Just curious if anyone else has ever observed this behavior... we adopted a Sato a few weeks ago. She appears to be about 7 months old, mostly Chihuahua with some Whippet, Terrier, etc. thrown in. She's a great little dog, affectionate, friendly, bright, eager to please. From the first day we brought her home from the shelter, she has preferred to pee in or over water!

We have an inground pool with one of those super-heavyweight covers that they advertise with a baby elephant standing on top. Off season, our dogs have always enjoyed the "pond" that happens when you run across the cover and depress it a bit. (Just an FYI, we also have built-in steps in the pool, and once we remove the cover for the summer, every new dog gets some immediate swimming lessons on how to get out.)

So her preferred location to relieve herself is to walk out a couple of feet until her weight creates a puddle, and then go directly into the water. When I take her to the nearby dog-friendly state park, she wades out a bit into the doggie swimming hole, squats, and does her thing.

According to her adoption records, she spent her early life living on a beach before being rescued by Save a Sato in Puerto Rico. We've seen some behavior that appears to come right out of this environment - at first when we fed her, she would grab a few bites and run off to eat in private, then come back for a little more. Also, she initially hunted and ate ants, moths, and any other small thing that moved. Both behaviors are fading now that she's living the good life :o)

Just wondered if anyone ever saw or heard about the peeing-into-water behavior with a dog or wild animal. My surmise is that maybe it's designed to minimize any scent trace that could call attention to one's presence... or maybe she's just a fastidious little girl?

Susan