Water is crucial to your pup’s health. Like all living creatures, dogs need to stay hydrated. Otherwise, they can suffer from preventable health issues.
Ask any vet, and they’ll tell you that fresh, clean water needs to be available throughout the day. It should be accessible whenever your growing pup needs it.
But what about at night?
Nighttime drinking can be tricky. Young pups have much smaller bladders. While frequent drinks aren’t much of a concern during the day when you can take your puppy out several times, things change once the sun sets.
Many puppy owners fear that giving their furry friends unfettered access to water at night could lead to frequent accidents, putting housetraining efforts at a standstill.
So, should you withhold water at night? Or do you have no choice but to stay up and ensure your puppy has time to go out?
Understanding a Puppy’s Hydration Needs
Dogs of all ages need to stay hydrated to stay healthy. Water plays many roles within your pup’s body.
It helps to regulate body temperature, allowing your canine companion to stay comfortable in all conditions. Internally, water also helps support the brain and spinal cord. Water is also critical for cushioning joints, carrying nutrients in and out of cells, and aiding digestion. Your dog can’t go without it!
That’s one of the reasons why puppy owners are so hesitant about restricting water access at night. If your pup isn’t getting enough water throughout the day, it can suffer from dehydration.
Dehydration is a major health problem that will stunt your puppy’s growth. Even worse, it can lead to many lasting health problems. Dehydrated puppies are prone to urinary tract infections that are painful and difficult to recover from. Plus, they can set your training efforts back, making it harder for your pup to learn the ropes of indoor living.
Staying hydrated is essential; you must provide easy access to fresh drinking water throughout the day. Whether through an automatic waterer or a simple bowl, that water should be in a place your puppy can freely access on their own.
The good news is that dogs are great at understanding their thirst cues. Even young puppies will know how to act when they feel thirsty. The important thing is to remove all access barriers to ensure your pup can fulfill its hydration needs independently.
Related: When Do Puppies Start Eating Food And Drinking Water
How Much Water Should a Puppy Drink Every Day?
On average, a dog must drink about one fluid ounce of water per pound of body weight daily. So if you have a small eight-pound puppy, they need eight fluid ounces, or one cup, of water each day. That’s enough to prevent hydration and stay healthy.
Puppies grow up quickly, so you’ll notice that they drink more and more water as they age. That’s normal and will continue well into adulthood.
There are other factors to consider, too. Some pups may drink more than the recommended amount if they’re super active. Dogs that spend hours in the hot sun also consume more water to cool down.
Keep in mind that the minimum amount includes all sources of hydration. If you’re feeding your puppy wet food, they’ll likely drink less water because of how much water they take in with their food.
Do Puppies Need Water at Night?
There’s no cut-and-dry answer to this question, and you’ll hear varying opinions. Some dog owners say you should never restrict access to water, even at night. Others believe that puppies should never drink at night.
So which is it?
Ultimately, it depends on your dog and how far they are in the housetraining process. There are certain situations when your vet might recommend leaving water out.
For example, dogs suffering from health problems like infections, Cushing disease, or kidney problems will have an insatiable thirst. In those cases, withholding water could worsen health issues and make the road to recovery much harder.
But for healthy pups, taking away water for the night is perfectly safe. There are some risks involved that we’ll go over soon. However, puppies with good health usually benefit from overnight water restrictions.
How Long Can a Puppy Go Without Water Overnight?
The best approach to restricting water access is to limit how many hours your puppy goes without a drink. That may require you to fine-tune your and your pup’s schedule.
Younger puppies will have a harder time going without water for too long. These tiny canines have much smaller bodies, so water deprivation has a bigger impact on their health and well-being.
The good news is that puppies quickly become ready to go without water throughout the night.
At about 12 weeks of age, most puppies will have no issues going without water for at least eight hours. That’s more than enough time for you to enjoy uninterrupted and mess-free sleep.
Potential Risks of Restricting Water at Night
Consult your vet if you’re unsure whether your puppy is ready to go without water at night. As mentioned earlier, there are a few risks. Fortunately, most are easily avoidable if you’re smart about restricting water access. The following risks can occur if your puppy goes without water for too long.
Dehydration
Dehydration is the biggest concern. Luckily, it’s not something you must worry about for healthy puppies. A night without water isn’t going to cause dehydration.
The exception is if your puppy has an existing health issue.
Kidney problems and several diseases affect how your puppy’s body utilizes water. In those cases, a lack of water access can worsen the problem. That’s especially true with a UTI. Dogs need to drink plenty of water to recover from a UTI, so restricting access at night isn’t a good idea.
As always, work with your vet. Rule out any potential health problems before you begin taking water away.
Resource Guarding and Obsession
In rare instances, puppies can develop behavioral problems due to a lack of water access. Again, this isn’t something most dog owners need to worry about. It usually only happens if water restrictions go beyond nighttime hours.
When your dog doesn’t have water readily available throughout the day, it becomes a precious commodity! Some pups become obsessed with water, lapping it up at lightning speed when available. In their minds, they don’t know when they’ll get water again. So, they drink as much as possible.
Resource guarding can be a problem, too. Your pup may growl or snap at you when you attempt to take its water bowl away.
You must be careful about how you treat water. Restricting access at night is fine, but it needs to be available at all times during the day to ensure these problems don’t develop.
Related: How Much Water Should A Puppy Drink During Potty Training ?
Potential Risks of Providing Overnight Water Access
Now that you know that healthy puppies do well without water access at night, let’s review why water restrictions are beneficial. While some puppy owners are adamant that water needs to be available 24/7, there are some risks to free access.
Frequent Accidents
One of the biggest reasons you should take water away at night is to avoid unwanted accidents.
You must remember that your puppy’s bladder is tiny! Furthermore, the muscles that control the bladder are significantly weaker than an adult’s. It takes time to build things up.
Younger puppies usually need to go outside every hour. Even after the two-month mark, their ability to hold their urine only increases to about two hours.
Now, imagine what it would be like if your puppy had free access to water at night. You’d have to take them out every couple of hours like clockwork. That’s not reasonable for most puppy owners. You need your sleep too, and you deserve to wake up without dealing with messes.
Behavioral Problems
Behavioral issues can develop if dogs have free access to water at night. To make that water available, you usually have to leave your dog out of the crate. It doesn’t matter whether you use a pen or a full room. Puppies will get into trouble at night!
The most common problem is frequent yelping due to the need to go outside. But young puppies can also spill their water, making huge messes you have to deal with in the morning.
Training Troubles
Finally, there’s the issue of training. It all comes down to accidents.
Occasional accidents are inevitable, but having access to water at night will make them recurring. But your puppy can’t go out if you’re sleeping in another room. So, they make a mess.
When that occurs every night, your puppy can’t understand the distinction between urinating indoors or out. It’ll make training much tougher and could turn accidents into lifelong issues.
Restricting Water for Your Puppy at Night: Tips for a Smooth Transition
Taking your pup’s water bowl away can feel borderline cruel, but it’s the best thing you can do for your furry friend. Here are a few tips on restricting water access at night.
Take Water Away at a Set Time
You likely have a specific time when you serve your puppy meals. Have that same mindset when taking away water.
Give your puppy all the water they need when eating the day’s final meal. Then, take away their water about two hours before bedtime. This will give your dog’s body enough time to process that water before going out one last time.
Go Out One Last Time
Never go to bed without taking your pup out. Aim to let them do their business as late as possible. Consider when you take water away and when you need to hit the hay.
If you remove water access at 8:00 PM, you can take a short walk at 10:00 PM and immediately put your puppy in their crate for the night.
Avoid Salty Treats Before Bed
Sodium will increase your dog’s thirst. Examine the nutrition label of the treats you provide. Sodium is fine in moderation during the day. However, you should avoid giving those salty treats to your dog before bed. Otherwise, they may become dehydrated or whine throughout the night due to thirst.
Ensure Your Pup is Healthy
Our last tip is to take your pup to the vet if you notice any excessive drinking. Keeping your vet in the loop about your pup’s care is always a good idea. If any health existing issues would make water restrictions at night a bad move, your vet will let you know.
Conclusion
To sum up, healthy puppies can go throughout the night without water. Taking away water is a smart move. It can prevent frequent accidents, cement your puppy’s house training, and help you get uninterrupted sleep. As long as you provide all-day access to water, your pup will be fine!
Also read: Best Spill-proof Dog Water Bowls for Sloppy Drinkers
