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First and most importantly, Jax has been to a vet recently and has no underlying health issues which is great news. However, when I am at work, Jax who is 11 month old, is crated. I get home for lunch to take him out so at most he is in his crate for 4.5 hours. I never put a water bowl in his crate as he got water in the am and at lunch (and at dinner obviously). The problem is when he does get water, its like he has never had water before and gulps it down. He then ahs to get up during the night to pee.

 

So my question is this, should I leave water in his crate during the day so he doesn’t feel the need to drink like his life depended on it? How many people who do crate their dog leave water in his crate?

 

THANKS!!!!

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I always put water in the crate, if I'm using one while I'm at work. I plan on being home, but there have been occasions that I've been later coming home or not been able to come home. (I'm also one of those people who worry about what if there was some kind of major earthquake or something and I can't get home.) I use of the water dishes that fastens to the crate door. I also have a gerbil-style water bottle that attaches to the door.

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I always hang stainless steel flat sided buckets in my crates. I have a few dogs who won't drink in a crate unless we're travelling... and then I have some who PREFER to drink in the crate and will actually forego the community water bowl and walk over to drink from an open crate. Then I have one who drinks in the crate when travelling, and then as soon as we get home (as she's never crated at home) she drinks from the bowl as if its the last water she'll ever get.

 

I'd rather them have it and not want it than to want it and not have it. I notice that they seem to take it in spurts but two of the three I crate during the day drink from their crate bowls pretty regularly... and it doesn't seem to cause any issues with accidents (if that's what you're worried about).

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I am just trying to eliminate the accidents and the getting up at night. We take away his water at 830pm and we are typically in bed at 1030 so by then they should be "all good" however they haven’t been. I am thinking that he drinks so much so fast that he cant control it at night. thoughts?

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You could try it and see what happens. If he's only crated 4-1/2 hours at a time I think he'd be fine with water in there. It might take him a day or two to adjust, but still. Plus at 11 months I'd expect him to be able to hold it at night. I think it's quite possible that he's gulping it down before you take it up, and then it runs through him making him need to go out at night.

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Daisy is not crated (1.5 years old) during the day when I am gone. I have also noticed that she seems to not drink much during the day even though she has access to a full water bowl. So, I agree with Ancient Dog about the figuring out to not drick a lot during the day because they have to hold it.

 

I just got a new pup, Devon. He is 3.5 months old. He is crated during the day and has one of the metal buckets that hooks on the side of the crate. I put a very small amount of water in the bottom of it and then 3 or 4 ice cubes. That way he can't drink a ton all at once or totally soak his crate but still has access to water throughout the day. (He does get let out and replenished at lunch - my mom stops at my house for me on lunch.) Plus, the ice cubes can be a source of entertainment if he is so inclined! :rolleyes:

 

I would agree that maybe trying to leave water out during the day would eliminate the gulping up of water at night and the midnight potty outings.

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I agree with Laura. I want mine to have water and not want it, rather than want it and not have it. Mine is out all day while I am at work but doesn't drink hardly anything until I get home at lunch or at night after playing with him. But I always want him to be able to have it. Having a small amount of water available should cut down on the gulping. But each pup is different.

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When we were still crating Scooter, on the days I had to be gone for more than a few hours, I always put a bowl of water in with him. Not sure he ever used it, but I too am of the "just in case" mind set. :rolleyes:

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Have him checked for diabetes and or bladder infectiom. catch pee in a dixie cup and take it it.

I leave Bess a frozen bottle, about a liter... in her crate when I think she might be thirsty when crated. that way she can get a cold refreshing tongue lick now and then and not chugg water like it is the last meal ever....

Some dogs probably just have smaller bladders just like some humans have smaller than average bladders.

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Like Laura, I *always* leave water for my dogs when they are crated during the day. The only exception is when we are driving because then water tends to slosh and get their crate bedding wet, but they will be offered water as soon as we get where we're going. Even the pup (13 weeks), who is crated at night, has water in his crate. Not a lot, because he tends to play in it, but enough for him to drink if he gets thirsty. I am just not comfortable witholding water unless there's a medical reason to do so.

 

My pup can hold it for 7.5-8 hours at night even with water *in* his crate, so it may just be an issue of finding the happy medium for your dog. I would think that having water in front of him all day long would make him less likely to drink a large amount at night and then later need to go out.

 

J.

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I also always leave water for my two, i don't crate them but have always left them water down (we used one sometimes for Zac as a small pup but only when we were home with him, if we left him at home we left him in the kitchen un crated) In the crate Zac always had water in there even if he was only in there for an hour.

 

Zac was also crated at night as a small pup in our bedroom, next to my bed side and i often heard him have a little drink in the night. Even as a really young pup, he would settle back down again after. Holly was in the hallway at that age and again always had water down with her.

 

My two occasionally go downstairs during the night now for a drink, i can hear them drink and then they come back up to bed.

 

I agree with the other posters on here that said they would prefer to have it there in case they wanted it rather than they want and can't have it. I don't like the thought that my dogs might be really thirsty and can't have a drink, especially if something has started them barking.

 

Also on the kibble it says to have water available, i think it is actually the law here to have fresh drinking water available at all times.

 

My two never gulp water unless they have done a lot of excercise, i always take them drink when we go to the park or anywhere. That is the only time they will drink like they are really thirsty.

 

I don't think they drink much when we leave them at home alone, but i like that it is there if they want it. I always keep two bowls down in case they ever spill one or something. Like others have said, if i get delayed in getting home i know they will be ok.

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I have never left water in my dogs crates, the only time I provide water in the crate is when a dog is on bedrest, for example, Rusty hurt his back and had to be in his crate pretty much nonstop for 3 weeks(exept to come out on a leash, and carried past anything that isnt flat), in that instance I provided a water cup on the door of his crate, otherwise I never have, the odd time I have provided wtaer otherwise they just splash it all over themselves and the crate making a big uncomfortable mess they they wind up unable to get away from for several hours.

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Ido was put on pred as a puppy to manage her IBD, and so for this reason she developed a bit of an obsession when it came to drinking the bowl dry. I had to monitor her drinking a lot, to keep her from filling up to the point she'd just pop. Several times she would drink herself sick. My dogs are not crated with water in their crates, but they have access to plenty when we are home. They are rarely left alone more than 5 hours nowadays.

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My dog is a camel, drinking what seems to be the bare minimum to stay alive.

 

My sister and brothers both have dogs, though, who will drink all the water you put in a bowl, and then promptly find a clean rug to vomit on. So both of them have to limit the amount they give at one time, to avoid the unpleasant after effects.

 

Weird.

 

Mary

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The worst problem I have with leaving water for dogs is puppies. They all go through a stage where they think they have to prance, paddle, tip, or otherwise manage to splash water everywhere. I won't leave them without water, but I do leave just a limited amount to minimize the mess when they decide to play in it rather than drink it. Ranger has by far been the worst when it comes to that.

 

J.

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Oh my, Julie, do you remember me bemoaning how bad Nick was? I would find his entire puppy self in his water bucket - and the water all over the floor. In fact, Nick, Pip and Phoebe were the reasons we tried the lixits. But after one weekend with Ranger (and Moon & Tug) I'd have to say that yes, Ranger might just be worse. :rolleyes:

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