Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
Pulling Out My Hair Here..Need Creative Ideas for My Problem Drinker!
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
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
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Adina P on
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Took water away tonite at 7pm....I know it's not really mean...I just hated to make him dehydrated. I don't mind being a mean mommy with food (IF mine didn't love it)...but was more worried about water. Ah well...they'll figure it out!
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Permalink Reply by 2sforeqbpo84w on
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This may be way off base but when I'm working with babies (the human type) and we're trying to alter drinking schedules, we slowly move the times, about 10 to 15 minutes every 3 days or so. This might make you feel better about the transition to no water at night.
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Permalink Reply by Tamara & Giada on
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So, how has he done??
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Rosco? Last night was great. Cut off water at 7pm, last pee almost at midnight. No waking in the night...only constant peeing from 7pm to 9pm ... LOL.
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Permalink Reply by Holly Paterniti on
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Wow Adina.....................I am at a loss..........can you crate him in the evening? Like when it is time to go to bed? We have been doing this with Bear. He tends to ring his bells in the evening every hour or so.........we tell him no because there really should be no reason why he has to go. He will wait a few minutes and then will ring the bells.......and we still tell him no. So after a couple times, I put him in the crate and he ends up going to sleep.
I know this may sound mean, but I am with you.............................although most of the time, Bear just wants to go out and sit in the middle of the backyard and look around.......which can be frustrating especially when we are tired.........I do not know if this helps any? -
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He was the same when crated...he'd give one loud bark to be let out. If nobody answered, he'd try again. If he had to go bad enough he'd wet his crate.
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Oh Adina, I am at a loss too :( Do they have Detryol (sp?) you know that medicine that helps humans from frequent urination for dogs? I wonder?
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Permalink Reply by Renee W. on
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Our Foxy won't drink after she has puppies, so I make a very thin broth( more of a soup actually, a little meat and veggies with lots of water) to entice her to drink. You might try this to encourage him to drink earlier in the day then gradually make broth thinner until you have water. Just an idea. Someone may have already suggested this, sorry if it's a repeat.
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Permalink Reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie on
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Are doggie doors not realistic where you live? They sure make life easier for those of us who have them.
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Permalink Reply by Jaime on
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There's a new (at least to me) water bowl which I saw advertised on the ABC News best of 2008 pet products. It has a disk in it which causes the dog to have to drink slower. It's called the Drink Better Bowl. Maybe if Rosco drank slower, he would drink less each time.
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