# How much/when do your dogs drink water?



## marshies (May 18, 2011)

I'm wondering when and how much everyone's dogs drink in a day. 
Are there times during the day that you restrict water in take?

The reason I'm asking is because Amaretto just drank 2 big bowls full of water. Her tummy is MASSIVE! She only really drinks when she just wakes up or just comes home from exercise. All other times during the day, she's too distracted and eager to drink water. I don't want her to down all her water for the day like this in one sitting, and I'm looking to see how everyone else's dogs do it.

Thanks!


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

For an housebroken adult, I never restrict water, ever.

For a puppy that isn't 100% housebroken, I'll pick up the water bowl about an hour or two before it's time to go to sleep.

A healthy dog knows the amount of water to drink and when they've had too much. Two big bowls of water causing a bulged stomach might be something to keep an eye on, but wouldn't get too worried about unless she starts acting funny because of it.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Rocket drinks tons, and makes a gigantic mess of it. I even posted a thread about it the other day. :crazy:

I don't restrict his water either, but he makes me look like I do when we're out on a walk and he's licking the rainwater off the side of the road....or like today, when we're hiking and I'M carrying his water and bowl, which he turns his nose up at but then proceeds to drink every drop of gross muddy water out of deer and moose prints.


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

I taught Hunter to "drink his water", but he gets access to it at all times.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

In the last hour, we've been out to pee 6 times from that massive water drinking! She couldn't even hold it while I brushed my teeth and peed in her crate with a few whimpers. Now my room and her crate smell like pee and bleach. yuck.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

How old is she? Maybe you should watch her, and if you think something's up still tomorrow, you might take her in to the vet. Maybe she has an infection or something?


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Yeah... that doesn't sound right. She's drinking too much for her little bladder to handle and her stomach really shouldn't be bulging.

Has this been going on since you've had her or is this something new in the last couple days?


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

RocketDog said:


> How old is she? Maybe you should watch her, and if you think something's up still tomorrow, you might take her in to the vet. Maybe she has an infection or something?





Lucy Dog said:


> Yeah... that doesn't sound right. She's drinking too much for her little bladder to handle and her stomach really shouldn't be bulging.
> 
> Has this been going on since you've had her or is this something new in the last couple days?


Thanks for the advice guys. I think she's okay. It's only happened twice. Both times, she didn't drink water during the day either because she was crated or we were travelling and I had to restrict water. The stomach wasn't bulging, it was just noticeably bigger. 

But the part where she's too distracted to drink holds. I wanted to get a feel of how much water GSDs are supposed to drink so I can help spread it out throughout the day.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Hmmm. I don't really know, maybe a gallon?


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

I'm not sure how much Sasha drinks. When she's left home alone I don't think she drinks much at all (self rationing) because I always fill her bowl before I leave and it looks pretty much the same when I come back and then she drinks while I'm there. When we're home all day I just go and check her water every so often and if she needs a refill I give it to her. She's not really a huge drinker. My golden used to drink SO much water. Sasha's more interested in what's in the other bowl  If I was going to guess I'd say maybe two larger bowls full of water a day, maybe three? Most of what she "drinks" ends up on the ground though. She's a very sloppy drinker.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Siren drinks less than 2 liters of water a day. (I use a 2 liter bottle to fill her water bowl.) I dump it and refill daily and it is never empty when I dump it.

I NEVER withhold water. My animals all have water available 24/7. Even when I have a baby puppy I don't restrict water. IMO getting up during the night to take a puppy out is part of having a puppy. 

The amount of water a dog drinks also depends on what it eats. Puppies also generally need more water than adults.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Dogs have access to water when they are loose in the house. It's restricted when they are crated (I'm away) and while we are sleeping (because I don't trust K downstairs alone). I don't pull it up before bedtime. I will stop them if I think they are drinking excessively like gulping all at once. They know "enough" which means stop what you are doing be it drinking or licking.


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## PatternDayTrader (Dec 1, 2011)

Klause drinks and splashes probably a gallon at least. He gets alot of exercise though, somtimes to the point of exhaustion. After hes done exercising and he starts drinking, he splashes and spills alot of it. 
The only time i restrict his drinking is late evening and only if i want to sleep in past 6am the next morning.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

your dog drank 2 bowls of water at once.
i think that's a lot. if my dog did that
a "few times" i would take him to the Vet.
my dog (4.5 yrs old) has access to water 24/7.


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## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

I agree with everyone on maybe taking your dog to the vet to make sure everything is ok healthwise. Drinking lots of water can be a sign of a couple different issues. Keep us posted!


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## Frankly I'm Frank (Jan 2, 2012)

Did you give your dog's age? I didn't see it. That is a factor.
You also said that she had been restricted and you realize that is a factor.
A dog should have water available at all times until a couple hours before bed.
Maybe your dog was over-compensating because of restriction.
The best thing is to establish a routine that both of you know about.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> your dog drank 2 bowls of water at once.
> i think that's a lot. if my dog did that
> a "few times" i would take him to the Vet.
> my dog (4.5 yrs old) has access to water 24/7.


Thank you for your advice. She has only done it twice in the last month. Both times were after a long day of no drinking and exercise. The first time, I withheld her water for the afternoon because we were travelling in a car that didn't stop for 3 hours straight, and I was worried she might potty in her crate. The second time, which was yesterday, she was out exercising for a very long time, and didn't drink during the day. She gets distracted easily during the day (4 month old puppy with attention span of a flea), and will only take good drinks of water when she just wakes up or when she is TOO thirsty. But I will monitor this and see how it is. 



Lesley1905 said:


> I agree with everyone on maybe taking your dog to the vet to make sure everything is ok healthwise. Drinking lots of water can be a sign of a couple different issues. Keep us posted!


Thank you!


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## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

At my work we can run simple organ function tests that we send out to the lab for about 50 bucks. I think it's well worth it, this way if something is up, it may show up on the blood test. If everything is fine, then maybe she was just compensating from being restricted.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Watch her Marshies.....observe her behaviours.
If you have concerns....simply take her in and have her checked.
She could simply drink this way because... *when she is thirsty....she is *thirsty*, and drinks until she has no more thirst.*...she can also be possibly coming down with a UTI, or bladder infection. 
I do have dogs that can drink alot of water at one time, because of different variables........they are perfectly healthy.


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