My New Favorite Thing: H2O4K9 Water Bottle

   This product, I promise, is for every dog owner that ever leaves the house with their pup in tow.

    Since Cassie was a puppy she has always had a problem with overheating very suddenly.  Australian Shepherds are known for being very sensitive to heat and humidity (mostly due to the thick coat and large amount of muscle), but it's still worrisome when your dog lies down in the middle of the road after a 10 minute walk on a crisp cool morning.  This tendency led Chris and I to start taking cool water with us even on short walks, a somewhat cumbersome task when you are just out for a morning stroll.  We tried just about everything:

- Sigg bottles and a collapsible bowl in a backpack

- Camelback and a collapsible bowl 

- Bags of ice cubes

- Plastic water bottles and a cupped hand

   Everything we tried was either messy, complicated, cumbersome or all of the above.  

  In addition to the walks, I need to take water with me everywhere I go with Cassie including: the dog park, classes, competitions (we're only spectating), hiking, etc.   What I did for the longest time was the Sigg-and-Collapsible-bowl-in my-purse routine, but it was annoying having to carry two bulky items in my small bag and then awkwardly take them out during a class and pop open the bowl, take the lid off the Sigg, pour water in the bowl and then set it down on the floor or (more often than not) hold the bowl in front of Cassie's face to get her to drink.   What should be such a simple thing could turn into a time consuming ordeal, especially if Cassie doesn't feel like cooperating. 

   On top of that, what do I do if she doesn't finish all of the water in her bowl?  I can't just pour it back into the Sigg, because the bowl's too wide and the Sigg's mouth is too narrow.  So, I was often left with a bowl half full of water or at the very best still too wet to be put back into my purse...which led to me carrying a wad of paper towels around in my purse on top of everything else.   Enough said...what I was doing wasn't ideal, but was getting us by.   Then I found the best solution ever:   

The H2O4K9

   It's a simple Sigg-like water bottle with a lid that acts as a dog nose shaped cup.  The metal body of the bottle curves inward for a comfortable grip and the hard plastic lid fits snugly around the bottle and has a loop at the top that comes with its own carabiner.   I can stick it in a bag, loop it to a backpack or belt loop or simply carry it with us on walks.  There are two sizes: A large 25oz bottle that works great for big dogs (especially those with long snouts) and a 9.5oz version for smaller dogs and those with smushy faces (This one's so popular it's out of stock until next week).   

   The bottles have wide mouths that make pouring undrunk water back into the bottle a snap.  They are pretty much mess free and you don't waste any of the water you brought with you by pouring out the excess after each drink stop.  You can also easily plop ice cubes through the mouth to keep your water cold on long days out.  This is important, because unfortunately the stainless steel welds will not allow the bottles to be frozen.

   H2O4K9s come in a wide and very attractive variety of colors (we picked the Tree Frog Green).  You can even purchase a matching neoprene shoulder bag called the Neosling, which H2O4K9 claims will keep your water cool and insulated.  

   The company states that the bottles are made of food grade stainless steel and all plastics are BPA free. That's all an added bonus, but I'm much more interested in the design and price, which even for the big bottle (at $20) is cheaper than just buying a comparably sized Sigg...We love it and won't leave home without it ever again...I think this is a winner for all of us who love our furry friends.