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How do I encourage my dog to drink water on an adventure?
There are a couple of ways to ensure your dog stays hydrated during an adventure, and your approach really depends on your dog. Some dogs can be trained to drink directly from the hose of a water bladder. The bladders in the Ruff Wear Palisades Pack™ have a twist valve on the end of the hose to make lapping up water much easier than using a bite valve.
If drinking directly from the Palisades Pack bladder hose is not an option for your dog, pack along a collapsible bowl such as the Quencher™ or Bivy Bowl™, then fill as needed. We recommend using the water from your hydration pack to fill the bowl because it is easier to access. When a refill is needed, use the bladders your dog is carrying in their pack to refill yours.
How much water should I bring?
The amount of water a dog drinks on an adventure depends on their age, weight, breed, diet, and energy level. You know your dog better than any calculation, but here’s a good place to start.
What if my dog won’t drink the water?
Some dogs naturally lap up massive amounts of water, while others need to be encouraged to do so, especially if they are outside of their normal routine and water source. Here are a few tips for getting your dog to drink water on command:
- Praise your dog and give him or her a treat when taking a nose dive into the water bowl.
- Add water to their dry kibble (similar to how we put milk in our cereal) to help them hydrate.
- Keep water in sight, and in mind.
- Consider flavoring the water with chicken or beef flavored broth, diluting it more and more until your dog is guzzling only pure H2O.
Why do I need to bring water for my dog? Can’t they just drink from a natural water source?
Dogs will often drink less in new environments due to the different taste of the water. They may also drink less if excited by the day’s adventures, which could leave them parched.
Finally, remember that still and non-moving water present potential problems, such as bacteria and parasites that are harmful to dogs. Even though Rover may drink out of puddles and toilets, still lake and pond water can be contaminated with Giardia. The best option is to bring along water from home.
How can I tell if my dog is thirsty?
Fatigue, weakness, tremors, or temperature elevation are indicators severe dehydration. Other indicators include increased heart rate, panting, bright red gums, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, increase in temperature, and confusion.
A quick trick for determining hydration levels is to grab the skin on the back of your dog’s neck. Give it a tug, and if the skin snaps back, it’s a good indicator that your dog is hydrated. If there is very little elasticity in the skin, your dog is probably dehydrated.
We often get asked, “How much water should I bring on my adventure (per day) for my dog?”
While a good rule of thumb is .24L per 5lbs of dog (for dogs under 20lbs); large, active dogs in hot weather can easily consume .03L of water per pound of body weight, meaning a 75lb dog can drink 2.25L of water a day.
Ultimately, the amount of water a dog drinks depends on their age, weight, breed, diet, and energy level. You know your dog better than any scientific calculation, but a good place to start is with a calculator.
We found this dog hydration calculator online. Check it out and tell us, does it seem accurate to you?
Finally, if you are headed out on an adventure that requires bringing your own hydration, know the capacity of your dog’s pack and your dog’s estimated consumption ahead of time. Our SingleTrak Pack™, created for short duration adventures, holds a combined 1L of water, while our multi-day backpacking pack, the Palisades Pack™, holds a combined 2L. We recommend adding additional Platypus bladders if more water is needed.
Dogs are not that great at cooling themselves efficiently. Blame it on their fur or their lack of sweat glands.
But wait! Don’t put away the leash just because it’s warm outside. By keeping your dog hydrated, assisting in your dog’s evaporative cooling process, protecting them from UV rays, offering shade, and protecting their paws, your dog can join in on your hot weather fun.
Five things to remember for hot weather adventures:
Hydration – Not only is hydration important for your dog’s well being, but it also helps with the cooling process. When a dog pants, evaporation off their mouth cools them down. The ability to increase the amount of saliva helps with the overall effectiveness of panting, keeping your dog cooler.
Evaporation – Dogs, unlike humans, are only equipped with sweat glands on their paw pads. Sweating allows for evaporative cooling, much like the “chills” we get when we air dry after a shower or dip in the river. You can imitate this process with a cooling jacket, such as the Swamp Cooler. When wet, the Swamp Cooler pulls heat away from the dog and dissipates it into the air, like artificial sweat.
UV Protection – Dogs can get sunburned just like humans. Arm your dog with sunscreen, paying special attention to their nose, belly, and inside of their legs. A UV-blocking coat, like the Swamp Cooler, can also be helpful in reflecting UV rays—especially on dark-coated dogs.
Shade – Shade is nature’s air conditioner. Taking a break under a tree or in a shady place during your run or hike can do wonders for your dog’s energy level.
Hot Surfaces – Finally, remember that dark surfaces absorb heat, making the ground very hot to run on. Using dog boots in hot weather creates a barrier between your dog’s paws and the ground.
Bee or wasp
Identified by: Red bump with possibility of allergic reaction which would cause the skin to be swollen or inflamed, or even cause breathing difficulties. Most bee stings occur around the paws or muzzle.
Treatment: Remove the stinger by scraping it out with a fingernail or credit card (tweezers can insert more venom). Clean the wound with a water/baking soda paste, and treat with appropriate medications (ask your vet what is best). For allergic reactions, call your vet. They may recommend an antihistamine.
Flea
Identified by: The jumping flea party your dog is hosting on its back, belly, neck, or tail. Infestations most commonly occur around the dog’s rump.
Treatment: A flea bath is good start, but prevention is key, so find a topical treatment that suits your needs.
Mosquito
Identified by: Itchy, red, swollen spots on the skin.
Treatment: Remedy with anti-itch treatments such as milk of magnesia, calamine lotion, regular oatmeal, or hydrocortisone.
Snake
Identified by: Puncture wounds, bleeding, bruising, pain, and swelling, usually on the dog’s head or neck. The shape of the bite can help determine if the snake is poisonous or not, but it’s best to get a good look at the offending party if possible. A clue for a non-venomous bite is teeth marks in the shape of a horseshoe. Poisonous varieties make fang marks.
Treatment: If a poisonous snake has bitten your dog, try to restrict the dog’s movement to slow the spread of venom, and call a veterinarian immediately.
Spider
Identified by: Pain and swelling in the bitten area. If your dog develops intense excitability, fever, weakness, or muscle and joint pains, seek veterinarian assistance, as a brown recluse or black widow may have bitten them.
Treatment: Luckily, most spiders in North America are not poisonous, but two exceptions are the black widow and the brown recluse. If your dog has been sniffing in dark areas, wood piles, sheds, or a dog house, you may want to get it checked out by a vet, as this can be very serious.
Photo Cred: Wednesday Night Hike
How can we open our senses–our eyes, our ears, and nose–to be more like a canine; to better operate in nature without technology?
July 15 is the full moon, and a great opportunity to train our senses to better acclimate to our surroundings. Find your inner canine with a night hiking trip; disconnect from devises to connect with nature. If you’ve never night hiked before, check out some of these pointers from the pros:
Adjust your eyes. Avoid white light for 30 minutes prior night hiking. It will take at least this long for your eyes to adjust to low light. A human eye is built differently than a canine’s, so they need time to adjust. A canine, on the other hand, sees very well in darkness.
Unlock your peripheral view. Human eyes have a large number of cones in their eyes, while canines have more rods than cones. The rods help us see dark and light (black and white) and are key to night vision. Since there is a higher concentration of cones in the center of the eye, looking off to the side of your focus unlocks the area of your eye will fewer cones, allowing you to see better in the dark.
Concentrate on shadows. You may not always be able to make out the trail, so the shadows from the vegetation surrounding the trail can help you find your way.
Avoid white light. White light can interrupt your eyes’ night vision, so avoid it as much as possible. This includes turning off your dog’s light.
Loosen your step. It’s a good idea to keep your knees loose–just in case you misstep!
Rely on other senses. Humans heavily rely on their sense of sight whereas dogs rely on a collaboration of their senses. Use the sounds and smell of a trail to help navigate through.
Just in case. Even a very familiar trail can look quite different at night. Carry a map, GPS, compass, and flashlight with you just in case you need help finding your way back.
What’s black and white and red all over? A white dog in the night sky with a Beacon™ on!
If you are thinking about taking your dog for a late night hike or a camping trip, you can “arm them with visibility” using Ruff Wear’s Beacon dog light. Here are a few shots from one of our fans demonstrating just how bright this little bugger is.
Use the Beacon on dark nights far from the city lights….
The Beacon™ dog light in the dark
…or close to home on nightly walks. The Beacon works great for spotting your dog in the dark, especially for dark-coated dogs that are practically invisible at night.
The Beacon light from afar (across and down the street). Said our customer, "Max is a 17 month old all black Border Collie mix, so in these pictures the Beacon is pretty much all you can see."
