How much/when do your dogs drink water?

[marshies]

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!

[Lucy Dog]

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.

[RocketDog]

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

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.

[Wild Wolf]

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

[marshies]

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.

[RocketDog]

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]

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?

[marshies]

Originally Posted by RocketDog

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?

Originally Posted by Lucy Dog

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.

[RocketDog]

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

[NewbieShepherdGirl]

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.