Most need about an ounce of fluids per pound of body weight per day, so a 10-pound dog needs a bit over a cup of clean water daily. Really active or lactating dogs may need more and puppies generally drink more than adult dogs. If your dog drinks a lot more than that, it may signal a health problem.

Dogs can typically survive approximately 2-3 days without water. But, it is important to note that just because they might survive it, it doesn’t mean it’s something they should be subjected to. When a dog is dehydrated, it affects all the processes in their body.

Xerostomia is when your pet’s gums lose moistness and become dry and sticky, and your dog’s saliva becomes thick and pasty. Other symptoms of dehydration include, loss of appetite, panting and dry nose. In severe cases your dog’s eyes may become sunken or your pet may collapse from shock.

The water rules change a bit during house-training. It’s best to remove your puppy’s water bowl at night. Be consistent with the time you remove water, the same way you’re consistent with feeding times. As a rule of thumb, remove the food and water bowls about two-to-three hours before bedtime.

Always keep a separate bowl of fresh water as well. Add a teaspoon of Whiskas Cat Milk (lactose-free milk), beef broth or chicken broth to each bowl of water. Add ice cubes to the water bowl. These can even be flavored with tuna juice or broth before freezing.

For dogs who are a healthy weight and aren’t having accidents in the house, you may be able to use the free-choice feeding method. This means you leave food out all day and let your dog graze. If you are leaving food out all day for your dog to nibble on, use dry food, which won’t spoil.

A good way to start increasing the length of time your dog or puppy is happy to stay in the crate is by feeding them their meals in the crate. With each successive feeding, leave the door closed a few minutes longer, until they are staying in the crate for ten minutes or so after eating.

Crate training is a vitally important part of bringing a dog of any age into your life and home. Puppies, adult dogs, and seniors can all benefit in one way or another from being properly crate trained. Crate training gives dogs a sense of security and safety and helps give owners greater peace of mind.

Crate training takes advantage of your dog’s natural instincts to seek out a comfortable, quiet and safe place when the environment around them becomes too loud or overwhelming. It’s also an important tool in preventing dogs from chewing on items in the home or during housetraining.

Puppy sleep training happens little by little. When it comes to your puppy’s bedtime, for the first week or so, it’s preferable that they sleep in your bedroom with you. When settling into bed in the puppy crate, reward positive quiet behaviour in the bed.