Why does my puppy want so much water? (clean, vet, training)
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My puppy is 10 weeks old and she drinks a lot of water during the day. I started out letting her have as much water as she wanted at night and I'm sure you can imagine what happened. I did this because for some reason my older dog likes to drink water mostly at night and never has accidents. I had to start taking the water bowl up at night. Every 30 minutes to an hour an half she goes searching for water and seems to be on a hunt until I give her water and then she stops so I know that's what she wants. It's not fair to my older dog to take up the water and she wants it constantly. What in the world do I do? and why does she want so much water? I even tried putting water in a cup and letting my older dog drink as much as he wanted and then offered it to her with little water in it so that it would be a little bit of a challenge to get to the water (but she still gets some) and this doesn't satisfy her - a few minutes later she goes on the hunt for water again. I don't THINK she is doing this out of boredom because I spend most of the day "entertaining". She eats VERY good food - Wellness for puppies with a little water in her food - even at night. I'm tired. Help.
Please don't restrict your pup's water! It's not necessary.
She's only 10 weeks old and doesn't have control over the muscles that hold her bladder closed. And that's part of having a puppy. The bladder fills and nerves in the bladder wall sense that the stretch and send a message to the spinal cord which then sends a message to the sphincter (the muscle that holds the bladder closed) to open. It's automatic and your puppy hasn't matured enough to override that. Please be more patient.
Again, this is part of having a puppy. But restricting her water intake when she's thirsty is unkind just so that you don't have the inconvenience of having to clean up after her. If she's thirsty, she's thirsty. Imagine how you feel when you're thirsty and there's NOTHING to drink. Please don't restrict her water!
Some pups just like to drink water. For whatever reason, they think it's fun. However, to be safe, why don't you measure the amount of water your pup drinks in one day? Offer water separately to your older dog and the pup, and record the amount that the pup drinks. Then call your vet and see if the vet feels as if there's any cause for concern.
ViralMD is correct; don't restrict water from any animal. Just like a human, animals need adequate water to maintain their health.
Feeding dry food makes dogs thirstier. They need water to digest their food.
Are you crate training your puppy? (Are they sleeping in their crate?)
I read somewhere that you should feed them early enough and take up their water early enough that they can go potty and empty their bladders before bedtime.. to cut down on trips outside at night.
If I remember correctly, a 10 week old puppy can only "hold it" for about 5 hours max. Some of the people on this forum are really experts and can probably clarify the period of time by age...
That means that you have to expect to get up at least once during the night until they get older.
The "rule of thumb" is that up to 8-9 months of age a pup can hold their bladder for the number of hours equivalent to their age in months. This is highly variable by individual and by the size and breed of the dog. Most dogs can hold it longer at night than during the day. Exercise/activity increases the need to eliminate. If you anticipate the dog's need and get it outside BEFORE it goes in an inappropriate place, then you halfway to having a reliably trained dog when it's older. Make the dog wait too long and you will have to break a habit before establishing a new one.
A 10 week old dog has very little bladder control ability.
The "rule of thumb" is that up to 8-9 months of age a pup can hold their bladder for the number of hours equivalent to their age in months. This is highly variable by individual and by the size and breed of the dog. Most dogs can hold it longer at night than during the day. Exercise/activity increases the need to eliminate. If you anticipate the dog's need and get it outside BEFORE it goes in an inappropriate place, then you halfway to having a reliably trained dog when it's older. Make the dog wait too long and you will have to break a habit before establishing a new one.
A 10 week old dog has very little bladder control ability.
You're right. My Dog is 3 years old, and she can hold for 12 hours while i am gone for work, but she has to go outside first thing when i get home. The size of the dog is another consideration. My dog is medium sized, a small dog will not be able to hold their bladder as long. a medium to large dog should be able to hold their bladder for at least 8 hours
she is just smart and knows more water= more pee time= more attention,
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