An awesome thread. Very informative. I leave fresh water out for the dogs during the work. I add water to the raw mixture as well. I have found that the dog will come off the water on his own. After three weeks or so of work, being fed on a timed basis and having the food mixed with water the dog does not touch the bowl. When he comes off I pick up the bowl and then dial him in on weight with food and water the rest of the way.
The amount of water loss varies from dog to dog. I have a dog now that will drop 2-3 pounds after a hard day. I weigh him before work and after work and adjust the meal/water accordingly. I weigh him again 10-12 hours later and adjust the evening meal accordingly. I am not sure I am on the 1oz. per lb. ration but I am thinking it is very close. He gets about 16oz. per meal which works out to 32oz. per day for a 44lb dog. After factoring in the amount of water in the raw feed I would guess there is another 10oz or so within the feed (meats being app. 70% water).
I will try to dial the water in closer to 1oz per pound to see if I can see a difference. My guess is if I do not change anything else the dog will 'come off' the water a little earlier if I ensure the 1oz per lb ratio.
Great post. EWO