puppy wont drink water??

danois

My new pup wont drink water at all unless its coloured with something. I am mixing a small bit of milk in jusst enough to colour it then he will drink it. Is this ok for him to have i know my mumss dog cant drink milk makess him sick even if he only has small amount.

Alsso scrappy wont ever sit in front of me (except if im on sofa hes on floor). He sits or stands behind me and as soon as i turn to him he moves behind me or if im petting him he will sit beside me never infront... any ideas why??

Thanks

doggiewalker00

First thing to do would be see a vet if hes not drinking water at all.

id imagine that hed tell you to stop mixing it with milk.unless thiers some underlying health problem he will drink it when he needs it,dont try to encourage him or coax him into doing it this creates a big deal over it.
they dont need that much water to be honest as thier tiny.

is scrappy and older dog? he might be a little shy,generally small dogs will feel alot more safe when your on thier level.

ISDW

Definitely talk to the vet.

Most dogs are lactose intolerant, so cows milk isn't good for them. What are you feeding him? If you're feeding dried kibble, them add some water to it, I add warm water to my dogs' food, so they're stay hydrated.

danois

No sorry should of said hes a 7 week old pup. Ill stop with the milk then just see how he goes with water. Thanks

are you serious

When you say scrappy wont drink water.. How long has scrappy gone without going near the water Danois? Could it be that he's just not thirsty?

+1 for ISDW comment adding water to the dried nuts at very least its some kind of drink for him.
Does he ever lick your hand if its wet.. Try putting water into your hand and let him lick it for moisture, try this beside his water bowl and let him see where you are getting the water from!

In relation to the sitting thing remember he os still only 7weeks old he is still very young and training takes time, nothing happens overnight i'd recommend laying off the training and just more play, he will sit in front of you when he's ready!!

danois

Thanks im not trying to train him to sit he just wont stay in front of anyone its like hes afraid just wondered if there is any tips to help his nerves

I put some water in hand he drank it so ill do that for a bit

sotisme

My pup was the exact same, he prefered it with milk and he wouldn't drink it on its own. So over about a week, we would keep putting less and less milk in and then we stopped. He also would only drink plain water out of my hand, like yours or out of a tablespoon :rolleyes:

Cú Giobach

danois wrote: »

Thanks im not trying to train him to sit he just wont stay in front of anyone its like hes afraid just wondered if there is any tips to help his nerves

Remember how big and intimidating humans would be to a young little pup, I know from the other thread he left his mum a bit early so you'll have to take it easy and slowly with him.
Get down to his level and talk to him in a high pitched and happy voice, keep some small "treats" in your pocket and when he is in front of you give him one, again always using the happy high pitched voice.
Don't suddenly bend over rubbing him on the head, this can intimidate small pups, bring your hand in slowly from his level to gently touch him.

Is the water in your area good? Try collecting some rain water (should be easy this weekend ) most dogs much prefer it to tap water.
Using your hand to encourage him is a good idea, do it next to his water bowl so he can make the connection while in the mood for drinking.

JustAThought

Hi, was inspired by your post to finally register a user! My dog won't drink from ( standard) plastic bowls, or from a bowl that is too small/ tight for her face ie that she has to put her head right into to drink from! Maybe it's rhe bowl! My yoke also would go thirsty rather than drink if there's as much as a speck of dust floating in the water :0. Maybe it's the same for you?

Just a thought; sitting behind is a sign of submissiveness or non dominance; I wnt to puppy training up near the airport roundabout with the kennel club and hey were always trying to teach me to get my dog to sit at heel behind me; ( (she won't!) ; she's a v dominant breed ( but nice) so your pup might be a bit overawed by you and showing that s/he knows your the boss!

A final thought; if the two Are linked ( and no knowing) can your dog see it's reflection in the water and maybe why that's why she's reluctant to drink anything clear?

Finally! A pious stomach is really tiny so a little for scrappy can go a long way! My cousins boxer dosnt like the taste of water from the downstairs bathroom tap!! They have to use the kitchen rap; different tank! Mad!
Dogs!

**Vai**

I'd be looking to socialise the pup soon as possible to build up the confidence. But as has been said above, stop feeding it cows milk and bring it to the vet.

danois

Hi all, sorry i meant to update this.

Had scrappy at the vet and she said he was grand, his weight and stuff are grand. I stopped mixing in the milk and he wouldnt drink. Then i changed his water bowl and he drinks away happily now.

As for sitting behind me he still refuses to be in front of me, which makes it difficult to catch him peeing and either treat him or move him out the back, but we seem to be getting there slowlly.

He is loving his crate and seems to be settling in well:D

JustAThought

That's a really happy ending : ) thanks for the update and best if luck with little happy scrappy!