How to Keep Your Dog Hydrated: Tips for Busy Dog Parents

Signs of dehydration in dogs can be easy to miss as water intake in dogs can vary widely. And since they can't come right out and say, "I'm thirsty", they're at the mercy of our potentially sporadic water bowl refills or trips to the dog-friendly fountain in the park.

Last Thursday, as I sipped on a warm cup of herbal tea in my backyard on a chilly afternoon, I noticed Bruno enthusiastically slurping at a puddle of water that formed after I watered my winter garden.

We had just finished an intense game of “Chase the Flying Disc” before I took my seat for a sip without thinking about how thirsty he must have been after the high-energy match. Of course, realizing my mistake, I instantly got up to refill the water bowl.

We often think about dehydration in dogs as a summertime problem. But dogs can get dehydrated any time of year. Dry, cold air and bouts of physical activity can suck the moisture right out of us. So, aside from the occasional momentary lapses in judgment—we all have them—I've learned how to keep your dog hydrated and increase water intake for dogs.

Why Is Hydration for Dogs So Important?

Water is essential and restorative. Getting enough of it makes just about everything in the body work better. It helps regulate body temperature, keeps joints lubricated, and supports organ function.

Did you know that water also aids digestion and flushes out toxins?

Cells throughout the body function better when hydrated. When your dog’s water intake drops too low, it can lead to dehydration, which can cause serious health issues like kidney damage or heart failure.

The modern kibble diet does not support proper water intake. To make the kibble shelf stable, the water has been removed, and dogs are expected to drink from a bowl instead.

The truth is that this isn't very natural for a dog.

My dogs' ancestral wolves rely primarily on their food for hydration, only drinking when necessary. This has led to a concerning number of signs of dehydration in dogs.

Signs of Dehydration in Dogs

It can sneak up on them and you just like it did after our game of fetch. And you don't want to wait until they're trying to drink out of a mud puddle to realize it.

Instead, look for signs of dog dehydration like these:

• Dry or ashy-looking nose or mouth. A well-hydrated dog should have a moist nose and gums.
• Tiredness. If your pup seems unusually tired or unenthusiastic, it could be a sign of dehydration.
• Sunken Eyes. This can be a more severe sign of dehydration, but sometimes it happens so fast.
• Loss of Skin Elasticity. Gently pinch your dog’s skin. If it doesn’t snap back quickly, your dog may be dehydrated.
• Dark or Minimal Urine. Healthy dogs should have pale, straw-colored urine.
• Diarrhea and vomiting. It sounds counterintuitive to get rid of more water, but it's true.

Knowing these red flags of a parched pup is crucial. But let's shift focus to how to keep your dog hydrated with hydration tips for dogs.

How to Keep Your Dog Hydrated

1. Keep It Fresh

Keep your dog's bowl not just full but fresh. Just because it has water doesn't mean it's suitable for consumption.

When water sits for a time, it gets stale. Stuff starts to grow in it.

Even if your dog's thirsty, they may avoid drinking until thirst is intolerable. That's not the way to increase water intake for dogs.

2. Make It Portable

If I'm heading out for errands or training sessions that will have us away for more than an hour and there's no convenient dog fountain on the way, I bring a water bottle and a collapsible bowl like this one on Amazon for convenience.

3. Make It Enticing

It seems counterintuitive. But some dogs require positive reinforcement dog training to drink from their bowl.

These K9s don't seem drawn to their water bowls. They're like my kids' childhood friends who only wanted to drink soda and juice when they visited—before I informed them that wasn't how we did things.

Adding some low-sodium chicken broth, bone marrow, or beef lung bites to the water can flavor the bowl in an infused water style, making the dog want to drink more. But remember to rinse and refill the bowl frequently if you choose this method.

I also float some of the daily kibble in a separate water bowl. My dogs love how the kibble flavors the water. They eat the moistened kibble and drink all of the water. I use a 1:1 ratio. So, maybe 1/4 cup kibble to 1/4 cup water.

Don't do all of their food this way, though. That might be too much water at once. They'd throw it up.

And don't forget to try this with beef lung bites. Dogs can't resist these single-ingredient dog training treats.

4. Train Them to Drink from a Water Bottle

Don't have your collapsable bowl, but do you have a water bottle? You can also use positive reinforcement dog training to teach them to drink from a bottle.

Hold the bottle over a bowl and let it flow slightly. Invite a thirsty dog to roll their tongue over the opening, drawing in water.

Reward them with healthy dog treats. Slowly increase the flow rate so they can gulp to their heart's content.

5. Hydrate After Exercise, Training, and Chew Sessions

Make it a point to lead them to water after each walk, training session, and dog bone chew session, making rehydrating after an intense activity a habit.

Use the "come" or "follow" command or guide them to their bowl with healthy dog treats in hand. Learn 7 important commands in K9 Connoisseur’s free training challenge.

If you don't want to take them to the bowl every time, consider teaching them the "get water" command. With this less common but useful dog command, you train them to go to their water bowl and drink, if thirsty.

Use healthy treats to reward them quickly and praise them when they go to the water bowl on command. Then, as they start doing it consistently, try commanding from the sofa and rewarding them with praise.

After the drink, why not give them a meaty beef marrow-filled dog bone as a more substantial reward?

6. Add Moist Foods to the Diet

While 90% of a dog's diet should be veterinarian-approved kibble, adding moist foods to their diet can help with hydration.

For example, when you give them beef marrow dog bones, they get the water content of the bone marrow.

I also like to refill empty marrow bones with other hydrating ingredients like plain peanut butter, yogurt, apples, berries, and pumpkin.

How Much Water Does Your Dog Need?

On average, dogs need about 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight daily. For example, Bruno, my 60-pound Lab mix, needs around 60 ounces daily.

Keep in mind, though: dogs who are more active or eat dry kibble may need even more.

Some dogs don't naturally drink what they need, making the above hydration tips for dogs so useful for dog parents who want to improve water intake for dogs.

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