My travelling dog water bottle was not a purchase, it was an inheritance. My dog Ollie is a rescue dog, and when his previous owner said her very emotional goodbyes to him, she showered me with many of his favourite toys and equipment. The water bottle was pushed into my hand at the very last minute as Ollie jumped into my (extremely hot) car and we drove off into the distance.

At the time I really had no idea what to do with it - as a beginner dog owner I didn't realise how hot and dehydrated dogs can become, but I soon realised that it is one of the handiest pieces of doggie equipment that I own.

~~Design~~

The bottle itself is made out of white flexible plastic and holds around 1 pint of water. The lid is a grey plastic screw lid and is attached to a blue plastic trough, made out of a far more rigid material. When full the trough can easily hold the entire pint of water, and it is designed to be wider at the bottom end to facilitate drinking. The lid is on a hinge, so that the bottle can either lie down inside the trough for carrying around, or be raised at right angles to the trough.

~~Use~~

To carry water around with you on hot days, you simply fill the bottle and tighten the cap. The whole thing fits neatly together and is nearly 26cm long. Unscrewing the bottle from the cap releases the pressure, and a gentle squeeze will force water into the trough, where the dog drinks. The bottle stays attached to the trough, so if the dog drinks fast, you just squeeze harder and release more water. If the dog doesn't want to drink much then nothing is wasted and it is still in the bottle for later.

~~Carrying the bottle around~~

The blue trough is shaped - a bit like a mummy's sarcophagus , so that you can carry it around with ease and get a good grip with your hand. There is also a grey plastic hook on the top of the trough so that you can attach it to a belt, but I never carry it around like this as it bangs really annoyingly against my thigh, leaking water all down my leg and leaving a rather obvious and embarrassing stain.

~~Is it any good?~~

For a cheap pet accessory, I think this is very good value. Ollie is a Cocker Spaniel, and his long snout is ideally shaped for drinking from the trough. I have to say that I think a Boxer or anything else with a squashed-type face may have a bit of trouble reaching the water, but I haven't had the opportunity to try this out yet.

The weather has only been very hot for a couple of days since I got Ollie, and I took the bottle in the car and on long walks. Every time Ollie was pleased to have a drink and it stopped his tongue hanging out quite so much. I always hold the trough for him as it is quite light and he would probably tip it over if I put it on the ground. I lift it up and hold it as he laps away, and everybody is quite content.

I find it easy to carry around and handy to take with me on hot days. I usually throw it into the car if Ollie is inside - just incase I am stuck in a traffic jam or delayed. I have not yet seen anything else that is a better design or which provides a more sensible answer for hot and thirsty dogs. I am reducing my score to 4 stars because of the way it can sometimes leak when I carry it around, but otherwise it comes highly recommended.

I have seen many of these water dispensers on sale - all exactly like mine at Pound shops, larger stores and pet supermarkets. The highest price that I have seen is £3.50.