[plrjake]

My dog will not drink water when he is home alone. Recently this has been causing issues, I believe, with heat/dehydration. He has twice collapsed after I get home from work. I have have started giving him a bowl of gatorade before leaving for work so that he has SOME fluids in his system. The house is air conditioned and so not hot during the day. I am at a loss of what to do to help my dog. My work is too far away to come home during the day to get him to drink or eat ice cubes. In the winter he eats snow, as he has access to outside through a dog door. This summer is becoming a real issue. Any advice from anyone would be greatly appreciated. By the way he is a 9 year old Sheppard/Spaniel mix approx 60 lbs. Thanks!

[labman]

A dog that is quietly laying around in the an air conditioned house all day doesn't need much water and shouldn't collapse later. I don't have a quick behavioral fix. Definitely let a vet check him and explain the problem. At larger dog at 9 years, could be having physical problem.

Interesting thumbnail. Does he hold his ears erect usually? If so, it would be hard to see the Spaniel in him. I have noticed many Lab crosses look very Lab. I once saw a Lab/shepherd cross that looked like a yellow Lab except for his ears which stuck straight out like wings.

[plrjake]

No his ears flop, they have never been sheppard ears, and the Spaniel is hard to see in him, but I picked him up from a farm and saw the mother, a pure bred springer spaniel. It does come out when he sees squirrels, birds, rabbits, etc, he stalks them and then points, this is instinct, not learned behavior. Thanks for your reply.