Two questions I would like to have answered.

By On · 20 Comments · In Family, Sugar Cookie

1) Why is it, even after I’ve put out a nice clean bowl of fresh cold water, my dog still prefers to drink out of the toilet?

2) Why is it that no one else in my family can remember to put the toilet lid down to keep the dog from drinking out of the toilet?

Thank you for your consideration of these questions.

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  • http://marshallpayne1.livejournal.com/ Marshall Payne

    Because life is a series of bizarre conundrums designed solely to induce Mary madness. Or at least to provide something to blog about…?

    Perhaps if you switch to a favor of Tidy Bowl cleaner the dog doesn’t like… Just a thought. ;-)

    • http://www.demimonde.com M.K. Hobson

      Speaking of flavors, is there something in the *flavor* of the toilet water the dog likes? Because I just can’t fathom or stomach that.

      I would switch to some kind of Tidy Bowl solution, but I fear the dog would just drink that. I already have to lock her out of the bathroom when I’m taking a bath because she likes to lick the soap.

      This is one screwed up pooch.

  • http://marshallpayne1.livejournal.com/ Marshall Payne

    Because life is a series of bizarre conundrums designed solely to induce Mary madness. Or at least to provide something to blog about…?

    Perhaps if you switch to a favor of Tidy Bowl cleaner the dog doesn’t like… Just a thought. ;-)

    • http://www.demimonde.com M.K. Hobson

      Speaking of flavors, is there something in the *flavor* of the toilet water the dog likes? Because I just can’t fathom or stomach that.

      I would switch to some kind of Tidy Bowl solution, but I fear the dog would just drink that. I already have to lock her out of the bathroom when I’m taking a bath because she likes to lick the soap.

      This is one screwed up pooch.

  • http://serge-lj.livejournal.com/ Serge

    (1) The toilet’s water is probably cooler.
    (2) Bad family member! Bad, bad!

    • http://www.demimonde.com M.K. Hobson

      Maybe the cats taint the water in her water bowl somehow. I wouldn’t put it past them. And yes, the family members need to be spanked with newspapers.

  • http://serge-lj.livejournal.com Serge

    (1) The toilet’s water is probably cooler.
    (2) Bad family member! Bad, bad!

    • http://www.demimonde.com M.K. Hobson

      Maybe the cats taint the water in her water bowl somehow. I wouldn’t put it past them. And yes, the family members need to be spanked with newspapers.

  • heather w

    I can’t help you with the second item, but for the first, perhaps the heights of the respective bowls is part of the appeal of one over the other? And of course the sweet lure of the forbidden.

  • heather w

    I can’t help you with the second item, but for the first, perhaps the heights of the respective bowls is part of the appeal of one over the other? And of course the sweet lure of the forbidden.

  • http://serge-lj.livejournal.com/ Serge

    You could take the MythBusters approach. Buy a toilet bowl that’s never been… ah… used. Place it (with its seat up) next to the other toilet bowl (with ITS seat up) and to the doggie’s own bowl, and flush it every time the other throne is used. Have a camera film the proceedings. See if the doggie shows any preference.

  • http://serge-lj.livejournal.com Serge

    You could take the MythBusters approach. Buy a toilet bowl that’s never been… ah… used. Place it (with its seat up) next to the other toilet bowl (with ITS seat up) and to the doggie’s own bowl, and flush it every time the other throne is used. Have a camera film the proceedings. See if the doggie shows any preference.

  • Rachel

    How high the bowl is and how cool the water is are all probably relevant to your dog’s water-drinking choice. However, one thing I have heard in relation to cats and their habits around drinking bowls of water is this: they prefer water that has been sitting out for a while because water fresh from the faucet has a lot of chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals in it that we can’t smell but that come off very strongly to them. Chlorine (but perhaps not Fluoride now that I think about it) evaporates out of water that has been exposed to air for a while. So: water fresh from the faucet stinks, where as water in the toilet bowl smells sweet. It’s a fact. I think.

    • http://www.demimonde.com M.K. Hobson

      Hey, that makes a whole lot of sense! I have an open-top jug of water that I keep in the fridge, and I always prefer to drink from that because it tastes a *whole* lot better than the water straight from the tap. I’ve always known that this was because it has time for the chlorine to evaporate out … but I never made the connection between my tastes and my dog’s taste! And since her sense of smell is so much more acute …

      I think you’ve solved it! Maybe I’ll get an open-top jug to sit on the back porch (I’ll cover it with a screen or something to keep the buggies out) and fill her water bowl from that.

      Wow. Total satori moment. Thank you!

  • Rachel

    How high the bowl is and how cool the water is are all probably relevant to your dog’s water-drinking choice. However, one thing I have heard in relation to cats and their habits around drinking bowls of water is this: they prefer water that has been sitting out for a while because water fresh from the faucet has a lot of chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals in it that we can’t smell but that come off very strongly to them. Chlorine (but perhaps not Fluoride now that I think about it) evaporates out of water that has been exposed to air for a while. So: water fresh from the faucet stinks, where as water in the toilet bowl smells sweet. It’s a fact. I think.

    • http://www.demimonde.com M.K. Hobson

      Hey, that makes a whole lot of sense! I have an open-top jug of water that I keep in the fridge, and I always prefer to drink from that because it tastes a *whole* lot better than the water straight from the tap. I’ve always known that this was because it has time for the chlorine to evaporate out … but I never made the connection between my tastes and my dog’s taste! And since her sense of smell is so much more acute …

      I think you’ve solved it! Maybe I’ll get an open-top jug to sit on the back porch (I’ll cover it with a screen or something to keep the buggies out) and fill her water bowl from that.

      Wow. Total satori moment. Thank you!

  • http://serge-lj.livejournal.com/ Serge

    Science!

  • http://serge-lj.livejournal.com Serge

    Science!

  • ada

    Dogs and cats pick up on emotional signals from their owners. Dogs can tell that you are somewhat grossed out by them drinking from the toilet, so it makes them feel wild and rebellious in a safe way.

    Re: toilet lids. My husband insists that when not in use, a toilet should have both the seat and the lid down. So I’m the one who forgets and leaves the lid up and he has to keep putting it down. Now I have a brother who believes that a closed toilet lid is the international symbol for the toilet is broken. So when my family and I are visiting my brother, you can imagine the fun shenanigans that occur over toilet semaphore miscommunications.

  • http://countesslovlace.livejournal,com ada

    Dogs and cats pick up on emotional signals from their owners. Dogs can tell that you are somewhat grossed out by them drinking from the toilet, so it makes them feel wild and rebellious in a safe way.

    Re: toilet lids. My husband insists that when not in use, a toilet should have both the seat and the lid down. So I’m the one who forgets and leaves the lid up and he has to keep putting it down. Now I have a brother who believes that a closed toilet lid is the international symbol for the toilet is broken. So when my family and I are visiting my brother, you can imagine the fun shenanigans that occur over toilet semaphore miscommunications.