If you've ever wondered: how long is my dog able to hold their pee? You are not alone. This is a common question with a relatively straightforward answer. However, the length of time your dog will hold in urine depends on several factors.
Experts believe that dogs will generally need frequent bathroom breaks, somewhere between three to five times per day. However, each dog has its own unique potty schedule, and dogs of certain ages (namely, young and senior pups) will require more potty breaks than adult dogs will.
How long your dog can hold in their pee truly depends on what phase of their life they are in. Here is your handy guide to deciphering how long your pup will be able to make it without needing to use the bathroom.
For puppies, you should use the one hour per every month of age formula to figure out how long your dog can wait to urinate. For instance, if you have a puppy 3-month-old puppy, they should be able to wait 3 hours for potty time.
Adult dogs that are one year or older should be able to hold their pee in for up to 6-8 hours. However, 8 hours is a bit of a stretch, and ideally, you should not expect your dog to hold their urine for longer than 6 hours.
Lastly, for senior dogs that are ages eight and above, the answer to how long your dog can hold their pee depends on their state of health and their size. This can range from 2-6 hours.
It's important to note that just because your dog can hold their urine for eight hours, it doesn't mean they should. If a dog is forced to hold their pee in for an extended time, it could impact urinary health and cause medical conditions such as urinary tract or bladder infections, crystals, or kidney stones.
It is also uncomfortable for the pet and could result in an accident on your favourite carpet. You should anticipate providing your adult pet with the opportunity to use the potty every 4-6 hours.
Ask any doting dog owner, and they'll give you a million reasons why they adore their dog. What don't most dog owners enjoy quite as much? The process of potty training their beloved pet. While there are plenty of wonderful things about owning a dog, the reality is that housebreaking and potty training isn't often noted as one of them.
However, it's an essential part of being a dog owner, and teaching your dog how to behave correctly.
Whether it's your first dog or fifth, you probably have some questions about potty training your new puppy. That's where we step in.
At Kabo, we are passionate about helping give you the resources you need to succeed with your new dog. That's why we're here to answer all of the questions that you may have about how to potty train your dog.
Within this article, you are going to get answers to some of your most urgent questions about housebreaking your new pup.
We'll give you the information you need about properly training a dog to urinate outdoors. But of course, accidents are inevitable sometimes which is why we will also equip you with the knowledge you need to get the pee smell out of the carpet.
Also covered are some of your questions regarding what motivates your dog to urinate and if spite could be one of those motivators. By the end of this article, you'll be practically a pro with potty training your pooch. Let's get started.
For this part, you will need to learn how to properly train a dog to urinate outside your house. The first step is to establish a routine for your new pup.
Dogs, specifically puppies, thrive on routine, so you should bring your canine companion outside to use the bathroom every two hours. You should also be sure to bring them out to pee right after they wake up, during their playtime and after, and after eating or drinking.
Your next step is to select a specific place for your pet to pee. You will always want to visit this location when you bring your pet out to urinate or defecate. You can also use a specific word or even phrase that you say when your pup is going to the bathroom. This will be used to remind them what they have to do.
Rewarding your pet goes a long way to instilling good behaviour. You can reward them with playtime or their favourite treat. It's essential you do this right after they go to the bathroom, so they know what they are being rewarded for.
A feeding schedule will also be helpful, as this can help you create a regular schedule for your pet to go to the bathroom. Not only will feeding your puppy simultaneously every day make them know when to anticipate food, but they will also be more likely to defecate or urinate at consistent times.
During the potty-training stage, you should pick up the dog's water dish approximately two and a half hours before bedtime. This will reduce the chance that they will need to urinate overnight.
Puppies can typically sleep for seven hours without needing to urinate. However, if your pet does, let them do their business quickly and don't make a big deal. Remember: with all training, consistency is key! This is also the truth for puppy potty training.
One of the best ways to ensure that your dog does not urinate in the house is to eliminate their opportunities to defecate and urinate in your home. In other words, you will need to keep a mindful eye on them when they are indoors. One way to tackle this is by tethering your puppy to you with a leash when you're not playing with them or actively training.
You can also monitor your pup for signs that they are about to defecate or urinate. This can include sniffing or scratching, squatting, circling, or restless behaviour. When your dog exhibits this, simply grab the leash and lead your pet to their spot where they urinate and defecate outdoors.
Of course, accidents do happen and it's important to know how to tackle occurrences where they do. Don't react dramatically; and instead, immediately bring your dog outside to their bathroom location. If they finish eliminating there, you can give them a treat and praise. Relying on puppy pads indoors may cause some confusion in peeing habits and training efforts.
However, you mustn't punish the dog for going potty in the house. Simply clean up the spoiled spot, and clean it thoroughly. If your puppy smells the urine, they will continue to go to the potty there. Also, if possible, avoid punishment. This could actually make your dog more afraid of you.
If your dog has an accident (and all puppies will from time to time), it is essential that you try your hardest to remove the scent of urine from the carpet. This is because puppies specifically are motivated to continue to urinate in places that smell of pee.
Therefore, if you want your puppy to quit this moving habit forward, you will have to ensure that the area is properly clean. The tactic you will need to use to remove dog pee from the carpet will depend on how long the pee was sitting there and how often your dog urinates in that particular location.
If you are present when your dog urinates on the carpet and can immediately attend to the accident, you should blot it with either an old T-shirt or a paper towel. These are both more absorbent than a regular terry cloth towel.
After you blot the pee spot, you can sprinkle the area with baking soda. This will effectively remove any odour that is left behind. Allow this to sit for approximately 20 minutes before you vacuum up the baking soda.
If your dog's pee stains have had time to soak into the carpet, you will have to try a different approach. If they haven't fully set in, it's possible that a simple cleaning solution can help alleviate the problem.
Use a cup of water, a cup of distilled white vinegar, ¼ to ½ baking soda, and ¼ to ½ three percent hydrogen peroxide to remove the stain. These are all pet-safe ingredients you likely have lying around your house.
Simply blot up the urine, and mix the ingredients mentioned above together. Then, using a spray bottle containing the mix, spray the spot. If the spot is already dry, you can wet it with water and soak it before treatment.
Once you've sprayed, use a brush or rub it while wearing a glove and work it into the carpet. Let it sit, and then blot until dry. Afterward, sprinkle with baking soda and simply vacuum that up to remove any odour that lingers.
This can be effective because vinegar and baking soda are known for lifting urine while neutralizing odours. These ingredients are also safe in case your furry friend accidentally gets any.
Alternatively, you can rotate out hydrogen peroxide for an oxygen-based bleach. This is safe for the dog and carpet. However, you should never use chlorine-based bleach on a stain. This could be harmful to your carpet and, more importantly, your canine companion. You should do a simple spot test to ensure the mixture won't lead to discoloration as a general rule of thumb.
But what if the pee stain is a place where your dog frequently returns to urinate? What if the spot is set in? Unfortunately, you're going to have to level up from a homemade cleaner in this case.
Effectively removing the urine in this situation comes down to using an enzymatic pet stain remover. You will usually be able to locate this in a pet supply shop or your grocery store's cleaning supply section.
However, it's important that you check the product label before applying. It should be nontoxic and pet-safe.
You might be wondering how this works. With an enzymatic pet stain remover, the enzymes will break down the proteins and ammonia that are present in your pet's urine. This works to neutralize the odour that accompanies the pee.
All you have to do is follow the bottle's instructions. This type of cleaner usually won't require you to rinse and should be safe to utilize on carpets, wood floors, and other surfaces that are porous and where odour gets stuck.
If you have tried all of the cleaning methods mentioned and still, your dog is urinating in the same spot, and the scent is present, it's time to take the next step to get your carpet clean.
You might have to get professional carpet cleaning to remove the scent. You can either decide to have professionals help you with this, or you can attempt to tackle it yourself with a carpet shampooer you can rent.
You might also be wondering what is leading your dog to engage in this behaviour. Continue reading to learn more about if dogs pee out of spite. The reason that your dog is actually urinating inside the house might surprise you!
Did you know that your dog doesn't pee or poop out of spite or jealousy? It's true. Whatever your dog's reasons are for peeing, they are not to spite you.
However, there are several reasons your dog might be engaging in this behaviour, and it's important to know what is causing this.
One reason that dogs urinate inside is to engage in urine marking. This is sometimes confused with a dog peeing out of spite, but it is not the same. When unfamiliar scents or sounds that accompany moving to a new home stress your pet out, they might feel they need to confirm or claim their territory. Therefore, your dog might urine mark to assert their dominance in the space and tell any intruders that it is theirs.
It is important to note that urine marking is not the same as your dog soiling the house. When your dog pees or poops in the house, they empty their bladder or bowels inside of your home. This is typically the result of your pet not being housebroken or even your pet having a medical problem. Meanwhile, urine marking is territorial and not linked to bladder control.
A dog with urine marking will likely distribute small amounts of urine on items they feel are theirs. This could include your walls, furniture, clothing, etc. While urine marking typically is associated with male dogs, females could engage in this behaviour, too. Dogs usually lift their legs to mark, so that is a tell-tale sign.
However, some dogs do not lift their legs to mark. Therefore, you will have to keep an eye out for small urine splotches that are usually on vertical surfaces.
So, we have established that your dog is not urinating out of spite or because they are mad or desire attention. Dogs also do not urinate to get revenge on their owners. However, there are several other reasons why dogs will engage in urinating inside of the home. Reviewing and being familiar with these will help you figure out why your dog is peeing indoors. Once you get to the root of the situation, you can begin to take steps to remedy it.
We've discussed why dogs do not pee in the house, but it's time to discuss why dogs will urinate in the house. For instance, dogs will engage in this behaviour to communicate with their owner that they are experiencing anxiety or fear. In other cases, your dog is urinating inside because of health issues.
You could take your pup to the vet to ensure that this is not the underlying cause. Sometimes, the reason your dog is urinating inside of the house is as simple as because they feel like they have to because you didn't take them outside.
While house training your dog has its challenges, it can also be an extremely rewarding task when it begins to understand how to urinate and defecate outside of the house.
At Kabo, we're passionate about equipping dog owners with what they need to succeed.
Whether that's dog food that will provide your dog with the nutrients they need to the knowledge necessary to house train your dog, Kabo is here for you!
