Quick Links: Table of Contents
- How Much Water Should a Briard drink?
- How to Calculate How Much Water Your Briard Needs
- Briard Water Calculator
- How Much Water Should a 55-Pound Briard Drink?
- How Much Water Should a 34-week-Old Briard Drink?
- How Much Water Should a 7-month-Old Briard Drink?
- How Much Water Should a 50-week-Old Briard Drink?
- How Much Water Should a 5-month-Old Briard Drink?
- Other Factors that Affects How Much Water Your Briard Needs
- Briard Not Drinking Enough Water
- Briard Drinking Too Much Water
- Do Briards Drink a Lot of Water?
- How to Tell if Your Briard is Drinking Too Much, Too Little, or Enough Water
- How To Tell If Your Briard is Dehydrated
- Conclusion
How Much Water Should a Briard drink?
Hydrating your hound is very important since water makes up approximately 56 percent of an adult Briard`s body weight (73 percent of lean body mass). Water is an essential nutrient for your Briard`s existence.
Your Briard needs to drink the right amount of water that suits its age, weight, and activity level.
Drinking too much water is not good for your Briard, and neither is drinking too little water.
According to the recommendations by the vets at PetMD, a dog should drink, in milliliters, 50 times its weight in kilograms. That is, a 10 kg dog needs 500 milliliters of water (2.1 cups).
An adult Briard weighs 31.8 Kg (70.0 pounds), and therefore requires 1590.9 milliliters (53.8 ounces or 6.7 cups) of water every day, given that your dog is not a very active dog.
Essentially, the amount of water your Briard needs a day depends very much on how much your Briard weighs.
Also, the amount of water your Briard drinks depends on your Briard activity level. Very active dogs need more water than inactive dogs.
Use our Briard water calculator to estimate how much water your Briard should drink every day based on its weight and activity level.
The Briard is generally a high-activity level dog breed. So, your Briard will drink more water than the regular average dog breed.
To find out how much food you need to be feeding your Briard, check out our Briard feeding guide and food calculator.
How to Calculate How Much Water Your Briard Needs
Enter the weight and activity level of your Briard in the Briard water calculator below to estimate how much water your Briard needs.
Briard Water Calculator
*1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = 236.588 milliliters
Our Briard water calculator above is based on the dog water drinking recommendation provided by the vets at PedMD.com.
However, PetMD`s recommendation applies only to dogs with low activity levels.
However, our calculator goes further to provide recommendations on how much water Briards of different activity levels (low, medium, and high) need.
In our calculator, a medium-activity level Briard needs one and a half as much water as a low-activity level Briard each day. Similarly, a high-activity level Briard needs twice as much water as a low-activity level Briard needs.
Check out our dog water calculator for all dog breeds here.
One way to improve your Briard`s water drinking experience is to buy your dog a water fountain.
A water fountain will also encourage your Briard to drink enough water.
This is because the continuously flowing stream of water with a fresh taste from a water fountain will entice your Briard to drink enough water.
Furthermore, pet water fountains continuously filter the water that it delivers to your dog. A water fountain ensures that your Briard has access to clean fresh filtered water all the time.
Giving your Briard water from a fountain is more hygienic than giving your Briard water from a water bowl.This is because water in the water bowl usually lays around all day, getting polluted as it lays around.
Here are the best water fountains that we recommend for your Briards. These water fountains are durable, made with food-grade materials, and operate very quietly with little noise:
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The PetSafe Drinkwell 2 Gallon Pet Fountain with Adjustable Stream. Click here to check price on Amazon.
Dog Water Fountain
How Much Water Should a 55-Pound Briard Drink?
A 55-pound Briard should drink 84.5 ounces (10.6 cups) of water every day.
Briards are generally high-activity dogs, and about 84.5 ounces is the amount of water a High Activity Level 55-pound Briard needs every day.
However, if your 55-pound Briard is a low-activity dog, then it will need about 42.3 ounces of water (5.3 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 55-pound Briard is of medium activity, then it will need about 63.4 ounces of water (7.9 cups) every day.
Use our Briard dog water calculator to find out how much water Briard should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 42.3 ounces (5.3 cups) | 63.4 ounces (7.9 cups) | 84.5 ounces (10.6 cups) |
How Much Water Should a 34-week-Old Briard Drink?
The average weight of 34-week-Old Briard is 60 pounds (27.0 kg).
Learn how much 34-week-Old Briard should weigh here.
A 60-pound Briard should drink 92.2 ounces (11.5 cups) of water every day.
Briards are generally high-activity dogs, and about 92.2 ounces is the amount of water a High Activity Level 60-pound Briard needs every day.
However, if your 60-pound Briard is a low-activity dog, then it will need about 46.1 ounces of water (5.8 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 60-pound Briard is of medium activity, then it will need about 69.2 ounces of water (8.6 cups) every day.
Use our Briard dog water calculator to find out how much water Briard should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 46.1 ounces (5.8 cups) | 69.2 ounces (8.6 cups) | 92.2 ounces (11.5 cups) |
How Much Water Should a 7-month-Old Briard Drink?
The average weight of 7-month-Old Briard is 54 pounds (24.3 kg).
Learn how much 7-month-Old Briard should weigh here.
A 54-pound Briard should drink 83.0 ounces (10.4 cups) of water every day.
Briards are generally high-activity dogs, and about 83.0 ounces is the amount of water a High Activity Level 54-pound Briard needs every day.
However, if your 54-pound Briard is a low-activity dog, then it will need about 41.5 ounces of water (5.2 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 54-pound Briard is of medium activity, then it will need about 62.2 ounces of water (7.8 cups) every day.
Use our Briard dog water calculator to find out how much water Briard should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 41.5 ounces (5.2 cups) | 62.2 ounces (7.8 cups) | 83.0 ounces (10.4 cups) |
How Much Water Should a 50-week-Old Briard Drink?
The average weight of 50-week-Old Briard is 68 pounds (30.8 kg).
Learn how much 50-week-Old Briard should weigh here.
A 68-pound Briard should drink 104.5 ounces (13.1 cups) of water every day.
Briards are generally high-activity dogs, and about 104.5 ounces is the amount of water a High Activity Level 68-pound Briard needs every day.
However, if your 68-pound Briard is a low-activity dog, then it will need about 52.3 ounces of water (6.5 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 68-pound Briard is of medium activity, then it will need about 78.4 ounces of water (9.8 cups) every day.
Use our Briard dog water calculator to find out how much water Briard should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 52.3 ounces (6.5 cups) | 78.4 ounces (9.8 cups) | 104.5 ounces (13.1 cups) |
How Much Water Should a 5-month-Old Briard Drink?
The average weight of 5-month-Old Briard is 42 pounds (19.1 kg).
Learn how much 5-month-Old Briard should weigh here.
A 42-pound Briard should drink 64.6 ounces (8.1 cups) of water every day.
Briards are generally high-activity dogs, and about 64.6 ounces is the amount of water a High Activity Level 42-pound Briard needs every day.
However, if your 42-pound Briard is a low-activity dog, then it will need about 32.3 ounces of water (4.0 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 42-pound Briard is of medium activity, then it will need about 48.4 ounces of water (6.1 cups) every day.
Use our Briard dog water calculator to find out how much water Briard should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 32.3 ounces (4.0 cups) | 48.4 ounces (6.1 cups) | 64.6 ounces (8.1 cups) |
Other Factors that Affects How Much Water Your Briard Needs
In addition to its weight and activity level, your Briard may need more or less water depending on other factors in your Briard`s life such as:
- The weather: Briards need more water during the hot summer than in the cold winter.
- Your Briard`s Diet: Briards that eat moist/wet food will require less water than Briards that eat dry food (kibble). Wet dog food contains 65-80% water, while dry dog food contains 10-12% water.
- Your Briard`s age: Senior Briards are generally more laid back than younger Briards, therefore senior Briards need less water.
- Pregnant Briards and lactating Briards: These need more water than normal.
- Briards on Medication: Certain medications may make your Briard drink more water.
Briard Not Drinking Enough Water
If your Briard is not drinking enough water, then your Briard is at risk of dehydration, and the problems that come with dehydration.
Problems that come with your Briard not drinking enough water include urinary tract issues like kidney stones and organ failure.
Your Briard may be drinking less water than usual because of the following reasons:
- Your Briard has limited access to fresh clean water.
- You changed your Briard`s food (e.g. from dry food to wet food)
- You changed your Briard`s water source
- The weather is cooler than it used to be
- Your Briard is less active than it used to be
- Your Briard is growing old
If none of these applies to your Briard, then it might be that your Briard has an underlying health condition and you might want to talk to your vet.
Also, your Briard may drink less water if it does not have access to clean fresh water always.
Some dogs are picky drinkers, and they won`t drink water that is not fresh or water with dirt and debris in it.
If your Briard is a picky drinker as such, then you should consider getting your Briard a water fountain like one of these. A water fountain will entice your Briard to drink water. With a water fountain, you can be sure that your Briard will have access to fresh clean water always.
Also, oral infections such as tooth decay, gum decay, and broken tooth are some of the reasons your Briard might not be drinking enough water.
Check your Briard`s mouth for any oral infection. When checking your Briard`s mouth, pay attention to the smell of your Briard`s breath to make sure that your Briard does not have bad breath as bad breath could be a sign of oral infection.
Furthermore, if you recently changed your Briard`s water source, and your Briard starts drinking less water, then you might want to change back to the old source.
Briard Drinking Too Much Water
Your Briard may be drinking too much water simply because you give it unrestricted access to water. Also, your Briard may be drinking too much because it has a health problem such as diabetes.
If your Briard is drinking too much water, then your Briard is at risk of overhydration and the problems that come with overhydration.
Problems that come with water overhydration in dogs include staggering, loss of coordination, vomiting, dilated pupils, over salivation, and stomach bloat.
Excessive and unexplainable thirst in your dog is called polydipsia. Polydipsia makes your dog drink more.
Ordinarily, when your Briard drinks too much water for just a day or two, there may be nothing to be worried about. However, if this condition persists, you should see a veterinarian.
Also, if your Briard is drinking too much water, then your Briard will need to urinate frequently and take unnecessary bathroom breaks. This can be an inconvenience for your if you have to take your Briard out of the house for its bathroom breaks.
If your Briard is drinking too much water for no obvious reason, talk to your vet. However, if your Briard is drinking too much water because it has access to water, then limit your Briard`s access to water.
Do Briards Drink a Lot of Water?
The amount of water a Briard needs is proportional to the Briard`s body weight and activity level. Older bigger adult Briards drink a lot of water compared to younger smaller Briards.
Also, Briards that are not very active drink a lot less water than very active Briards. Also, Briards drink lots of water in the hot summer months than in the cold winter months.
To find how much water your Briard should be drinking, use our Briard dog water calculator to estimate your Briard`s daily water needs.
How to Tell if Your Briard is Drinking Too Much, Too Little, or Enough Water
A simple way to check if your Briard is drinking too much, too little or enough water is to first measure a large volume of water (many cups).
Then, at the start of the day, pour this water into your Briard`s bowl so that your Briard can drink water without a limit.
Then, in the evening, measure the amount of water left in your Briard`s water bowl.
Then, subtract the amount of water left in the bowl in the evening from the initial amount of water that you put in the bowl in the morning. This will give you how much water your Briard has drunk.
Finally, use our Briard dog water calculator to check to see how the amount of water your dog has drunk compares with how much water your dog should be drinking for its size and its activity level.
This will tell you if your dog is drinking too much, too little, or just enough water.
Then you can switch to giving your Briard water with a water fountain.
How To Tell If Your Briard is Dehydrated
If your Briard is not drinking enough water she may become dehydrated. Dehydration in dogs can have mild to severe consequences. Always be on the watch to prevent the accidental dehydration of your Briard. Here are ways to know if your dog is dehydrated:
- Check her gums: Press on her gums and release it; if it quickly becomes pink back, she is not dehydrated. If it remains white, she may be dehydrated.
- Loss of skin elasticity: You can check your dog`s hydration level by pinching her skin. If her skin goes flat right away, that is a sign that your dog is properly hydrated. However, if it takes several seconds for your dog`s skin to go flat after a pinch, then that could be a sign that your dog is dehydrated.
- Weakness and low activity: A dehydrated dog will be weaker and less active than usual.
- Dry mouth: If your dog`s mouth is dry or if your dog salivates less, then she may be dehydrated and need water.
- Dry Nose
Conclusion
To keep your Briard in good health, you need to keep your Briard hydrated. Therefore, you need to keep an eye on your Briard`s water intake to make sure your Briard is getting the right amount of water that it needs.
To encourage your Briard to drink enough water, make sure that your Briard has access to clean water all the time.
A good way to ensure your Briard has clean water available to it is to invest in a good water fountain like one of these.
If you think your Briard is drinking an unusual amount of water (too much or too little), then do not hesitate to speak with a pet vet.