Determining how often you should take your dog outside to relieve itself is an important part of being a responsible pet owner. The number of times a day a dog needs to go outside depends on several factors, including the dog’s age, size, activity level, and health. In general, most experts recommend taking adult dogs outside to potty at least 3-5 times per day.
How Often Should Puppies Go Out?
Puppies have small bladders and less control over their bathroom habits. They usually need to go out much more frequently than adult dogs. Here are some general guidelines for puppy potty breaks:
- 8-12 weeks old: Go out every 1-2 hours during the day, plus after naps and playtime.
- 3-6 months old: Go out every 2-3 hours during the day, after naps and play.
- 6-12 months old: Go out every 4-6 hours during the day. Still need after naps and play.
You’ll want to take your puppy out immediately first thing in the morning, right before bedtime, and anytime they exhibit signs they need to go, like circling, sniffing, whining, or barking. Make sure to praise and reward with treats when they potty outside to reinforce the behavior.
How Often Should Adult Dogs Go Out?
Most adult dogs over 1 year old can hold their bladders for longer periods of time. But you still need to allow adequate potty breaks. Here are some general guidelines for adult dog bathroom breaks:
- Small dogs under 10 lbs: Go out every 4-6 hours during the day.
- Medium dogs 10 – 50 lbs: Go out every 6-8 hours during the day.
- Large dogs over 50 lbs: Go out every 8-10 hours during the day.
In addition to scheduled outdoor time, take your adult dog out first thing in the morning when they wake up, before you leave for work, after they eat or drink excessively, after playtime or naps, and right before bedtime.
Factors That Influence Potty Frequency
In addition to age and size, there are other factors that impact how often your dog needs potty breaks:
- Health: Dogs with UTIs, bladder stones, diabetes, or incontinence need more frequent trips outside.
- Diet: Dogs eating wet food drink more and need to urinate more often.
- Activity Level: Active dogs and those who exercise heavily need to relieve themselves more often.
- Daily Routine: Dogs with highly regular daily routines may get into a predictable bathroom schedule.
- Environment: Extreme heat or cold can force dogs to need to urinate more frequently.
You may need to adjust the regular potty schedule if any of these lifestyle factors are present. For example, an elderly dog with medical issues would need to go out more often than a healthy younger dog.
Signs Your Dog Needs to Go Out
In addition to adhering to a potty schedule, pay attention to these signs from your dog that indicate they need to go outside:
- Pacing back and forth.
- Sniffing around intently.
- Barking or whining.
- Circling near the door.
- Standing near the door.
- Scratching at the door.
- Sudden change in activity or play.
- Going into the sniffing/pooping stance.
When you observe these behaviors, promptly take your dog outside to their designated potty spot. Praise and reward them when they finish relieving themselves to reinforce the behavior.
Housetraining Considerations
If you have a new puppy or adult dog that is not yet housetrained, you will need to take them out even more frequently. Some tips for housetraining success include:
- Take them out first thing in the morning, after waking from naps, after playtime, after meals, before bedtime, and every 30 minutes to an hour in between.
- Keep the dog on a leash with you in the house so you can watch for potty signals and immediately take them outside.
- Choose a bathroom spot near the door and always take them there to establish a habit.
- Be consistent with command words like “go potty” to associate the action with the location.
- Patiently wait with them outside until they go, then reward generously with treats and praise.
Accidents in the house should be cleaned thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner to eliminate odors. Limit the dog’s area if they have frequent accidents and continue supervision until consistently housetrained.
Typical Dog Potty Break Schedule
Based on typical guidelines, here is an example of what a daily potty break schedule may look like for dogs of different ages:
8 Week Old Puppy
- 6:00 am – Take puppy outside immediately after waking up
- 7:00 am – Take puppy outside after breakfast
- 8:30 am – Take puppy outside after playtime
- 10:00 am – Take puppy outside again
- 12:00 pm – Take puppy outside after eating lunch
- 2:00 pm – Take puppy outside after nap
- 4:00 pm – Take puppy outside again
- 5:30 pm – Take puppy outside after dinner
- 8:00 pm – Take puppy outside before bedtime
- 11:00 pm – Take puppy outside one last time for the night
5 Month Old Puppy
- 7:00 am – Take puppy outside first thing in morning
- 9:00 am – Take puppy outside after breakfast and playtime
- 12:00 pm – Take puppy outside after lunch
- 3:00 pm – Take puppy outside after nap and playtime
- 6:00 pm – Take puppy outside after dinner
- 9:00 pm – Take puppy outside before bedtime
1 Year Old Adult Dog
- 6:00 am – Take dog outside after waking up
- 8:00 am – Take dog outside before leaving for work
- 12:00 pm – Take dog outside during lunch break
- 5:00 pm – Take dog outside after arriving home from work
- 7:00 pm – Take dog outside after dinner
- 10:00 pm – Take dog outside before bedtime
These sample schedules show the increased frequency of potty breaks needed for younger dogs compared to adult dogs. Adjust as needed for your individual dog’s needs and routine.
Using a Designated Potty Spot
It’s helpful to identify a specific outdoor potty spot you want your dog to use each time. Pick an area near the door that is easy to access. Always take your dog to this same spot using a leash or command. A regular potty area triggers the habit to relieve themselves when they arrive there.
The designated potty area should be in a quiet, minimally distracting location. Good spots include:
- Near a tree or bush
- Corner of the yard
- Next to a wall or fence
- Grassy patch
- Gravel or mulch area
Avoid high traffic spots or places with loud noises that could startle your dog while relieving themselves. Never force them to go potty on concrete or an uncomfortable surface.
Tips for the Potty Spot
- Choose a permanent location and stick with it
- Keep the area clean and waste picked up
- Make it an easy to access spot
- Use a command like “go potty” when arriving
- Reward pottying promptly with treats
With consistency, your dog will learn that this specific outdoor area is the right place to go. This can help speed up the potty process.
Common Dog Bathroom Habits
Understanding your dog’s natural bathroom habits can help you identify when they likely need to go:
- Puppies: Usually go immediately after eating, drinking, napping, playing.
- Adult dogs: Most likely to go shortly after waking up and before bedtime.
- Both: Usually go within 15-30 minutes of eating or drinking large amounts.
- Both: Typically sniff around and circle when looking for a spot to relieve themselves.
- Both: Usually go 1-3 times on a walk, especially first thing in the morning.
You’ll start to notice your individual dog’s potty patterns and quirks over time. Stay observant of signals they need to go out based on their unique habits.
How Long Can Dogs Hold Their Bladder?
Dogs need regular opportunities to relieve themselves outdoors. However, they are sometimes able to temporarily hold urine for extended periods when necessary, as long as they are healthy. Here’s how long dogs can generally hold their bladder based on age:
Age | Maximum Bladder Hold Time |
---|---|
8 weeks | 1 hour |
3 months | 3 hours |
6 months | 4-6 hours |
1 year | 6-8 hours |
Adult | 8-10 hours |
Senior | 6-8 hours |
Puppies under 6 months and senior dogs over 7 years old have less bladder control and stamina. Adult dogs can hold it overnight while you sleep (typically 8 hours). But this should not regularly substitute for adequate daily outdoor breaks.
Potty Training Problems
If your dog is having frequent potty training mistakes in the house, some common causes may include:
- Medical issues like UTIs or diabetes
- Stress, anxiety, fear
- Change in routine or environment
- Poor previous potty training
- Too much freedom before fully housetrained
- Irregular schedule of taking the dog out
To resolve potty training problems, start with a vet visit to rule out medical conditions. Then, strengthen your training approach by following a consistent schedule, supervising closely, rewarding successes often, and minimizing accidents through management.
Tips for Better Potty Training
Follow these tips for improved bathroom habits:
- Stick to a regular potty break schedule
- Give treats and praise for outdoor potties
- Use a leash for better supervision
- Limit access to rooms until reliably trained
- Use crate training when you can’t monitor
- Clean all accidents with an enzymatic cleaner
- Don’t punish pottying mistakes
- Be patient and consistent!
Signs Your Dog Needs to Urinate More Frequently
Most healthy adult dogs with adequate bladder capacity only need to urinate 3-5 times over a 24 hour period. If your dog seems to need to pee excessively, it could point to a medical issue requiring veterinary attention. Look for these signs of abnormal urination frequency:
- Urinating more than 8-10 times daily
- Straining or taking a long time to pee
- Whimpering, groaning, or excessive licking while peeing
- Small, frequent amounts of urine
- Wetting bedding or house soiling
- Strong urine odor
- Red, orange, or brown tinged urine
Dogs experiencing these issues may have a bladder infection or UTI, bladder stones, kidney disease, diabetes, or cognitive decline. Schedule a vet exam if you notice symptoms of excessive peeing.
Causes of Frequent Urination in Dogs
Common causes of increased pee frequency in dogs:
- Urinary tract infection
- Bladder inflammation
- Bladder stones
- Kidney disease
- Kidney stones
- Polyps or tumors
- Prostate disease (males)
- Diabetes
- Excessive water drinking
- Medications or supplements
Any ongoing struggle with frequent urination should be evaluated by your veterinarian. Prompt treatment is needed to resolve the underlying condition and prevent complications.
Conclusion
Paying attention to your dog’s potty habits and signals allows you to be proactive about bathroom breaks. Most adult dogs will need to go out 3-5 times over the course of a day. Puppies, senior dogs, and those with medical issues may need to go more often. Establish a consistent schedule for taking your dog outside based on their age, health, and behaviors. This helps set a routine and minimizes indoor accidents. Be observant of signs they need to go out and respond promptly to potty needs. With time and positive training, your dog can learn to reliably relieve themselves outdoors.