The 3 Best Dog Water Bottles You Ought to Know About

Nothing ruins a walk faster than a thirsty dog and no safe water in sight. Sometimes, they’ll seek out the muckiest puddle to drink from, while your ‘leave it’ command falls on deaf ears. Other times it’s you wrestling with a leaky bottle or trying to juggle a collapsible bowl.

Any of these can leave your dog panting harder than they should, tiring out too soon, or worse — picking up a stomach upset that drags down the rest of your outing.

That’s where the best dog water bottles make all the difference. But not every design works in every situation. A quick hike, a weekend camping trip, or crate time each demand something a little different. Below, I’ll show you the 3 styles that actually solve these problems — and the picks I trust most.

Discover The 3 Best Dog Water Bottles for Your Dogs Needs

➔ Best Portable Dog Water Bottle: Mountain Paws Folding Dog Water Bottle

Best for: 

Walks up to 10 miles – half day adventures off the beaten track.

Pros:

• Button activated design for single-handed use.
• BPA-free material for healthier hydration on the go.
• Lanyard for a more secure fastening to attachments for portability.

Cons:

• Not dishwasher safe – prone to shrinkage.
• Slow to release the water so you may find yourself unscrewing it and just using the bottle and tray separately. No biggie. Just a little inconvenient.

My Take:

This is the first type of water bottle I picked up in the store because it’s intended for longer walks. That said, mine is a different type of dog water bottle – no push button release valve. It has a plastic clip that can attach to the lead or the dog walking bag. I have never trusted that clip to hold up under the weight of it when full. 

I think it’d snap so I only carry it empty and fill it as and when I need to from the larger bottle of water I bring in the backpack on long hikes. 

What catches my eye with this is the lanyard attachment. It’s the same principle used with the torch I use on late night walks or even morning jaunts. It can be hung on my wrist, tied onto the lead, or onto a carabiner clip attached to a dog walking bag.

What Makes It Stand Out:

It’s BPA-Free, which given the bargain price and convenience of the one I bought in-store as an impulse purchase, I don’t even know if the bottles I have are BPA-Free. I just know they’re plastic. The button activation is a neat touch because you can give your dog a drink without letting go of the lead. Handy for windy trails when you don’t really trust the dog off-leash. 

Find the best price on the Mountain Paws Folding Dog Water Bottle here

➔ Best Dog Water Bottle & Bowl For Adventurers: Lesotc 1600/ 2200/2800 ml Water Dispenser and Bowl

Best for:

Camping, full day hikes, adventures, or picnics where you can setup a doggy water station

Pros:

• Huge capacity – 1600 ml, 2200 ml, and 2800 ml sizes available. Even the smallest is large capacity.
• The bowl tucks neatly under the water container, integrating it, so a separate collapsible water bowl isn’t needed.
• Leak-proof design makes it ideal for traveling when full. 

Cons:

• Not practical for carrying on walks – pack it in a bag or the car for travel.
• The bowl cannot be removed for cleaning – if dirt gets trapped, it can prevent it from fully closing. 

My Take:

Having 2 Staffies and frequently taking them on full day hikes, not always close to a stream, sometimes uphill and cross country, the large capacity makes it handy. Ours aren’t ready for camping, but I can see this being the choice for quick wild camping adventures – like a longer distance hike with an overnight wild camping setup.

For day trips involving picnics, there’s enough capacity for both dogs to stay hydrated, no matter how much running around they do. 

What Makes It Stand Out:

The large capacity of at least 1600 ml, rising to 2800 ml in the XXL model, the integrated bowl, and the different ways it can be transported… Attached to a carabiner clip, in a travel bag, or just put in the car without having to worry about leakages. 

It’s also worth pointing out that I’ve read reviews from people who do more than basic training, (think Canicross or Mantrailing – both non-competitive sports), that will tire the dog faster, making them more likely to need lots more water than usual. This has worked well for those doing outdoor activities with their dogs. 

For more info and the best deals on the Lesotc dog water bottle + bowl, click here!

➔ Best Dog Water Bottle for Crate: TOKAYIFE Dog Cage Water Bottle

Best For: 

Dogs that need to be crated in summer and left unsupervised.

Pros:

• Good capacity of 480ml.
• Overflow prevention keeps the water contained.
• Decent small sized bowl won’t get too much in the way of the dog in a crate.

Cons:

• Inferior strength for strong dogs – could be broken.
• Only suitable for specific types of crates: (Vertical bar 2.5 – 4.5 cm, Horizontal bar > 4.5 cm).

My Take:

The TOKAYIFE dog cage bottle and bowl brings to mind an oversized hamster or rabbit cage watering system. It’s simple, but it’s designed in a way that just works. The gravity flow design keeps the water level stable, and the bowl is a decent width for most dog breeds to lick without being so wide they can stick their noses in it causing it to collapse. 

We like our caravan holidays and those things can get warm, even overnight. When the dogs are in the crate overnight, this is a useful setup. Enough hydration if they need it, but not so large it’s going to get in their way. It’s kind of like an emergency watering system, handy if you’re at work all day, relying on others to check on your puppies, but with a safeguard in place in case they’re late or can’t make it. 

What Makes It Stand Out:

It’s got a good enough capacity for the purpose it’s intended for. A 480 ml water bottle attached via a secure mount to the bars on a dog crate lets the height be adjusted. Considering dogs won’t (or shouldn’t) be crated unsupervised for long, the 480 ml capacity is sufficient. 

Get the latest prices and more details here.

Buyer’s Guide to Dog Watering Bottles and Systems

A bottle’s a bottle, but for pets, the design needs to be one that’s comfortable for the dog to use, lightweight and convenient enough for you to carry, or in the case of crates, have a sturdy mounting system.

Having seen and used different styles of dog water bottles, these are factors I would consider important when buying one. (Some of these are learned from experience). 

1. Capacity

A 500 ml pet travel bottle is sufficient for everyday use. It’s light enough to carry, but that’s based on no spillage. Leak proof designs will be important, as is, the ability to get unused water back into the bottle, otherwise, there’ll be a lot of wasted water. 

2. Refill or Water Reuse 

Some designs, like the lesotc water reservoir with the integrated bowl is a pour only system with no ability to get unused water from the bowl back into the tank. When on walks and carrying something designed like that, you could be wasting a lot more water than necessary. 

3. Carrying Method

Some dog water bottles have lanyards, others have plastic clips, very few have metal carabiners that attach to bags. In fact, most dog walking bags are designed with a water bottle pouch, and those are usually up to a 500 ml bottle. Larger than that, you’d really need to be attaching the bottle to a metal clip (carabiner) with a strong lanyard. 

4. Water bottles for dog crates need secure yet flexible mounting systems

Crate setups rely on mounting a water bowl with a bottle attached to the mesh wires. Not all crates have those, and of those that do, you still need to make sure there’s sufficient space for the dog to move. There’s no use attaching a watering system if it’s only going to get in the way of the dogs movements and wind up being knocked off and the water spilled. 

Wrapping Up: Which One Should You Choose?

If you need something portable, and lightweight for carrying on hikes up to 10 miles, go with a portable/travel water bottle. If you see yourself setting up a dog water station on picnics or camping adventures, go with the large capacity reservoir style tank with an integrated bowl. For crate use, the best would be the one that sits elevated, mounted securely to the crate to prevent accidental spills. 

Use the links below for the latest prices and more information: 

FAQs