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Discerning dogs pick best bargain in water
(by Christine Thome - January 05, 2011)
BEYOND MY CONTROL, BY CHRISTINE THOME
Discerning dogs pick best bargain in water
It's definitely a dog's world out there.
According to statistics, we Americans spend more than $50 billion on our furry friends every year. From doggy day care to doggy tiaras, some people can go a little over the top. And while I will gladly admit there are days I love my dogs more than some members of my family, even I was amazed at the latest pet product.
Bottled water for dogs.
Not just plain water -- but flavored water. There's chicken flavor, beef flavor and, for the vegan pooch in your life, peanut-butter flavor water. All for just $2.99 for a 12-ounce bottle.
Really? Three bucks for a dog that revels in rolling in dead, stinky stuff in the back yard and considers toilet water a luxury?
I don't know about you, but my two dogs, Josie and Louie, have never once turned their noses up at the tap water I put in the large bowl they share. My kids won't drink out of the same cup as their siblings, but Jo and Lou have no problem sharing each other's slobber. It probably enhances the experience.
But who am I to judge? Maybe flavored water for dogs is the next gazillion-dollar idea. After all, who among us doesn't wish we thought up bottled water for humans? Take something everyone can get for free, bottle it and charge a ridiculous amount. Pure genius.
So I decided to conduct a taste test using my two furry-faced participants. But first I had to purchase the flavored water, something I was slightly embarrassed to do.
You would have thought I was purchasing condoms or embarrassing feminine products, because first, I loaded up my shopping cart with a bunch of items I didn't need. Then I looked around to make sure no one I knew was watching, grabbed the peanut-butter flavored water and nonchalantly pushed it under the enormous package of toilet paper.
It was a waste of time.
"I wondered who bought this stuff!" the cashier exclaimed very loudly as she held up the flavored pet water for all to see. "Do your dogs like it? It's kind of expensive, don't you think?"
"It's for a neighbor. She got a puppy for Christmas," I lied as I quickly shoved the water into my purse.
Back in the laboratory, my daughters and I filled up six identical bowls, three for each dog. One consisted of peanut-butter flavored dog water, one tap water, and the last one was filled with refreshing toilet water.
As we placed the bowls in front of each dog, they turned away from the waters, sat nicely and looked back and forth between us and their cookie jar.
"Maybe we shouldn't conduct the experiment in the kitchen," one daughter said. "They think we're gonna give them treats."
"No, it's OK. We just need to make them thirsty," I said. "Do we have any saltine crackers?"
"There are some expired ones in the pantry. I'll get them!"
After they consumed a sleeve of stale crackers, we redirected the dogs back to their waters.
"You must be so thirsty! Here's some yummy, refreshing water," we cooed as we pointed to each bowl.
Josie, the large golden retriever, sniffed each bowl and settled on the tap water. Louie, the little Shih Tzu, went directly to the toilet water and gulped it down. So much for discerning taste.
"Put a small cookie in each bowl and see what happens," I said, not ready to give up on the flavored dog water.
After dropping a small cookie in each water bowl, Josie immediately went down her line and grabbed the cookie out of each bowl, pausing a little longer to linger over the toilet water. Louie ignored the cookies in all the bowls except for the one containing toilet water.
"Well, that answers that," I said to the girls as I picked up the bowls and mopped the floor.
"That flavored bottled water for dogs is a waste of money?"
"I was thinking more about our future," I answered.
"What do you mean?"
"We need to start bottling and selling toilet water. We'll market it as 'Poo From the 'Loo for Your Shih Tzu.'"
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