A thirsty dog will drink from anywhere – dirty puddles, streams, ditches – and it’s hard to stop them, even if there might be health consequences. Puddles can be a cocktail for all sorts of nasties, from chemicals to bacteria and disease. And sometimes when you are walking your dog on a hot day you might recognise your dog is panting, but you don’t have any water to give him. Even if you’re carrying a bottle of water for yourself, it’s tricky trying to transfer that liquid into the dog’s mouth efficiently. You could carry round a bottle and a bowl, of course, but the best water bottles for dogs combine the two, so that your pup is able to drink whenever he needs to while out exercising.
The most common design for doggy water bottles features a bottle attached to the bowl, which is moulded around the bottle making it compact and portable. You pull out the bottle from the bowl section, and squeeze water into the bowl. Any unused water can be discarded or poured back in, the bowl and bottle slotted back together and you continue your walk.
Another design avoids the need for a bowl, featuring a bottle with a ball bearing mechanism, similar to those found in hamster cages, so when the dog lips the tip, the water is released. This means he just drinks what he needs, as water doesn’t splash around everywhere, but he’ll need to learn the technique and it’s not as easy to quench the thirst.
6 of the best water bottles for dogs
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Vivaglory Water Bottle
Capacity: 750ml
Material: Stainless steel, plastic bowl and neoprene holder
Weight: 250g
Reasons to buy: Large capacity for longer walks
A high-quality, large bottle in a comfortable neoprene holder. It comes with a handy adjustable strap, so you can carry it easily if you don’t have a bag, while the neoprene protects your bottle from scratching or denting. The holder is available in four colours: black, green, orange and red.
Use the reversible cap as a drinking bowl.
The large capacity is handy for long walks and large dogs. The water stays cold in the stainless steel, and the bottle doesn’t leak at all.
Reasons to buy: Very lightweight and several sizes available
A large stainless steel flask with a collapsible silicone bowl cup, which flips back down when not in use, while the steel material keeps the water cool. H&H loves the large sizes – it’s handy to be able to carry over a litre of water for hot days and long walks. The drinking bowl is also a decent size to give your dog a good drink, and you can drain unused water back into the bottle.
Comes in four colours: blue, green, red and purple.
This stainless steel bottle has a good capacity, and the flip-up silicone bowl is large enough for your dog to dip his mouth right in.
The bottle has a wide opening, which means you can add ice cubes for hot days. It’s easy to control how much water you pour into the bowl with a lock button in the lid, and you can drain unused water back into the bottle.
It has a carabiner to attach to a backpack, or a hand strap for carrying. Available in blue or grey.
Reason to buy: Compact size and light weight – good for smaller dogs
This is a stylish water bottle particularly ideal for those that head out with a buggy or a bike, as it fits neatly in standard copy holders. It also has a carabiner attachment for a backpack or belt.
The lid doubles up as a bowl, so you simply remove the lid, and pour the water in for your dog to drink.
It doesn’t hold a large amount of water at 270ml, however it makes up for that by being so lightweight. An ideal bottle for quick trips rather than hikes, and a smart design which you could easily confuse with a human’s coffee mug!
First, consider your dog’s size and exercise requirement. The capacity of the bottle will depend on the length of your walks and but also your climate – longer walks in hot weather will require a bigger bottle. If you’re concerned about your pooch in hot weather, read our articles on how to keep dogs cool and our guides for best dog cooling mats, best dog cooling jackets and best paddling pools for dogs.
Another consideration is the material the bottle is made from. Some materials, such as stainless steel or ceramic, keep the water cooler for longer, while plastic is more economical.
Finally, think about how portable you need the bottle to be. Some are designed to fit in the cup holder of a car, while others have a handy carabiner attachment to clipping to backpacks. If you don’t want to be weighed down, look for a lightweight bottle.
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
