ok, i am still encountering issues with 'scheduling' my food and water alotments for the pup. he is doing pretty good with the food and eating morning and night...

but the water is about to drive me nuts. we are pretty active in the late evening hours and my fiance likes to run in circles with the dog through the house. that is fine. however, i feel that it is interfering with the water alotment.

the dog (seems) to be pretty intent on getting water late (say around 8-9pm), which is roughly when i pick it up (8pm) and even later. he will be panting pretty heavily and when i take him out, he spends lots of time searching for water that is still puddled after the recent rainy month that we have had...

the nights he does not "seem" to need the water he does well, and may end up relieving himself on the puppy pad in the bedroom...but that is only if i do not hear him whimper...

on the nights like last night when he got water AFTER the pick up time, his urinating was sporadic and almost uncontrollable...he was on th eottoman, and trickled, walking down the hall after a toy and trickled and then went out on the patio and trickled even more...never once asking for th door...just lettin' it go.....

he is doing very good otherwise, receiving praise all the time...nto necessarily food rewards either...

this is our 5th full week with him...he is 15 weeks tomorrow....

should i NOT give him water after the p/u time? is his panting a bad thing?

i just want the best for my pup...

thx...

If you want best for your pup I suggest you stop exercising him late and expect him to go to bed thirsty.You have to pick what you want Louise.At that age he cannot hold his bladder, a puppies' bladder is very small, he will learn eventually how to hold his urine for the outside but right now you are not helpng the situation for yourself by letting your fiance run the pup and then giving him water.If it worked for you before when you took the water out at 8 pm and of course no running prior, stick to it.Maybe if he does get water late put him outside for a while,i'm sure he'll empty out his bladder before bed, but you can't put him to bed after a big water drink ,too little for that yet)

Hi there! From the information you describe (which is by nature limited in a post) it sounds more to me like I would adjust the activity schedule. If you need to pick up the water around 8PM to get through the night, then I would try to get the vigorous play activity out of the way earlier in the evening. It seems natural that pups/dogs are thirsty after vigorous exercise.

Of course intermittent peeing can be indicative of a physical problem i.e. bladder infection. But from limited info, this sounds more to me like an activity scheduling change might solve the problem.

Congrats on your new pup, and welcome to the forum!

Beth

i dont think that there are any health issues...although when he does drink, sometimes i wonder if he'll ever stop..lol...

i run him EVERYDAY when i get home...orbee ball or frisbee related....then we do other little stuff in the house. i will try and make sure that he does not get over worked later in the evening...but we do not go to bed until at least 10:30pm....and in that time (after the water is picked up) he often tends to get playful, and wants to chase the cat, play and so on...i just feel bad...i would rather play while we are awake and give him water if he appears to need it rather than to make him lay around all night and not get any attention....does that make sense? but at the same time, i am trying to get him on a schedule...sux huh?

thanks for all the input yall....
here is a picture of charlie murphy from last week...just for giggles...

 Quote: Louis LaRose

i would rather play while we are awake and give him water if he appears to need it rather than to make him lay around all night and not get any attention....does that make sense? but at the same time, i am trying to get him on a schedule...sux huh?

You can do other things to entertain him and give him attention other than run around in circles in the house or other physical activity raising his thirst. Try grooming him slow and gently, or training him simple commands. Have him do some scent finding under pillows or in one room without getting him overly excited (like hide and go seek with an object- no peeking) Or maybe play real rough when you first get home and take a relaxing slow walk in the cool of the evening before bed. Yes, he'll want water but not as much as when he's been running and panting. That might help!
Alison Voore

 Quote: alison voore

You can do other things to entertain him and give him attention other than run around in circles in the house or other physical activity raising his thirst. Try grooming him slow and gently, or training him simple commands. Alison Voore

Housetraining my pup was almost dream-like easy, so I won't speak to that. But what Alison said about doing other things to stimulate the dog is a GREAT idea. My pup got in a "fun" mood too late for a walk (still does sometimes) so I would do basic commands with him. He REALLY liked it, much better than the walks and he was always calm after. Also, a marrow bone or (more recently) a frozen carrot half helped to keep him busy.

Good luck...cute picture!

PS-Perhaps your finace is the one who needs to burn off the physical energy!

 Quote: amber morgan

 Quote: alison voore

You can do other things to entertain him and give him attention other than run around in circles in the house or other physical activity raising his thirst. Try grooming him slow and gently, or training him simple commands. Alison Voore

Housetraining my pup was almost dream-like easy, so I won't speak to that. But what Alison said about doing other things to stimulate the dog is a GREAT idea. My pup got in a "fun" mood too late for a walk (still does sometimes) so I would do basic commands with him. He REALLY liked it, much better than the walks and he was always calm after. Also, a marrow bone or (more recently) a frozen carrot half helped to keep him busy.

Good luck...cute picture!

PS-Perhaps your finace is the one who needs to burn off the physical energy!

thanks for te replies...

p.s. - no, she burns off her energy later in the evening....

Louis, I reread your post and also the previous post you made earlier this month.

My dog is also a 15 week old GSD. I did have an easy time housetraining him, but then again, I took him outside very often and quite literally praised the pee out of him when he went. He had two accidents and both were within the first two days of having him.

The fact that your dog seems so thirsty and is also peeing so much...including dribbling while walking as opposed to just squatting would make me nervous.

I know of someone who had a husky pup who did this and wound up having some kind of illness...urethral incontinece isn't the exact name, I can't remember it exactly, darn it...but that pup required surgery. Those people wound up dehydrating their dog by accident because they thought it was a housetraining issue so they were limiting the puppy's water.

Even if that's not the issue, the constant thirst and water-seeking behaviour outside would also be, if not a red flag, then a pink one.

I would really suggest you have your dog checked by a GOOD vet to rule out these other issues. I just have a weird feeling about those symptoms and had to speak up.

Perhaps it's just one of those hard-to-train pups, but better safe than sorry, right?

thanks again amber. it makes sense...however, i think that what i am seeing is more of and "excitement" peeing issue. it happens when i first get home for the afternoon, bu tnot all the time...

there will be a 'zig-zag', if you will, for a couple of feet here and there, but not like he is in the process of actually relieving himself. whne my friend jonathan came over once, he was welcomed by a little "dribble", and it happens here and there...

we have had a lot of good days, inbetween, but damn...it's tough...i am not getting mad, or yelling at the dog or putting his nose in it, or anything like that...just ocnsistent walk outside to the 'pee spot'...or thereabouts...it changes here and there.....

i don't think that the dog is sick. i use a very very good vet and have talked to him about the issue (if it even is one at all) and he did not seem worried....he does go back on 2/12/07 for his last round of shots, and if the issue is still there, i will inform him that there may be an issue....but not likely in my humble opinion...

i have talked to probably hundreds of dog owners (lots of GSD owners in there) and for the most part, my dog seems to be on schedule...and there are others i know that have had issues until their pup was almost 8 years...

..aside from the 'trickling' here and there he only goes on his puppy pad around 3-5am if i don't wake when and if he whimpers....he DOES NOT whimper while in the house, i find myself having to follow him down the hall to see what his intentions are...even then, i can't tell....he has grabbed his leash off of the hook once...and pawer the door once...and that it all he has done as far as alert us to when he has to go.

like many, i wish that he would automatically ask to go when he had to, but then that would be too easy....

Ah, okay. Sounds more like submissive uriniation. I'm sorry. That wasn't clear to me in the first posts!

I forgot to mention that we also had our pup on a drag-leash and had him within 3 feet of me at all times when he wasn't crated, and I think that has A LOT to do with why my pup was so easily trained.

I'm sorry I don't have to time to explain more right now, but if others don't mention that by the time I get back, I'll reply more then.