Adult dogs need about one ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. But growing puppies, despite their smaller size, drink more than their adult parents. However, it does depend on your puppy’s age, size, and activity level.

Usually, young puppies need about 1/2 cup of water every two hours. You should monitor your puppy to make sure he’s drinking enough . . . and not too much.

Older puppies that have already been weaned generally need between one half ounce and one ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.

Dog Dehydration

Most dogs, even puppies, will naturally drink enough water. But there are cases when your puppy may not drink enough and risk dehydration. There are several things that can cause dehydration, including vomiting, fever, excessive urination, or diarrhea. If your puppy eats mostly dry food, he also may not be getting enough water. And some dogs just don’t seem very tempted by their bowl of fresh water. Aside from noticing any of the causes we listed, you can get a good idea of whether your puppy is drinking enough water by monitoring his water intake, using the water-to-body-weight calculation.

Some tests you can do fast to check for dehydration:

Grab the scruff of your puppy’s neck gently, stretch it out, and then let go. The skin should snap right back into place. If it’s slow to snap back, your dog is dehydrated.

Feel his gums. If they’re dry or sticky, he needs more water.

Press your finger gently against his gums, which temporarily blocks the flow of blood. While you’re pressing his gums, the area turns white. When you release the pressure, the area should return to a healthy pink within two seconds. If it takes longer, your puppy is dehydrated.

If you notice that your puppy doesn’t seem to be drinking enough water, you can make some changes around the house to encourage him to drink:

Make sure his water bowl is clean, and fill it with fresh water.

Place his water bowl near his food, bed, or any place he likes to hang out in the house.

Reward him with a treat and praise him when he takes a drink.

Flavor his water with bone broth or chicken broth to make it more enticing.

Offer him ice cubes. Some dogs love chewing on ice cubes, and this is another way to increase water intake.