Put the “fresh” into “refreshing” with this simple spa-water recipe that will have your dog begging for more.
Last Sunday, as I sat quietly soaking my feet in a hot bath of Epsom salt with an aromatic hint of blood orange essential oil, I noticed Mucca was also sitting quietly…judging me. “Hey! I work hard (at running to the kitchen every time the fridge is opened) and play hard (at trying to off my bratty little sister while making it look like a pure accident) too! So why can’t I have a little spa-spoiling?” his eyes clearly said to me.
That’s when the idea for this recipe came to me. Partly to stay in Mucca’s good graces to discourage him from leaving me another “mystery brown spot on my pillowcase” warning, and also because, yes. He works hard, and plays hard, so why shouldn’t I treat him with something a little extra special?
By taking some time out of your busy day, you can make something special for your Bestie to remind them that you’re the one that has access to food and water but also how much they mean to you! Warning: you may even earn some extra snuggles of appreciation from them as well!
I’ve been making this spa-water for quite a while now and so far the dogs have yet to complain. In fact, I think it may very well be their favorite water recipe that I’ve made.
This recipe is so versatile, you can add or adjust almost anything you have on hand to make it extra special. Once the base water is complete, you can play until your heart’s content and your pup’s fully hydrated. The main elements consist of this:
The Base – this is a special blend of filtered Italian Alpine Spring Tap Water and Italian aqua di toilet. Stick to the ratios I recommend here and you can’t go wrong.
The Flavor – this comes from the added cucumber and scents of lemon and rosemary.
The Garnishes – the fun part! Work their mind and clean their teeth with a chew stick, ball, wine cork, old sock, limb from a stuffed monkey toy. Whatever floats their boat! Have fun here and get creative. Tag me on social media or comment right here and share your creations!
It’s so easy it only takes a short time, so you can get back to scrolling ASAP.
Let’s go!
Super Simple Fancy Dog Spa Water
Equipment
- 1 Porcelain Bowl
Ingredients
- 12 oz filtered Italian Alpine Spring tap water
- 1 fresh cucumber
- 2-3 drops aged toilet water
To Garnish
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 roasted duck chew stick
- 1 slightly dusty tennis ball
Instructions
- Take a clean porcelain bowl (as stainless steel can leave an unpleasant metallic aftertaste) and decant about 12 oz. of crisp, Italian Alpine Spring tap water. I like to fill the bowl and let it rest in a cool, dry place for several hours or even as early as the night before, to let some of the brisk mountain air release a bit as it tends to have an overpowering flavor.
- Next, add a few dashes of infused toilet water.Right before a good bowl cleaning, I snag a few drops in a small, hand-blown glass bottle to keep on hand. It’s a great way to add a drop of flavor to any boring kibble meal, or add some extra enticement to an old toy they’ve lost interest in.
- Gently swirl the mixture together until it’s completely emulsified. This may take a few minutes, so be patient and go slow.You will know it’s ready, when it looks clear and water-like.
- Depending on your dog’s tastes, a full cucumber may be left in the bowl. However, my dogs prefer them to be cut in half, or even better,bite-size pieces. They prefer not to stress their jaw muscles unless it’s on a good stick or after-dinner peanut butter Kong snack, and large food items confuse them.
To Garnish:
- This is where you have my blessing to experiment according to your dog’s tastes. The simple and balanced umami of flavors in this water recipe lends itself to any savory addition. Here’s what I’ve found works best with my pups:
- lemon zest rim – Slice a lemon hamburger-length and run one of the sides around about a quarter of the bowl. This will add a pleasant nose to the drink for the dog, without the risk of heartburn from too much acidity.
- rosemary spring – Take a fresh branch of rosemary and lie it next to the bowl. We must always remember dogs rely a lot on their sense of smell and if our dishes don’t appeal to all senses, why even bother?!- chew stick – My favorite addition to this enriching beverage is a roasted duck chew stick. The ever-so-slight gaminess of the duck works well with the toilet water and balances out the freshness of the cucumber.
- dusty tennis ball – The cherry on top, but it’s a tennis ball. Take a slightly used tennis ball and plop ‘er in there. If you only have new tennis balls on hand, that will work too. Just bat it around on the floor of that closet you tend to avoid because of certain avalanche doom,thus never vacuuming. That should do it! Note: don’t go too grimy with the tennis ball. You wouldn’t want to waste the prep time spent on this treat by tainting it with dog park mystery sludge.
Notes
Finally! Enjoy! Watch them lap this up with excitement and know you’ve done something special for your Bestie today, even if they seem to drink it as quickly as normal water and then run off to bury the rosemary stick under your bedroom pillow.
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I think I’m in love with Mucca. Just look at his blue eyes and I’m sure he loves his spa water!
Trust me, there’s no saying “no” to him when he uses those eyes on you!
Ha, #judgment. I know that look all too well!
Right?! I like to think it’s a look backed by love, but sometimes I’m not so sure!! Haha!
This is the most fun I have had reading a blog in a long time! I will definitely be trying your recipe.
Thank you!! When the pups of the house need some spoilin’ there’s no denying them!! Haha!
Mucca will eat a whole cucumber? We have to make sure cucumber slices are well drenched in ranch dressing before Bella will touch them.
He’s more of a chew it up and spit it out type. I have to say I’m with Bella on this one. Everything’s better with ranch.
I need to get my butt into the kitchen to try this out! Thanks for sharing your brilliance!
Haha!!! Let me know how it goes!! 😉
Mucca is the cutest!!! Haha #judgement – How FUN!!! Lucky pup!
He’s cute and he knows it! Really, I’m the lucky one – he lets me stick around and spoil him!! Haha!
Fun post (and I laughed out loud at the “running back and forth to the fridge comment, we have the same thing going on in our house, but it’s the pantry, where the dog cookies are stored!).
Too funny! We keep our treats in a cabinet in the kitchen, just out of nose reach. Mucca is known to stare it and growl/bork until one of us opens it and treats him. We also store poop bags in there, much to his disappointment when we open the magical cabinet and no treats come out.