How Long Can A Dog Hold Its Bladder During The Day

Dogs are just like humans and they have their needs. Including the need to relieve themselves. And just like us, they need to do it a few times a day. The difference between canines and their human counterparts is that they can’t just choose when to go. They have to wait for the pet parent to take them outside. If it is not done in a timely matter, it can lead to all sorts of health problems.

A lot of them are irreversible, therefore it is best to exercise preventative measures to make sure it doesn’t happen. So, how long can a dog hold its bladder during the day? Let’s take a look at a pup’s potty needs in various life stages.

Related Reading: Why Do Dogs Urinate On The Road?

How Long Can A Dog Hold Its Bladder During The Day? Each Life Stage Needs

Puppy

A puppy’s bladder is taking time to develop, just like any other organ in its body. Hence, it is imperative to take it potty often, preferably every few hours. One month of the puppy’s age equals one hour of wait-time to empty their bladder. So, if your pooch is four months old, for example, they can wait up to four hours to go potty, no more than that. And how long can a dog hold its bladder overnight? Pups can wait for up to eight hours from the time they go to bed till the time they wake up in the morning to go do number one. 

If a pet owner cannot take his/her hound out this often, it would be a good idea to have a designated enclosed space in the house where it is safe for the pup to roam around while waiting for you. And it works the other way around the house can benefit from not getting destroyed just because a puppy is extremely bored being alone all day. Consider buying baby gates and installing them in an area that has an easy-to-clean surface (like tiles, for instance). 

Adult Dog

Are you wondering how long can an adult dog hold its urine? Well, a one-year-old pooch can wait for up to 6 hours to go to the bathroom. Still, it is better not to experiment with your mutt’s bladder capabilities to avoid problems with the urinary tract. If you are absent for hours on end and there’s nobody home to take care of a precious little fella, it might be a good idea to see if any of your family/friends can drop by to check on the lonely pooch. Or, as an alternative, a dog sitter can come by and take care of a furry creature.

Senior Dog

Have you heard the expression “oldies are just like kids?” It is not too far from the truth. Senior canines, just like human retirees, are prone to various ailments, including incontinence, other words uncontrollable urination. Therefore, an “oldie” dog needs to be taken out more often: at least every two hours to eliminate a chance of an accident. 

While a healthy adult dog can easily go by with three potty walks per day, a senior canine citizen has to relieve himself at least 5-6 times a day. Consider scattering pee-pee pads on the floor for your mutt to go on should the need arise. 

Tips On How To Prevent Pee Accidents In The House 

1. Work From Home: if possible, of course. Unless your job involves doing something physical, you can always request to work from home fully or at least partially. Most jobs involving doing work on a computer can be fully remote. Your pup will be one happy camper once its mommy/daddy is home. So, it won’t feel lonely, even if it has to play by itself most of the day.

2. Come Home for Lunch: in case you can’t make your job fully remote, there’s an option to come home for lunch taken you don’t live far away. This way you can at least take your precious fella out to go potty as well as get a much-needed exercise. Are you in the job search process currently? Look into remote work and jobs that give you more control over your schedule. 

Some jobs will allow you to bring your pooch to work, that is the best-case scenario! Talk to your management to see whether or not they have such a dog-friendly practice. 

3. Hire a Dog Sitter/Walker: don’t have anybody in mind to take care of a furry companion? No problem, services like Rover.com or Wagwalking.com offer a wide range of caring dog sitters near you. You can relax knowing that a professional dog caregiver is there to hang out with a fluffy client: feeding, walking, playing with him, and just cuddling together on a couch. A pet parent can request pictures, videos, and written reports to keep him/her updated on their pup’s whereabouts during the day. 

4. Doggy Door: an owner should train his/her pooch on how to use a special doggy door. Therefore it can come and go as it pleases and not have any accidents in the house. If you don’t have one in your house, consider making one to give your pet the freedom it craves while you are away. 

5. Doggy Day Care: this is probably one of the easiest solutions for a very active, sociable pet. All pet care facilities have trained staff to supervise hounds at play and correct any unwanted behaviors. The little “house terrorist” (and believe me, I know a thing or two about those), will have a chance to fully socialize with familiar canine friends. Also, establish new friendships, and get a lot of exercise while also being mentally stimulated. 

My girl Ariel is a different dog when she comes home: she’s more relaxed, happy, tired (yes, that’s what we are aiming for here), and fully “pottied out” so to speak. She gets all her bathroom breaks throughout the day, therefore my husband and I don’t even have to worry much about taking her out. Daycare is a Godsend for all you pet parents out there! It might not be the cheapest out of all the above-described options, but it is one of the best for sure!

Curl-Up

So here we’ve just answered a question “How Long Can a Dog Hold Its Bladder During the Day?” for all the pet parents’ awareness. Now you know exactly how long can dogs hold their pee at various life stages as well as what the best tips to prevent unwanted occasional accidents are. 

Don’t leave your mutt home alone for long, especially at the puppy and senior stage. That’s when their bladders are most sensitive, as well as weak, and they don’t have full control over the bladder movements. You wouldn’t like it if you had to wait forever to pee, would you? I bet not.

Related Reading: Why Does My Dog Lick My Other Dog’s Ears?