By Dr. Elena Shockman, VMD
This post contains an affiliate link. I am a paid partner of Selene. Full disclosure below.
The short answer
To get your dog to drink more water, wash the bowl daily, set up more than one water station, match the bowl to your dog's face (wide and shallow for flat-faced breeds), add water to meals, offer water after walks and play, and try a fountain with moving water. If your dog keeps getting UTIs, see your vet to find the underlying cause.
Growing up, we had a Boxer named Brandy. She was the sweetest dog you could imagine. She was also a terrible drinker.
She would walk up to her water bowl, sniff it, and walk away. We tried everything to get more water into her. And she got urinary tract infections over and over again.
I was a kid then. I did not understand why it kept happening. Now, after 16 years as a veterinarian, I do. And I think about Brandy every time an owner asks me the same question we used to ask ourselves.
"How do I get my dog to drink more water?"
Here is what I know now, and what I wish we had known then.
Table of Contents
- Why Some Dogs Struggle to Drink From a Bowl
- Why Water Matters for Dogs Prone to UTIs
- Signs of a UTI in Dogs
- Why Dogs Are Drawn to Moving Water
- How to Get Your Dog to Drink More Water
- Why I Recommend the Selene Doggy Fountain
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What I Wish We Had Known
Why Some Dogs Struggle to Drink From a Bowl
Looking back as a vet, I understand part of Brandy's problem. She had that short Boxer nose and an exceptionally long tongue. To drink from a deep bowl, she had to push her whole face into the water.
It was hard work just to get a drink. So she drank less.
Brandy was not unusual. I see the same struggle in many short-nosed breeds, which vets call brachycephalic dogs. That includes French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Pugs, English Bulldogs, Shih Tzus, and Boxers.
A deep, narrow bowl is not built for a flat face. These dogs often bump their noses, splash water everywhere, or give up before they have had enough.
What helps flat-faced dogs drink
- A wide, shallow bowl. Your dog should be able to reach the water without pushing their nose to the bottom.
- A steady base. Heavy or non-slip bowls keep the bowl from sliding away as they drink.
- Water that is always full. A half-empty bowl means reaching deeper. Top it up often.
- Moving water. A fountain with a wide, open surface lets them lap from the top. More on that below.
Why Water Matters for Dogs Prone to UTIs
Here is the part I wish my family had understood.
When a dog drinks more, they pee more. Every trip outside flushes the bladder and dilutes the urine. In vet medicine we have a saying for this: the solution to pollution is dilution.
When a dog does not drink enough, urine sits in the bladder longer and gets more concentrated. That gives bacteria more time to settle in and multiply.
More water in means more trips out, and every trip outside is a chance to flush the bladder clean.
Water is not the whole answer
I want to be honest about this, because it matters. Water was not the whole answer for Brandy.
When a dog gets UTI after UTI, there is usually a reason. International veterinary guidelines on urinary infections recommend looking for that underlying cause in dogs with recurrent infections, not just treating each one as it comes.
Common culprits include:
- Anatomy. Some female dogs have a recessed or hooded vulva that traps moisture and bacteria.
- Bladder stones. Stones irritate the bladder lining and give bacteria a place to hide.
- Hormone and metabolic diseases. Diabetes and Cushing's disease both make infections more likely.
- Kidney disease. Dilute urine and a weaker urinary tract can set the stage for infection.
If your dog keeps getting UTIs, ask your vet about a urine culture and a workup for the cause. Then think about water as the part you can control at home, every single day. For more ways to support your dog's urinary health, browse our vet-curated urinary and kidney health shelf.
Signs of a UTI in Dogs
Call your vet if you notice any of these:
- Peeing small amounts often, or asking to go out more than usual.
- Straining or squatting a long time with little coming out.
- Accidents in the house from a dog who is normally house-trained.
- Blood in the urine, or urine that looks cloudy or smells strong.
- Licking the genital area more than usual.
Emergency: If your dog is straining and nothing is coming out, that is an emergency. Go to your vet or the nearest ER right away. A blocked bladder can become life-threatening within hours.
Why Dogs Are Drawn to Moving Water
Watch a dog skip a perfectly good bowl and head straight for the hose, a stream, or a running faucet. You have probably seen it.
That is instinct. In the wild, running water tends to be cleaner and safer to drink than water that has been sitting still. That preference is still programmed into our pets.
Still water also picks up a slimy film over time. That film is called biofilm, and many dogs will turn their nose up at a bowl that has it, even if it looks clean to us.
How to Get Your Dog to Drink More Water
These are the steps I give owners, especially for picky drinkers and dogs with a history of urinary trouble:
- Clean the bowl every day. Wash it in hot, soapy water. A quick rinse does not remove biofilm.
- Set up more than one water station. Put one where your dog rests and one near the door they use to go out.
- Match the bowl to the face. Wide and shallow for flat-faced breeds. Deeper and sturdier for big dogs who slosh.
- Add water to meals. Soak kibble, mix in a little warm water, or add wet food. It all counts.
- Offer water after every walk and play session. Dogs drink most when they are warm and active.
- Try moving water. A fountain gives your dog the fresh, flowing water their instincts are drawn to.
Why I Recommend the Selene Doggy Fountain
Rocco and me at the clinic. His Selene fountain comes to work with us.
That is why I recommend a fountain for my urinary patients, my picky drinkers, and my short-nosed dogs. The one I like is the Selene Doggy Fountain, because it checks four of the boxes on the list above in one product:
- Moving water that works with your dog's instincts.
- A wide, open drinking surface that sits right at the rim, so a flat face does not have to reach down.
- Stainless steel that does not scratch and shelter bacteria the way plastic does.
- Dishwasher-safe parts, so cleaning it properly takes a couple of minutes.
It also runs the water through a filter. And because it goes right in the dishwasher, it gets the high-heat clean that is the most reliable way I know to get biofilm off.
That open surface matters most for short-nosed babies like my Brandy. When the fountain is full, the water sits right at the rim, so a Boxer, Frenchie, or Pug can lap from the top without pushing their whole face down into a deep bowl. No bumped noses, no water up the nose, and no giving up halfway through a drink. It is the bowl Brandy never had. My tip: keep it topped up, so the water stays at the rim.
It is what my own dog, Rocco, drinks from, at home and at the clinic.
It still needs washing. Nothing cleans itself. But cleaning it properly takes a couple of minutes, so you will actually do it.
Want to try it?
Or use my code DRELENASELENE25 at checkout on Selene's website.
Disclosure: I am a paid partner of Selene and earn a commission if you buy through my link or with my code. I only endorse products I use for my own pets and recommend to my patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much water should a dog drink a day?
A common rule of thumb is about one ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. That works out to roughly one cup for every 8 pounds. Active dogs, dogs in hot weather, and nursing dogs need more. Dogs on wet food get some of their water from meals.
Can drinking more water help prevent UTIs in dogs?
Drinking more water makes dogs pee more often, which flushes the bladder and dilutes the urine. That makes it harder for bacteria to settle in. It is an important part of prevention, but dogs with repeat UTIs also need a vet workup to find the underlying cause.
Why does my dog keep getting UTIs?
Recurrent UTIs usually have an underlying cause. Common ones include a recessed vulva in female dogs, bladder stones, diabetes, Cushing's disease, and kidney disease. Ask your vet about a urine culture and further testing rather than treating each infection on its own.
What is the best water bowl for a flat-faced dog?
Flat-faced dogs like French Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, and Boxers do best with a wide, shallow bowl on a steady, non-slip base. Keep it full so they do not have to reach. A fountain with a wide, open surface, kept full to the rim, is another good option.
Do dogs prefer running water?
Many dogs do. In the wild, running water tends to be cleaner and safer than still water, and that instinct carries over to our pets. It is why so many dogs go for the hose or a running faucet.
Is a stainless steel water fountain better for dogs than plastic?
I prefer stainless steel. Plastic scratches over time, and those tiny scratches become shelters. Bacteria settle into them, where scrubbing and washing cannot reach. From there, they rebuild the slimy film called biofilm again and again. Stainless steel is easier to keep clean, and many steel fountains can go in the dishwasher. Heat is the other problem. Many plastics can release chemicals such as BPA, or the newer substitutes used in "BPA-free" plastics, when they are exposed to high heat. That is why I do not put plastic in the dishwasher. Stainless steel is the more hygienic choice, and the safer one.
What I Wish We Had Known
If you have a dog like Brandy, a dog who just will not drink, I want you to know it is not just stubbornness. Sometimes the bowl is the problem. Sometimes the water is not fresh enough. And sometimes there is a medical reason that needs your vet.
Start with a clean bowl that fits your dog's face. Add water to meals. Give them moving water. And if UTIs keep coming back, push for answers.
When I think back on Brandy, here is what we were missing.
It was not more water. It was water she did not have to work for.
Do you have a flat-faced dog or a picky drinker? Tell me what has worked in your house.
Affiliate disclosure: I am a paid Selene affiliate and earn a commission on purchases made through my link or with my code, at no extra cost to you. I only endorse products I use for my own pets and recommend to my patients. This post is for education and does not replace an exam and advice from your own veterinarian.
Source: Weese JS, et al. International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases (ISCAID) guidelines for the diagnosis and management of bacterial urinary tract infections in dogs and cats. Vet J. 2019;247:8-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.02.008
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