It is important to allow the dog in your care to have water to stay hydrated, especially in the warmer months or after exercise. We want to set up our dogs for success when it comes to bladder control, potty training, and getting the right amount of water their body needs, so the general rule for water amounts is as follows:
Puppies under 20 weeks - 1.5 cups of water per 10 lbs of body weight. Split up into ½-cup increments, and while potty training, allow lots of potty breaks. Stop water intake 2 hours before kenneling overnight.
Puppies 20 weeks and older - 1 cup of water per 10 lbs of body weight. You can start to offer up to 1 cup at a time and spread out the potty breaks more. We still recommend not allowing water within 1-2 hours of being kenneled overnight.
Some of our dogs can be a little obsessed with water and not be able to control their own intake well, which is why we want everyone to make sure to measure the water intake, especially if the dog is having a lot of accidents. A good general rule to follow is to allow them to intake water from the pre-measured amount for 20-30 seconds after vigorous exercise and several times a day for 10-15 seconds. Please also pay attention to their intake outside of the water bowl, including eating snow or trying to drink out of lakes and streams. Please do not allow them to drink from puddles or ponds.
This is a general calculation; it is okay for the dogs to self-regulate and have less than this. We do not need to make them get up to this amount for maintenance. Every dog is different, and it’s okay if they drink less than the recommended amount as long as they are staying hydrated.
Please report any of the following things to Puppy Program staff right away:
Puppy Program Staff: [email protected]