How Long Can Puppies Hold Their Pee?

When raising a pet, you must not only be responsible for its diet and exercise, but also train it to go to the toilet independently. You take them for a walk and then let them go to the backyard to use the bathroom. Your puppy is happy to be outside doing their thing. Probably? But your puppy keeps peeing in the house. Why? This could be one of two common reasons. Either you haven't actually potty trained your puppy, or you've given your puppy too much freedom too early.

New dog owners often want their puppies to be housetrained in an unreasonably short time and without effort. Potty training a puppy is a gradual process that may take several months or longer. The key to successful potty training is to prevent all accidents and make sure your puppy only goes to the toilet in the appropriate toilet spot. This requires patience and perseverance.

Don’t let your puppy be held for too long

Keep in mind that puppies don’t have bladder control until they are about 16 weeks old. Thereafter, generally speaking, they can only hold their bladder for a number of months equal to their age plus one. Therefore, a four-month-old puppy can only last five hours. Expecting your puppy to wait too long to go potty can lead to accidents.

You need to take your puppy to the correct toilet area at least as often as he needs to go. Otherwise, they will be forced into a house, crate, or safe area. If you can't take your puppy out at home, you can give them an indoor dog potty using a potty pad, but this may delay the entire housetraining process by giving them two options instead of just one. A better solution is to hire a pet sitter or ask a friend or neighbor to let your puppy out as often as needed while you are away.

Don't ignore these signs

If your puppy can't hold on for long periods of time, you'll need to provide adequate outdoor trips. But how do you know when your puppy has to go? Watch for behaviors such as sniffing, circling, or hunching. As soon as you see the sign of pre-poo, take your puppy outside as soon as possible. Then reward your puppy vigorously for doing things in the right place. The more often your puppy is rewarded for going outside, the sooner he will learn that it was worth the wait to get there.

It's also important to know when your puppy is most likely to need to go potty. Puppies need to go at predictable times, such as after eating or drinking, when they wake up, and after playing or exercising. If you can anticipate their needs instead of waiting for signals, you'll be less likely to miss an opportunity to get them out. It's also helpful to get into the habit of pottying your puppy so you can anticipate these times coming.

Don't take your eyes off your puppy

Puppies need to learn where not to go as much as where to go, so you must also prevent your puppy from going to the wrong places. They may know the yard is appropriate, but if they don't know the living room isn't, you're not going to make any progress. Remember, every time your puppy has an accident, they will be rewarded with emptying their bladder.

Therefore, it is crucial that you supervise your puppy whenever he or she is not in the crate or safe area. Putting your puppy in the same room is not enough. You need to pay attention to your puppy's every move. Otherwise it’s easy to miss the warning signs that your puppy needs to go outside.

Don’t give your puppy too much freedom too early

Supervision is also important because you allow your puppy more freedom at home. Dogs don't generalize well. They may understand that the kitchen is not a bathroom, but that doesn't automatically translate to the rest of the house. You need to teach your puppy how to behave one room at a time.

Start by allowing your puppy to learn potty behavior in just one or two rooms. Access to other parts of the house is prohibited. Then, once your puppy stops having accidents in the first room, you can start letting them into more places. When your puppy starts telling you that they want to go outside, it's a good sign that your puppy is ready for more freedom. They may bark or run to the door. You can even teach them to ring a bell hanging on the doorknob to let you know they need to use the bathroom.

Don’t take your puppy’s health for granted

If you're sure you've completed all aspects of potty training and you've only given your puppy as much freedom as they're ready for, but your puppy is still having accidents, it's time to see your veterinarian. Urinary tract infections can easily lead to accidents in the home because your puppy can't stand it before going outside. Clear the infection and your puppy will not only feel better, but will have fewer accidents. You may need to do some remedial potty training to remind your puppy of the rules, but clean floors should follow.