Dog seeks hot water

Question
Hello! I have a Shih Tzuh-Poodle mix who is 5 years old. His name is Francois. The past few months he would occasionally turn on the hot water faucet of the bathtub while we were gone. We started putting a plastic cup over the handle and that resolved it for a while. Then he learned he could knock off the cup and turn the water on. The past week he has done this regularly and a few times when we have been home- last night during the middle of the night! The funny thing is that he hates the bathtub and water in general and he doesn't have to push the handle on- he has to pull it with the back of his paw! I am just curious what this could be about. We have never punished him for this, but he knows he shouldn't do it. He gets embarrassed and will go under the bed to his area. He always has fresh water out, so I don't think he's thirsty. Maybe he likes the sound of running water? He does like for me to give him hot water when I take a bath and will stand in that spot to drink out of my hand, so maybe he is associating that with the faucet? Just curious if you as an expert have any ideas! I look forward to hearing back and thank you in advance! -Sarah Mc.

Answer
Hi Sarah-


First let me apologize for the time it took to get back to you. I was unexpectedly admitted into the hospital for a few days.

I think it may just be a cute quirky thing your pup does. We all have our little "things"! He could be associating his "fun" drink from the faucet and looking for another, or he could be fascinated with running water. I have a golden retriever who cant be trusted loose in the front yard because he will turn on the outdoor faucet and run through it like a kid through a fire hydrant. There are a lot of dogs who think running water is the best toy there is!

If you are worried about the water bill, then it may be time to get a child proof faucet handle- they slip right over the faucets and are available at most home improvement stores.

Good luck!