Puppy drinking problems

[reneebarnhart28]

Hi I have a puppy Goldendoodle he is Standard- he is 12 wks old- 14 lbs- anyway he LOVES to drink his water I mean I have NVR seen a puppy/dog be able to drink so much at one time and want more in like 5 minutes! The problem: IF I allow him to just drink his way!! He doesn't always go to the door to potty! He will just be walking to the kitchen and pee! No sniffing! Now I have the Kitchen and family room blocked off with gates and a sliding glass door he knows to go to! And does ALL the time! He knows to go outside and potty and actually does very well! IF I limit his water intake! But then he whines and begs and will lay by the water bowl area!

My Question: how much shld my big dog/puppy be drinking? And how often?

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

This may be nothing to worry about other than your pup being very active and thirsty as a consequence, but when I hear a puppy drinking a whole lot, it raises my antennas as sometimes pups drinking too much may have some underlying medical disorder. In particular, something to possibly rule out is diabetes mellitus, and some other possible disorders. There is also such a thing as psychogenic excessive drinking and urination. This is sometimes seen in puppies who didn't have ready access to water when they were at breeder's home or who were raised with litter mates who competed over water inducing them to gulp down as much water as possible.

 

Now, there are likely many variables as to how much a puppy should drink as one must consider how dry the air is, how hot it is, how active the puppy is, whether the food fed contains too much sodium, whether the puppy is running a fever and other factors such as medical issues. However, when I worked for the vet, I remember that as a general rule of thumb, a dog was not considered to be drinking excessively until it drank more than 1 oz to 1.5 oz of water per pound of body weight. When owners had dogs with excessive drinking presented at the vet they were therefore instructed to measure how much water was consumed. Urine samples were also checked to rule out kidney issues and diabetes.

 

In any cases, medical issues aside, with a puppy drinking so much it is natural for water to flow out of him at an impressive rate. Most likely, his bladder is so full, he doesn't even time to signal. You did very good to block off areas with baby gates and it's important to make access to the door as easy as possible. I like to use an opened x-pen spread out as a long gate to block off the rest of the home and keep the puppy right nearby the door area. Full run of the house and obstructed views make potty training much more difficult. I also keep pee pads by the door in case the pup goes to the door but I don't make it on time to get him out.

Edited August 14, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli

[reneebarnhart28]

TY for all of this. I did speak to my vet about this he feels it's normal because he is so big and active! As far as what you say about the breeder 🤔 She came HIGHLY recommend-and her website said all the right things! Except when I went to pick out my Ollie the puppies just all sat and howled! My gut said Dont get one! BUT I fell in Love with Ollie! The biggest with the best head shape! He came home and was a complete Monster! Lol screamed Everytime he wanted something OR we left the room! OR when he didn't like something! I have 2- cats and 3- dogs! The house was in termoil to say the least!

Took Ollie to the Vet the very next day! His poo came back positive for Giardia- NOW at 8 wks she SD: Per her website Puppies wld have first set of shots! He did not! She SD: Im still working all the puppies don't get his poo checked for a couple wks You will get a false positive! But I had my gut feeling and took in his poo the very next day!

Anyway! He is healthy Has had his shots! And is totally loved in a great home! And Thanks to you getting great training! He at 12 wks is turning into an amazing Lil boy! We just adore him!

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Great to hear you have spoken to your vet about this. This helps exclude possible medical problems if your vet thinks his drinking is normal.

Goldendoodles have a reputation for being quite vocal, vocalizing what they like and dislike and just general "talking." A day is never dull with these fellows!

As he matures, his bladder should start gaining more and more control which will make potty training much easier and less messes to clean up. In the meanwhile, lots of outdoor trips, puppy pads by the door, unobstructed views, enclosures to create a den-like area (dogs don't like to potty near where they sleep, eat/play) and enzyme-based cleaners can help.

Kudos to you for working on training him and seeing him flourish into a boy you can be proud of!