DoctorPup Complimentary Service

Bottle or Bowl

Q: My puppy has been home for four days. He is eating well, and drinks from a bowl when offered, but she has not drank from the water bottle. How can I show him how to use the bottle?

A: The only advantage of the bottle is that it tends to be less mess. Most puppies will figure it out if you repeatedly tease a drop from the bottle onto your finger with the puppy there. You can also temporarily leave a small dish under the bottle. Lightly flavoring the water with Karo, honey or broth can help sometimes too. Keep in mind that small puppies do not drink a lot so it can seem they aren't getting as much as you think they should. For example a 3 pound puppy's maintainance requirement for water is only about 3 ounces for a whole day.