Don't let your dog slurp from dirty puddles

It might pain you to pull your thirty dog away from a puddle of water, but you'll be doing it a favour. Photo: dpa

Your dog will inevitably get thirsty while it's out being exercised, and muddy puddles on the path might look tempting to your pet. Should you let your dog quench its thirst on them?

No, say experts. Stagnant water is full of bacteria and impurities that can be harmful to your pet, warns Nadja Kopp, a dog expert and behaviour consultant from Berlin.