0 Getting Rid Of The Evidence
Much like a child might hide the pieces of the lamp he accidentally broke, this could very well be your pup’s way of getting rid of the evidence of his indiscretion. If your boy has been housebroken then he knows that having an accident in the house is frowned upon. If he happens to have an accident, drinking the pee to eliminate the evidence would not be out of the realm of possibility.
Most of us have heard about, or seen, (and been completely grossed out by…) a mother dog eating her babies feces and urine. This is completely natural and is done for a few reasons. One of those reasons is their natural instinct for cleanliness. Out of instinct your dog might feel the need to make his den (home) as clean as possible. Even if it means drinking his urine.
When your dog is drinking his own urine, and it is in addition to other odd or negative habits, then it could be a behavioral issue. Behavioral issues can develop for a multitude of reasons. Behavioral therapy and consistency in training could help curb negative ways. Depending on the severity, you might need to call in a professional animal behavioralist.
0 Result Of A Neglectful Background
Dogs that come from abusive or neglectful backgrounds, those from puppy mills, in particular, tend to develop the habit of drinking (and sometimes eating) their own excrement. This is due to an insufficient supply of food and water. Their urine and feces may be the only thing they had to eat while in horrid conditions and eventually acquire a taste for it.
In short, animals sometimes go through bizarre stages. If the urine drinking is, in fact, a stage, he will likely grow out of it, although this is not always the case. Using distraction methods and positive reinforcement could help train your dog not to drink his urine. Also if your pooch is still intact (not spayed/neutered) this may be the perfect time to do so as urine drinking could very well be associated with being in heat.
Dogs that have not been trained properly can sometimes develop the habit of drinking their own urine. This can be down to something as simple as the inability to hold it in or rebellion for the younger pups. Having a consistent training plan can help eliminate any urine drinking behavior.
Dehydration:
If your dog does not have enough supply of water and is suffering from dehydration, they will go to the closest source to receive hydration, even if that is their own urine. Dogs have not been observed to drink their own urine if they are adequately hydrated.
A new puppy needs several reminders of the location of the water bowl before they remember. If they forget the location of their bowl, they may drink their own urine. Older dogs suffering from dementia may also drink urine if they forget the location of their water bowl.
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I cannot imagine how grossed out you must have felt when you saw your dogs drink their urine for the first time! Read the complete blog post to understand the causes behind such behavior and how to rectify it.
The condition in which dogs drink their urine can either stem from a physical discomfort or a behavioral problem. The first step in dog care is to rule out any possible medical conditions which may force your dog to dink his own urine. If their is no associated medical reason for this behavior, then it most likely is stemming from a behavioral issue. To address this problem, you must first understand the causes behind why do dogs drink urine?
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As I mentioned earlier, drinking their own pee in dogs can be a result of an ongoing physical problem or a psychological issue.
To diagnose any underlying medical issue, pay a visit to your veterinarian. If your dog drinks pee due to an underlying health problem, your dog will be checked and provided medications to rectify the underlying disease.
Let’s start with understanding the medical factors which might be the cause behind why dogs drink their urine: