Dog question

Porter2

Porter2

Legend
So our retreiver will only drink water out of his bowl outside, he won’t touch his water inside the house. The two bowls are identical, we have switched the bowels and regardless of bowl he only drinks from the bowl of water outside and the water source is the same for both bowels. Either tap or from our fridge water dispenser. But what is annoying now is if he is thirsty at 10pm he wants out to drink his water. Won’t touch the inside bowl. We like to have him in around 830 every night because he barks at loud trucks and some people walking by our home. Do you think he has associated something (illness?) to drinking water inside. He just turned 4. This started about 6-7 months ago. Any ideas? Solutions? Or does he just like the water being permeated by our weather before drinking?
 
Our current rescue is very particular about where she eats and drinks. We moved her spot once, and it wasn't welcomed. Did you relocate or change something in the normal inside spot a few months ago? Maybe try a different location?
 
Porter2 said:
So our retreiver will only drink water out of his bowl outside, he won’t touch his water inside the house. The two bowls are identical, we have switched the bowels and regardless of bowl he only drinks from the bowl of water outside and the water source is the same for both bowels. Either tap or from our fridge water dispenser. But what is annoying now is if he is thirsty at 10pm he wants out to drink his water. Won’t touch the inside bowl. We like to have him in around 830 every night because he barks at loud trucks and some people walking by our home. Do you think he has associated something (illness?) to drinking water inside. He just turned 4. This started about 6-7 months ago. Any ideas? Solutions? Or does he just like the water being permeated by our weather before drinking?
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This is very intriguing. I will echo the suggestion to move the inside bowl to a different location. Is the inside bowl on a carpet, could water have spilled (our golden slopes water all over) and there is maybe some very mild and to us, imperceptible mold or odor that is turning him away?

Have you tried training techniques, ie, a treat maybe even in the water (course then he'll slosh water all over the place) or somehow coax him to drink from the inside bowl, then reward.

Please let us know how this turns out, as mentioned, this is very intriguing.

Good luck and cheers
 
No. Nothing for him has changed… his water bowl and food dish in same place for a long time. He eats inside with no problem and bowl of water next to the food dish, but he won’t drink the water.
 
... Another thought, have you tried milk or some tasty liquid in the inside bowl, get him drinking inside again, then gradually back to water.

Again, good luck!!
 
Chicken soup!! Just remembered, pups love the smell and taste, just anything to get him drinking inside again
 
Perhaps the water in the outside bowl is colder?
 
BriGuy said:
Perhaps the water in the outside bowl is colder?
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Nope. I mean at time I’m sure it’s colder outside. But filling two bowls at same time and trying to get him to drink inside ….nah. But open the door and slurp slurp ????
 
dep said:
take away the outside bowl and see if he'll drink from the only available source?
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Tried that. Sorry. Can’t think to write everything. I tried my deductions of factors. And that was one. Then he didn’t drink. He actually went looking for puddles in the yard and some dipped rocks we have that usually contain water.

I like the milk idea. Seems so simple to try but really never occurred to me. You know when someone from Kansas offers good advice/suggestion you just want to crawl in a corner. 😜. JK.

Let you know how it works.
 
Dogs are funny.

Don't know if it's the case with your pup but because of the way dogs learn, they are prone to 'superstitions' or adverse associations that affect their behavior in weird ways. An example is when using an e-collar for snake aversion training when the dog is standing next to a cactus, the dog can develop of fear of the cactus which is completely unrelated to the reason he was nicked with the collar. He may have formed some association that makes him think he's not supposed to drink inside.

I'd try his outdoor bowl right by the door, then on the sill, then slightly inside and so on. Good luck.
 
Personally as a unlicensed dog therapist I think something happened to him 6-7 months ago and he has an association to inside water bowl but I have no clue what happened. We have had my sons dog over and he will drink from that bowl. But the timing of that is off.
 
Thomas Mitchell said:
Dogs are funny.

Don't know if it's the case with your pup but because of the way dogs learn, they are prone to 'superstitions' or adverse associations that affect their behavior in weird ways. An example is when using an e-collar for snake aversion training when the dog is standing next to a cactus, the dog can develop of fear of the cactus which is completely unrelated to the reason he was nicked with the collar. He may have formed some association that makes him think he's not supposed to drink inside.

I'd try his outdoor bowl right by the door, then on the sill, then slightly inside and so on. Good luck.
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Thanks. That’s a sound answer/response too that I have not tried.
 
I think a some revers psychology is needed here. You need a little adverse association to the outside water bowl to push him inside. A little Natty Ice in the outside bowl and anything from human piss to fresh clean water in the inside bowl should turn him off from outside drinking for the rest of his life.

That said, if your dog is a classless prick, throw a little 2008 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru in the outside bowl and some water in the inside bowl to solve the issue.
 
Porter2 said:
Maybe I should not have asked?????
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I’m just thinking outside the box brother. Don’t take it personal. My dogs are all classless pricks. I caught two of them eating rabbit sh*t in the yard today for a mid day snack (if anyone has tips to stop that behavior I’m all ears).

Also, full disclosure; I am not a dog trainer if that was not abundantly clear….
 
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