# Is drinking water directly from the tap bad?



## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2020)

Hello, 

I have been recently wondering if it is bad for dogs to drink water directly from a running tap or shower. Oscar just loves it - when we come home from running, and even during the day, he goes in the bathroom and sits next to the bathtub until I turn on the tap or the shower, so he can drink. He was never a big water drinker, seems like the kind of "person" that forgets they have to drink water, I always took him to the bowl several times per day to remind him that he needs to drink water. 

I know this is not the usual way for dogs to drink water, and Oscar always coughs after drinking, just like we do when we drink too fast or too much and it goes down wrong. The issue is that once he discovered the joy of taps and showers he barely drinks any water from the bowl - and this has been going on since the beginning of the summer. 

Is this safe for dogs? Are there ways to make him enjoy his water bowl? His bowl is cleaned every morning and fresh water is always available - I always change the water after he drinks because it gets "drooly", so the next time he wishes to drink, the water will be clean and fresh. However, nowadays, he only drinks during his meals and maybe in the afternoon - otherwise, asks for the tap. Oh, and yes, I have taken him to his bowl when he demanded the tap, but he only takes a sip and he's done. 

Oh, and another question: do you give your dogs tap water or bottled water? I have always been that kind of person who drinks tap water, so I did not see an issue to give it to my dog, either, but if advised otherwise, I will buy him bottled.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I think they do it because it’s fun. Or at least that’s why Shine does it. She loves water from a water hose, the facet, or even the shower head, when your in the shower.
Unless you have something wrong with your water, I don’t see where it’s a problem.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

My dogs have always had water from the tap, but I have a 425' deep well, and am not on city water. 
I have seen many dogs, and horses, that love to play in the water from the hose, or in your case a shower. If I don't tighten the shower valve, I have Finn, my dog, and Calypso, my cat, in the shower trying to catch the water dripping from the shower head. Animals can be weird???
Dogs aren't like humans, they don't need a recommended amount of daily water. They drink when they need it, which is why it is important to always have fresh water available to them.
I would be careful with just bottled water, unless you are very confident of the source, or have extremely poor, or heavily treated, water from the tap.


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

in my area the water quality is pretty poor, so i use a double filtration system before drinking it or cooking with it. Same applies for the dogs. Nevertheless they do like the occasional joy of the shower / hose tickle in their mouth. If your water is safe to drink without filtering, i would not be worried about the way he loves to drink it.


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## Dan_A (Jan 19, 2021)

It could be that he prefers cooler water versus sitting room temp water? Try adding some ice to his water bowl to see what happens.


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## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2020)

Thank you so much for the replies!!! 
I'm happy now that there is no issue with drinking water from the shower - he really seems to like it. The water quality is medium here (not Norway quality, but not Mexico bad, either). It is considered safe for drinking and cooking and is tested on a daily basis.
I will also try too add some ice in his water bowl, maybe he will like it better - he does love ice cubes .


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## Sloane (Jun 17, 2021)

I would be worried about aspiration. Especially if he's coughing after he drinks which indicates that the water is going down his windpipe and not his esophagus. The quality of water isn't the issue here - it's the method by which he's drinking it.


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## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2020)

Sloane said:


> I would be worried about aspiration. Especially if he's coughing after he drinks which indicates that the water is going down his windpipe and not his esophagus. The quality of water isn't the issue here - it's the method by which he's drinking it.


Well, yeah, in part that was my worry as well, but as some mentioned, many dogs do that...I started to worry about it since I read about bloating in dogs and how it can be life threatening, but I am not sure this could be a cause for such an issue. He gets progressively better at drinking water this way - it looks like he is developing a methodology for it 😂 - not as gluttonous as when he discovered the shower, but not a perfect drinker either.


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