Going to the dog park is truly the highlight of my week. My dog tolerates it at best. She really does not enjoy the company of other dogs. She finds them both gross and annoying. It’s an ongoing issue. 

Anyway, while my pup is at the dog park (under duress) she manages to have some fun by rolling in the grass and playing fetch. Both of those activities cause her to get a little thirsty and she’ll walk on over to the communal water bowl. However, I will block her way and offer some water out of her very own portable bowl. 

Now, why do I do this? Well, for one, my dog is a complete and total princess. If she found out she was drinking out of the same bowl as the dogs she finds so irritating, there would be a massive issue. In addition, it’s not great for your dog to be drinking out of a shared water bowl. The American Kennel Club warns that drinking out of communal water bowls can be risky as it could be the home of parasites, Giardia, Leptospirosis, Kennel cough, and Salmonella.

While speaking to Spruce Pets in 2023, veterinarian Lindsay Butzer made similar statements about communal dog park water bowls. She asserted that if your dog drinks out the bowls they may get seriously ill. 

"Dogs with runny noses or a cough can also transmit the Bordetella virus through their saliva into communal water bowls, spreading kennel cough to your pet,” said Butzer. 

She also noted that communal water bowls are not ideal for dogs that resource guard. 

"If your dog is already a resource guard, they may want to guard the water bowl at the dog park as other dogs gather around to lap up water,” explained the vet. “This is something you need to be aware of as a pet owner to keep a safe environment for all of the dogs enjoying the park. Your dog may trigger a fight due to wanting to guard the water bowl and this can lead to pets getting hurt."