W Sibs Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Is this a common thing? And, why do people do this? Lately I've been reading a lot that people take water away from dogs so they have less accidents in the house or when toilet training, but how does that help? Is there other reason why you don't leave water out for your dogs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee lee Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) I've been thinking a lot about this as Honey developed some hormonal incontinence recently. I am loathe to restrict her water but in the hope of less accidents, I have started not filling her bowl as often. That is, if its not empty I don't fill it. However I would not leave her without any water at all. Edited February 28, 2011 by dee lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Quite a few folk seem to limit water after a certain hour at night to ensure their dogs make it through without needing to toilet. I'm not a fan. Unless the dog has an issue with excessive water consumption, I figure they drink when they need to and if that's at night, so be it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundyburger Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) If we leave water with our dogs after 9pm, our kelpie tends to go out to the water, drink the WHOLE bowl, then wake us up a few hours later busting for a loo break, around 2am, the time OH used to go to work. If we take it away, he doesn't care, and will often not drink for a good 3-4hrs after we put it back down in the morning (5.30), so for him it's not a thirst thing it's just habit. He has been in that routine for so long, that taking the water away was the only way to break it. It was alright when OH was going to work at 2am, but now it's just frustrating because he refuses to go back to sleep afterwards and tries to keep us awake, and to put him outside just results in barking, or if we shut him out of the room he'll scratch the door and cry. We think he got into the habit due to OH's weird hours, because 2am was 'awake time' for the first 4yrs of his life... and now it's not. He is better though, and on the occasion we don't take the water away, he's only gorged himself once... so I think soon it won't be an issue. However the V is in his crate, so he gets no water access until it's time to get up in the morning. Edited February 28, 2011 by Bundy's Mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 I'm not a fan of it either. I grew up with people always saying 'always leave water out for the dogs' and now I'm reading different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 No limit on water, I just don't give dry food at night - seems to make them drink more and increases the need for a midnight toilet break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjelkier Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) My Lab drank way too much as a puppy. We would put a bowl down and he would finish it in one go so we did start restiricting the amount of water he had access too. He still drinks too much now at 7 but we can tell him to stop it and he will. Its not normally something I like to do but he was making himself sick he was drinking so much Edited February 28, 2011 by Bjelkier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundyburger Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) I'm not a fan of it either. I grew up with people always saying 'always leave water out for the dogs' and now I'm reading different. With the kelpie, because he has these weird habits, you know when he's thirsty, and if you ask him he'll run to the water bowl if he wants some(and he'll tell you when it's empty ). However, over summer, there is ALWAYS two full bowls available at all times, we don't take it away at all... we only take it away if he's going back to his old tricks and only if it's not hot weather. Edited February 28, 2011 by Bundy's Mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Nope, I only withold from puppies from 8pm until morning. But even then I won't withold if it's hot etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 I'm not a fan of it either. I grew up with people always saying 'always leave water out for the dogs' and now I'm reading different. With the kelpie, because he has these weird habits, you know when he's thirsty, and if you ask him he'll run to the water bowl if he wants some(and he'll tell you when it's empty ). However, over summer, there is ALWAYS two full bowls available at all times, we don't take it away at all... we only take it away if he's going back to his old tricks and only if it's not hot weather. Kelpie drink a lot... well the ones I know anyway.. is that normal in that breed? Does he sit by the bowl and whinge when it's empty, too? Charlie does this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy21 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I wish Willow did that. She just starts drinking from the toilet if her bowl is empty. Ewwww.... I wouldn't restrict water from her at any time. That being said I do worry about her gulping water after a walk because of the risk of bloat in her type. I might be barking up the wrong tree there though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundyburger Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) I'm not a fan of it either. I grew up with people always saying 'always leave water out for the dogs' and now I'm reading different. With the kelpie, because he has these weird habits, you know when he's thirsty, and if you ask him he'll run to the water bowl if he wants some(and he'll tell you when it's empty ). However, over summer, there is ALWAYS two full bowls available at all times, we don't take it away at all... we only take it away if he's going back to his old tricks and only if it's not hot weather. Kelpie drink a lot... well the ones I know anyway.. is that normal in that breed? Does he sit by the bowl and whinge when it's empty, too? Charlie does this. This one only drinks about 2-3 times a day.. unless you tell him to drink, and then he will. Sometimes he'll drink a bowl in one go and that's it for the day. I was really surprised when I first met him, he just never seemed to drink! In summer we have to watch him really carefully as he gets dehydrated fast due to being black. He does sit and whinge, or else he'll just push the bowl around the floor. Snoopy, nope, i'm the same after a walk... doggies can have a few mouthfuls, then I will call them away for a few minutes, then let them go back. Edited February 28, 2011 by Bundy's Mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpotTheDog Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I did the 6pm / 8pm thing with Gus, taking up food after 6pm and water after 8pm, then last toilet break at 10pm, then first morning break at 6am. Helped massively with toilet training and a lack of accidents. These days he has free access to water and drinks out of the cats' drinkwell fountains in the house quite happily (and quite messily) and we don't have indoor accidents, but restricting food and water in the evenings helped establish good toilet habits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I prefer my boys to have access to water 24/7 when they are home and frequently offer them water when we are out and about. Even when the youngest was just a puppy and being crate trained he had water in his crate 24/7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzy82 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) Now that it's very hot I wouldn't restrict access to water. I got my puppy in early spring and I would not give him water for the last hour before going to bed, just so it would be easier for him to hold it through the night (which he always has, no accidents). He never has water in his crate. I don't see anything wrong with not drinking for the last hour or two before going to bed, I do that to myself to just so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night. They are inside anyway, so they are not outside in the heat, and in the evening it would be cooler anyway, so less need to drink. Would you give your kid a drink just before they go to bed? Same thing. Edited February 28, 2011 by fuzzy82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vehs Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I'll let D have access to ONE bowl of water after his walk, because of his bloat I don't want him to keep guzzling - which he is only was want to do a few times a year. After 20min I'll refill the bowl. He has access all night as he signals when he wants to go out, but he's only done that when he had some #2 problem, he can hold on until about 6:30 - which is as long as I can hold on as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Would you give your kid a drink just before they go to bed? Same thing. If they were thirsty Yes. I could not sleep if I felt thirsty. If not thirsty why would child or dog want a drink. No, I never restrict water at any time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 Now that it's very hot I wouldn't restrict access to water. I got my puppy in early spring and I would not give him water for the last hour before going to bed, just so it would be easier for him to hold it through the night (which he always has, no accidents). He never has water in his crate.I don't see anything wrong with not drinking for the last hour or two before going to bed, I do that to myself to just so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night. They are inside anyway, so they are not outside in the heat, and in the evening it would be cooler anyway, so less need to drink. Would you give your kid a drink just before they go to bed? Same thing. Yes I do. I rather they wake up at night needing to go the toilet then waking up so I can get them a glass of water, then wait for them to drink it, then go to the toilet and try to get them back to sleep again (yes... this has happened a few times for me while baby sitting) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Some nights when Duke is noisly lapping at water for over a minute I wish I put water away at nights - but I'm too lazy. I would have no problem doing it though, even if the dogs did get thirsty over night, I hardly think they're going to expire without water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 My dogs always have a drink before they go to bed and it doesn't make them want a toilet break halfway through the night. Sometimes when Erik is unsettled his body doesn't wind down properly when he goes to bed. THAT might lead to a midnight toilet break. So it seems to me if anything is going to make them sleep through the night it's making sure they are properly settled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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