# Will drink water outside but not in the house



## susanwrites (Jul 31, 2008)

This is so weird. I have never had a dog like this before.

Rescued Zoey in December. She's about 18 months old now.

I feed her in the downstairs bathroom, same as we have the last few dogs. She gets fed there twice a day. When we first got her she did the typical GSD drink and walk away, sloshing water all over the place. I didn't mind. I was sure part of it was because she had been on the street for so long. We worked to teach her to not drink of the birdbath or bubbling rocks in the backyard and she learned that right away. 

She has suddenly, the last month or so, decided to not drink from the water bowl right next to her food bowl. When she wants water, and I refill it and show it to her, and put it in the bathroom, she won't drink from it. Not even with ice cubes in it.

Note: she is healthy, no issues with energy, etc.

She will drink from a bowl outside. She will drink from a hose outside. She will drink from a bowl, sometimes, elsewhere in the house. She will drink from a bowl in the house at my in-laws. She will drink from a bowl when we are away from home. 

I have no idea what the issue would be in the bathroom. I have tried changing bowls, bottled water, ice cubes. The bathroom is the best place for her water bowl because it is tile. The rest of the house is wood floor (would like it not to warp) and carpet. Right now I have a second water bowl in my office, on a pile of towels and another bowl outside on the patio. That's the one she prefers, which is fine right now while I can leave the door open for her but come weather changes, with the door shut, she's out of luck.

I can take all the bowls away except the one in the bathroom and the reverts to drinking out of the yucky water in the bubbling rocks.

Anyone have any ideas how to get her to drink water in her feeding place again?


----------



## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Make it the only place to get water?


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

Have you changed cleaning products for the bathroom, or are you using, what would be to the sensitive nose of a GSD, a smelly mop/rag to clean the floor?

Only reason I ask; we have two large water dishes down for our animals. They sit side by side, are the same type of dish, same age, and get cleaned and filled together every morning. All of the animals stopped drinking out of one dish. It happened just out of the blue. After I played detective, it dawned on me that I had used the same rag to wipe up spilled water from around the dishes and I hadn't changed the rag out in a few days. For whatever reason, the cats like to splash in the one bowl, so I was only cleaning up around/under the offending bowl.

I gave the area a good bleaching/wipe down and life was back to normal.


----------



## susanwrites (Jul 31, 2008)

Cheyanna - If I make it the only place to get water she waits until she is outside and drinks out of the two bubbling rocks that the birds bath in. I'm sure that's not good water for her (it's just recirculating)

Shaolin - Good detective work on your part with your pack! We haven't changed anything in there. (Checked with hubby to be sure.) Her food is right next to it, both on a rug, and she has no trouble with the food. I'll wash the rug just in case there's something there that she can smell. 

I've tried a variety of different water vessels. All of them work for her as long as we're not in that room.

My trainer suggested trying some "GO DOG" sports drink for dogs so we'll see if that works.


----------



## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

susanwrites said:


> Cheyanna - If I make it the only place to get water she waits until she is outside and drinks out of the two bubbling rocks that the birds bath in. I'm sure that's not good water for her (it's just recirculating)
> 
> Shaolin - Good detective work on your part with your pack! We haven't changed anything in there. (Checked with hubby to be sure.) Her food is right next to it, both on a rug, and she has no trouble with the food. I'll wash the rug just in case there's something there that she can smell.
> 
> ...


I just remember thinking, "Man, this rag smells funny..." and going from there. 

Maybe float a bit of beef broth, or what we did with our rescue pup, run a piece of bacon through the water. Just enough to leave a scent without getting clumpy/nasty.


----------



## The Packman (Jan 31, 2011)

Outside Elly May will drink muddy water from a rusty can...in the house, if she doesn't have fresh water she won't / hardy drink it.


----------



## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

The recirclated water is not necessarily bad. Is there green algae? Or a film on the water? Usually ok for dogs to drink out of moving water like streams, creeks, etc. not sure if same.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Thorny (Nov 4, 2012)

Gunnar drinks only when he knows he will be able to relieve himself. He won't drink right before going in his kennel. Has your pup realized a routine and is preventing unwanted accidents?


----------

