnesota, I've known two people who lost dogs after allowing them to drink/swim in lakes here and my vet clinic sends weekly emails reminding people to be cautious about their dogs' exposure to lake and pond water during the warmer months.

I wonder if the Minnesota warnings are because of the risk of ingesting cyanotoxins from cyanobacteria (algal blooms). I wouldn't worry about drinking from the ochre water spring that I mentioned above, because that water was known to be safe, and I wouldn't worry about cyanobacteria in fast flowing upland rivers and streams where the water temperature would probably never get over about 15°C - 16°C even in the height of summer.

I once asked the leader on a group three-day trek if she would allow her horses to drink from the Seine where it flows through our town, and she said she definitely would if there wasn't a more convenient source of water and the horses needed to drink.

Last summer I fished in that stretch of the Seine, and even though I didn't catch anything, I saw plenty of fish and birds (kingfishers, cormorants, swans, geese, gulls, dippers) and the water I was standing in up to mid calf looked very clean (and so warm, probably over 22°C). The water quality here has improved enormously over the past thirty years.
 

Books'n'dogs

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 June 2020
Messages
143
Location
Minnesota, USA
Visit site
Yes, the blue green algae blooms are what we have to worry about, almost every single body of water in my area is noticeably effected and we have to worry about the others because the blooms are dangerous before it's noticeable. The closest stretch of rivers get way too much boat traffic for it to be safe to allow dogs in unfortunately.

You are all lucky to live in areas that have clean water, Minnesota water has deteriorated to quite an alarming degree in the past 20 years, which is such a shame.
 

Annette4

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 May 2008
Messages
4,393
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
For local walks I don't if I'm honest unless it's a really warm day and they're going to be running (they rarely go off lead locally).

For longer none local walks it depends on the heat but a certain brindle whippet won't drink out of the house without goats milk diluted in the water (I have trouble getting her to drink in the house at times too) so I tend to offer little and often.
 

Lipglosspukka

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 November 2020
Messages
531
Visit site
This time of year, I don't. We walk past a river on our normal walk but none of them are fussed on stopping for a drink.

In summer it's a different story. Even the one who doesn't like water is made to have a dip to cool down, however we do always walk very early so it's never too hot.
 

ycbm

Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Joined
30 January 2015
Messages
56,539
Visit site
To everyone saying they allow their dogs to drink 'wild' water, do you not have to worry about harmful bacteria in the water in the UK? I'm curious because it's a serious concern in Minnesota, I've known two people who lost dogs after allowing them to drink/swim in lakes here and my vet clinic sends weekly emails reminding people to be cautious about their dogs' exposure to lake and pond water during the warmer months.


There are blue/green algae warnings on many of the reservoirs here in the Peak District in summer.
.
 

FinnishLapphund

There's no cow on the ice
Joined
28 June 2008
Messages
11,250
Location
w(b)est coast of Sweden
Visit site
I don't carry around dog water in Winter, the rest of the year it depends on the temperature of the day. But in general, even when I do take water with me, on sunny days when the temperature goes up above 20, 25°, I try to avoid walking them during the hours when the sun is at its warmest, e.g. I don't start a walk ar 12, or 13, unless it can't be avoided.
I also take into account where I walk, woods/forests are cooler than pavements without shade, and I try to adjust my walking speed to what suits the weather conditions.

The trouble is that only 1 of my bitches regularly drink when I offer them water out on walks. With the other 2 bitches, even when I've sometimes resorted to trying to spray the water into their mouths, they try to spit out most of it. The saying about bringing horses to water, but not being able to force them to drink, have crossed my mind more than once.
 

Ranyhyn

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2008
Messages
21,276
Location
Funny farm
Visit site
We'll run about 30 minutes (roughly 5km) before I offer water, its rarely taken though. Usually we run for up to an hour and he will choose not to drink (but it will have been offered)
 
Top