My Setter Hates to Drink!

[NEhomer]

Anyone else have this problem? My 1 1/2 year old Llew gets so excited to hunt when we take to the fields that I have a very tough time getting him to stop and drink water. It's been a training struggle but what I've had to do is call him in and snap a lead on him and stand on the lead while I offer him water. He'll pant to the point of exhaustion and it takes about 3-5 minutes until he'll settle enough to drink and that's only just enough that he knows I'll free him again.

When we get back to the truck and he knows the session's over, he'll drink a half a gallon.

I've stopped taking him out in the summer heat because he gets distressed. Fortunately I have a very rural property with a trout stream for him to splash in so he gets all the exercise he needs.

Beside making him stop and waiting him out, I don't know what else I can do in the field.

[shags]

My you g dog doesn't want to quit, either. So we stop and sit out a little cool down time. I think it helps to have the time out before he gets too hot; he recovers faster, and that makes it easier to get some water in him.

Trout stream? Lucky you!

[DonF]

I'm not so sure drinking is as important in those situations as cooling is. Drinking doesn't cool your dog, soaking it underneath does. My Squirt is my best drinker but he's in an all fire hurry to get going, don't have a clue how he can smell anything the way he's panting! He runs a bit and it settle's down. My old Rex was about the same and it was easy to tell if he needed water of cooling, usually it was cooling. if your dog won't drink out there, forget about it but, poor some water on it's chest and belly underneath now and then. If he needs to drink he will.

[mnaj_springer]

My you g dog doesn't want to quit, either. So we stop and sit out a little cool down time. I think it helps to have the time out before he gets too hot; he recovers faster, and that makes it easier to get some water in him.

Trout stream? Lucky you!

+1. On all of it. I mean, a trout stream! Nice!

[greg jacobs]

One of mine has so much drive that she won't stop to drink, doesn't want to get in the pickup. She only wants to find the next bird. She is the smartest dog I've ever had, but a pain in the rear.

[Sharon]

Mine used to be the same. Now at almost 11 she is looking for the water.

[luvthemud]

I was told by the breeder of my last dog to add some flavor via broth or gatorade to water to try increase drinking desire. it did seem to help, but not sure if the gatorade was the best suggestion after getting some second opinions on that.

[Steve007]

You should teach your setter to drink from a portable bowl that you carry with you or directly from a water bottle. Call her in, settle her down and pour the water down her (from the side of the mouth). She'll learn.

Overheating plus tanking up increases the risk of bloat. And you will eventually hunt where she doesn't have a stream to cool off in. Moreover, there is bad water out there.

You might get away with it. Many do. But you might not. Teach her to drink from a bottle.

[MonsterDad]

This is such a silly topic. If water is available and a dog doesn't want it why force them to drink?

The urge to seek water is based on the balance and concentration of electrolytes in the dog's body. They know best when to drink.

Leave them be and just make sure water is available and its cool and fresh. Dogs lose almost no electrolytes so giving them anything with salt or other minerals is absurd advice.

[ezzy333]

Somehow people don't seem to understand just what electrolytes are or that they would be completely different for different animals. So many try to put human thought and characteristics on to their pets.

[Rik]

In warm or hot weather hunting, when your dog begins to pant heavily his ability to scent is seriously compromised and he could if he continues to run, die. He needs to cool down and drink. You must stop him and if cool/cold running water is available, let him cool in it, do not let him use stagnant warm ponds, cattle tanks or still puddles. Blue algae, parasites and ecoli from these sources kill many dogs every year in September. If no moving water is available pour some carried water on his belly and pads and rest him until he stops panting.

Better still, hunt as early in the morning as the law allows and sit out any weather above 70 degrees. Carry all the water you can and do not hunt far from the truck. Give those long haired dogs a close haircut before warm weather hunting, but watch out for sunburn......................

[NEhomer]

This is such a silly topic. If water is available and a dog doesn't want it why force them to drink?

The urge to seek water is based on the balance and concentration of electrolytes in the dog's body. They know best when to drink.

Leave them be and just make sure water is available and its cool and fresh. Dogs lose almost no electrolytes so giving them anything with salt or other minerals is absurd advice.

A silly topic? Cripes.

Looks like I'm doing all I can. I'm just not running him in hot weather. I took him for a short run back in June and we only went a couple of hundred yards from the truck. I didn't even bother to bring water because it was going to be so brief and he didn't want it anyway. Well in short order, he became very distressed. He needed water and it became a decision between resting until the hyperventilating stopped and getting him to the water I had back at the truck. I almost carried him. Needless to say, I'll never do that again.

In the cool of the fall he's fine and will hunt for hours straight so again he can run and cool down here at home all he wants until then.