The relation between plasma osmolality (pOsm) and the concentration of immunoreactive vasopressin in plasma from an external jugular vein (pAVP) was studied in dogs prepared with carotid loops and anesthetized with chloralose‐pentobarbital. Control meail pAVP was 0.6–1.0 μU/ml, after 24 h of dehydration pAVP was tripled. Isosmotic volume expansion for 10 min elicited a decrease in pAVP in all cases not associated with low control values of pAVP. I.v. hyperosmotic infusions (A pOsm: 9 or 18 mOsm/kg in 10 min) increased pAVP. No significant alterations in pAVP occurred in relation to infusions during which the head or the remainder of the body was selectively supplied by hyperosmotic blood. Statistically, the distribution of the pAVP values suggests the existence of two populations, in euhydrated animals high concentrations (>8 μU/ml) were found in a small fraction of the samples. It is concluded that (i) in chloralose‐anesthetized, non‐traumatized dogs pAVP is very similar to values found in venous plasma from conscious dogs, (ii) the pAVP measurements support the concept of an episodic secretion of vasopressin, and (iii) under the present circumstances, an ubiquitous increase in pOsm is a more effective stimulus for vasopressin release than a similar but selective increase in the osmolality of the blood flowing towards