Shih Tzus can be energetic and playful. But this breed can overheat quickly so it’s important to have fresh water available to help quench their thirst and help them keep cool.
The best dog water dispenser for Shih Tzus depends on how many dogs you have, as many owners of the Shih Tzu are not content with only a single dog. We currently have three, with a fourth pup we purchased due to come into our home soon.
We keep two sets of food and water bowls. One on the main floor and one on the lower level where we hang out for relaxation and television. This way the water lasts longer, and with multiple dogs, we need multiple water bowls or else a larger capacity one.
What about a dog water fountain? Are they worth it?
A dog water fountain is a water bowl that adds a pump to keep the circulation of the water or create a fountain. We’ve all seen videos of dogs who love to drink from a flowing water hose but is this really true of most dogs, and more importantly, does your Shih Tzu want to drink from a fountain? In most cases, it will not entice a problem drinker to drink more water.
There are some advantages of a fountain. The first is for those owners whose dogs get the bowl dirty. Our 16-year-old Shih Tzu had become unsteady and frequently walked into the water bowl, or tagged food bits into it. In this case, a fountain may help keep the water clearer for longer and reduce cleaning. For us, we just rinsed and refilled the bowl more frequently. And the capacity is greater than a regular water bowl so the water lasts longer with fewer fillings.
But does it really stay cleaner longer? There can be bacteria build-up in the internal pump or impeller, and cleaning the fountain may be more work than cleaning a stainless steel bowl. DSo does it really offer fresher water? Check other forums yourself and you will find out no.
From reading some dog forums, most people don’t think their dogs prefer a fountain over a bowl of water. A downside to the fountain is that it uses an electric pump. We ll if you have experience with aquariums or ponds, you know how electric pumps can fail. So the main complaint for a water fountain would be the pump failing.
What are the best water fountains for dogs?
Pioneer ceramic users say the pump lasts several years, is easy to disassemble for cleaning, and is dishwasher safe.
Some bowls are noisy or prone to leaking. Sone difficult to clean or more frequent pump failure. Most online stores have customer reviews that are worth reading.
What about automatic dog water dispensers
These provide larger quantities of water (or food) for example with a big upside-down water jug. These can gurgle as they refill the bowl, and some dogs can be afraid of the noise.
It could be just as easy to use a larger water bowl so you don’t need to fill it as often. Some people don’t like the look of them and prefer a more traditional style water bowl.
Should a Shih Tzus Water Bowl be Elevated?
Recently our senior dog was having a hard time getting down to drink so we bout two sets of elevated bowls. Stainless steel bowls on an elevated stand. That makes the drinking position much easier for our Shih Tzus, especially our senior dog. There is some concern with elevated bowls causing bloat in large or very large dogs. But for a small lap dog like the Shih Tzus, this is not an issue at all.
What is the best type of dog water bowl?
From our experience, hands down the best type of dog water bowl is stainless steel construction. It is long-lasting as it won’t rust or won’t crack like glass or ceramic bowl. It is smooth and easier to keep clean, And it is lighter so easier to carry around, especially when filled with water.
Some plastic or glazed bowls may contain chemicals that could leech into the dog’s water (or food) from the bowl. We avoid these poor-quality bowls and are now using stainless steel as it is the safest for our pets. And there is no problem dropping the stainless steel bowls into the dishwasher for easy cleaning.
Don’t worry, it is perfectly safe to wash your Shih Tzus water and food bowl with your dishes. If you are uncomfortable mixing them with your dishes, then it knowing it is safe to run the dog bowls through the dishwasher safe you could run them on their own cycle.
Are there any Downsides to a Stainless Steel Water Bowl:
If the bowl is left outdoors for extended periods, there is a possibility it could develop some rust. Or it could be prone to staining due to the elements and UV rays attacking the bowl. Tzus are not outdoor dogs, so this is unlikely to occur for an indoor Shih Tzu.
Here’s a great low cost set of stainless steel water bowls at Amazon.
Some dogs are chewers, so they could chew the bowl and damage their teeth or the bowl. Thankfully with Shih Tzus, you won’t have this problem so a stainless steel bowl should not have any of these downfalls.
For years we had used ceramic bowls. That is fine as long as the bowls are cleaned and disinfected regularly to keep bacteria away. But they sometimes develop cracks that might not be evident until they start to leak water onto the floor. And those cracks will certainly hold bacteria. As long as they are in good shape and clean, they are fine to use.
Should I leave water out all day for my Shih Tzu?
All dogs including Shih Tzus are good at drinking what they need and not overdrinking. We leave water out always and refill the bowl once or twice per day.
Should I use tap water for my Shih Tzu dog?
Tap water is safe to provide to pets. Tap water is safe for humans to drink, and it is good for Shih Tzus too so long as you have good quality tap water. However, if your Shih Tzu has any sensitivities then some of the additives such as chlorine and fluoride in tap water could cause stomach upset for your dog. Most tap waters also contain some minerals including calcium and iron but these should not cause any health concerns for your Shih Tzu. If your dog tolerates tap water then great, if sensitive then filtered, spring or bottled water may be a better choice.
After we heard about high levels of lead in the drinking water of some Canadian and USD cities, we upped our drinking water quality ourselves. We had already been using Brita water dispensers. Now we have changed to use the blue filters designed to also remove lead from our water. Because we love our Shih Tzus, they also get Brita filtered lead-free water in their stainless steel water bowls.
We also considered a reverse osmosis drinking water treatment. But that was a bit too pricy for our liking, and we are perfectly content with our Brita system.
Ultimately there are numerous options for the type of water bowl you choose for your Shih Tzus, and even for the water that they drink. Happy hunting for that perfect water bowl.