Pulling Out My Hair Here..Need Creative Ideas for My Problem Drinker!

[Adina P]

I have whined and complained about this on many doodle forums -- and have never really found a real solution. So I'm begging for some creative thinking!

Rosco has a drinking problem (for over two years) and it's driving me insane. Last night, in the middle of the night he barked to go out. This happens a few times a week. I let him out and watched him through the window. He peed once (it was not a short pee) and then walked a little ways and then peed again. And then, a minute later moved on to a new spot and peed a third time. THIS after having gone out to pee a zillion times that evening. I can't sit down to watch a movie or even a sitcom all the way through because I have to get up to let him in and out.

The reason for the excessive urination is his excessive drinking problem in the evening. I can have him hang out with me at work all day and he won't drink a drop. He could probably be left in the house 6 to 8 hours during the day and not have to pee. But come supper time, he drinks a ton of water after eating. And consequently, he has a lot to eliminate.

What I have done so far:

1) he has been tested for UTIs, kidney issues, and diabetes--and he has none of these.

2) it helps if I can cut off his water supply 2 to 3 hours before bed--but given that he'd barely drinks during the day, it doesn't seem fair. Also, our other two dogs don't have this problem and if Rosco can't get to his water that means our other two suffer. Again not fair. However we do do this when we have to go out at night for any length of time past two HRS or when we're gone on vacation--well, our dog sitter does.

3) Rosco used to only get supper... For the past month or so, I have started giving him breakfast (splitting his meal) so I thought that a morning meal would encourage his drinking more in the morning... And thus decrease his evening drinking. It has not done this. I think it's such an ingrained habit by now.

What I have thought about doing:
1) being horribly mean and cutting off his water supply 3 hours before bed. My hope was that it would make him super thirsty in the morning and over the course of a week might change his drinking habits. I have a feeling it wouldn't really work, though.

2) keeping him in a down stay for several long sessions in the evening--that way he could not get up and request to go out. Our dogs ring bells to signal when they want to go out. However even if I took the bells away, they are very vocal and would bark. I prefer the sound of the bells :-) I haven't tried this yet, because around the house I'd tend to forget when my dogs are in stays so I can correct them if they get up. But it's possibly worth a try... And maybe, just maybe it would train his bladder to be stronger.

I should add that, when Rosco can't hold it any longer he will go in the house. We have learned this the hard way coming home late at night after a movie and finding a giant puddle as close to the back door as he can get. There have been no such accidents for the past 4 to 6 months. It's become a running joke when we come home at night (from dinner or a movie or a party) and find NO puddle "Rosco is 2 and a HALF now--of course he's not having accidents!"

So, any other creative ideas to train him to spread out his water intake???

***UPDATE***I have closed this discussion, but if you want updates on how Rosco is doing here are some links to my blogs about this topic from oldest to newest:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/the-rosco-water-pee

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/the-rosco-water-pee-1

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/as-rosco-wees

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

I was going to say the very same thing Adina and Lor....It's definitely marking behavior to some extent......Just curious..If he is chewing on a bone ..does he go for water after?......If he does then you might want to consider giving him one to work on during the day.....

[Adina P]

What he does is go to his water bowl and suck face with it forever. And then later...suck face some more.
The reason I do NOT think it's marking is even in his CRATE when he's been left alone for 2-3 hours after drinking a lot (which I hadn't learned about YET) he would pee boatloads. Same with at home...if I don't remove water when we're out and about at night...he WILL have an accident if he drinks enough.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Does he have an under developed or small bladder?....Did the vet say that it's a normal size?

[Adina P]

We've never checked the size of his bladder...but he drinks A LOT so it's hard to tell. I don't think we can change his bladder size so knowing it's small...would it help?

[Moose&Mica]

I don't know if this will help at all, but maybe you could put them on a "potty schedule" the way they are on a bedtime and feeding schedule. My two go out approximately the same times every day (give or take, weekends tend to be a looser schedule). However, they are also crate trained, which really cuts down the 2am potty breaks. :) The suggestion of mixing water into their dry kibble is also a good idea. I have a water bottle that looks like a giant version of a hamster water bottle and it allows them to get water, but not overfill. Sorry I don't have much to offer you.

[Adina P]

Rosco is crate trained and was crated until he turned about two years old. But even in his crate, if his bladder was full enough he would pee. And at night, he would still bark to be let out for potty. and he really did go potty, he did not try to play. I think a potty schedule would work with our other two dogs, but unless Rosco drinks less at one time he will still need to pee badly whether or not I want to let him out. But maybe that hamster water bottle might be helpful-- maybe just at night.

[Moose&Mica]

My giant "hamster water bottle" is in the crate. It's not perfect, but it does the job. I have a five gallon self water bowl for them the rest of the time. I wouldn't recommend that for you at this time. Mine are heavy drinkers and they empty out a regular water bowl too often to keep up.

[Leslie, Dexter & Kirby]

Wow...that really is a crappy problem. Just some ideas:

1) You said you feed him 2x a day now. Are they split evenly? Could you try making the morning meal larger and the pm meal smaller or feeding him only 1x a day in the morning?

2) When you put out water in the evening, only fill the bowl 1/4 to 1/2?

3) I would absolutely cut off his water 3 hrs before bed. I think this will teach him to get his hydration earlier in the day.

4) I know it's winter, but could you try a long walk later in the evening? Like 1-2 hrs before bed? If not, a very intense play period (indoor fetch, etc)? I find Dexter always has to pee more after exercise.

Good luck - I can only imagine how frustrating this is. I get annoyed when Dexter makes us get up with him at 7 am on weekends.

[Adina P]

1) the meals are split evenly--- but his meal is so small I don't think he would feel satisfied one bit if I made one larger. But it's a good thought.

2) You know what's hilarious? Our dogs drink out of but he bowls. I have two that I fill up. Rosco almost always chooses the nearly empty buddy bowl! He enjoys sucking out whatever water he can When there's hardly any in there!! However, I have occasionally switched to just a stainless steel bowl and it didn't make a difference in the amount of total water that he drank. He is such a weirdo ;-)

3) I agree I think that might be THE answer. Let's hope with concerted effort I can switch them over to be a morning drinker... then Clark would have to do all of the door opening ;-)

4) that might be helpful! I've done that before, after his supper and prior to us leaving to go somewhere. I would stop every block practically and at every tree to encourage him to pee-- LOL! Now if I can just get my lazy butt out of the house that might be a useful idea for both of us :-)

and my silly Rosco, despite his middle of the night peeing needs, sleeps in and is happy hang around the house longer in the morning than either of my other two..tsk,tsk, tsk!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

The stainless steel bowl is shiny and Rosco can see his reflection....I don't know about Rosco but Blake loves his stainless bowl for those reasons and prefers it when there is less water in there...I have seen him gazing at himself in the bottom of the bowl and putting his paws in it, scraping at the bottom and barking....Just a thought.....Could be the intrigue....

[Adina P]

it's his buddy bowl he gets THE MOST...stainless steel is what I tried as an alternative...too messy though...water splashes everywhere when they drink from it.

[Teresa]

Adina - does he just want to get to the bottom? So put less in the bowl? I don't know if this was asked already - I haven't read through the whole string.