Why didn't I think of that!?

If you have a dog that gets easily dehydrated and you're obsessive-compulsive enough to carry around water for him or her, then have I got a solution for you.  (Side Note 1: I don't even carry water around for myself.)  I'm so annoyed that I didn't think of this!  I could have made millions... er, well, thousands.  OK, realistically, we could have at least offset Primo's vet bills a little.

During a recent trip to REI, we stumbled across a Gulpy, which is basically just a water bottle with a bowl attached.  Now, this may not sound like a big deal, but we actually have what equates to diaper bag for Preems and R has been exposed to significant ridicule from the neighborhood teenagers because it is not a masculine diaper bag.  (Although, are they ever, really?)  We tried to testosterone it up by calling it the satchel, but that just makes it sound like a diaper bag from the middle ages.  Regardless, what's more important is that the Gulpy significantly reduces the amount of junk in the bag.  And, while it won't take away from R's image problems, at least the bag won't be as bulky when he is taunted walking Preems. We might even be able to switch to a smaller bag - or just clip this bad boy to our belt (thereby solidifying our lameness). 

Before the Gulpy:

That's my lovely assistant checking the items in the shot.

The Gulpy (notice the streamlined bottle-in-bowl fit):

I guess the bowl might be better described as a trough, but you get the idea.

It's really quite simple - just flip the bowl out, squeeze the bottle, and your dog is essentially drinking from your hand.  This proved to be incredibly valuable today during our visit to a dusty, dirty dog park where I wouldn't have wanted to put his water bowl on the ground.

Here it is in action:

I just noticed that Preems wrapped his leash around his neck for this pic.

We're a gadget family, so stuff like this is pretty cool in our world.  I'm sure we'll test many more puppy-related inventions and will hopefully be able to give you a heads-up on those that are worth your investment.  (Side Note 2: We bought the large Gulpy and it was $9.00.)