How long can a fully grown dog hold its pee (have heard so many different answers to this)?

Question

I'm getting confused because looking over the questions and answers to similar questions, it seems there are lots of people who say a fully grown dog can hold its pee up to 12-14 hours if necessary and others who say it's nothing short of animal cruelty to not let dogs out to pee at least every 5 hours. Is there just no consensus at all on this point?

FYI - my dog is a little over a year old and about 30 lbs and normally gets taken out 4 times a day. But there have been a few times when it's rained hard for several hours straight where he's held it for about 12 hours because he refuses to go outside if it's more than light sprinkles outside and he's well trained enough to not pee inside - I've felt bad when that happens but he just won't go out when it's raining and if I drag him out in the rain he refuses to pee!

Answer 1

Can YOU hold pee for 12 hours straight ? The answer is... every 4 hours is best, 4-6 is okay.. 8 is not too bad OCCASIONALLY.. Anything more than that is cruel.

Answer 2

I don't think you need to worry about this at all. It sounds as if you are there to let the dog out frequently enough and if the reason your dog is not going for a long time is because it is choosing not to go outside, then that is not cruelty.



You're ready, willing and able to let your dog go, and if he chooses not to, then okay. He's not suffering, if he was, he'd pee. Have you ever had to really hold it? You know it gets to a point where it's impossible and the same is true for dogs.



Of course it is optimal to never ask a dog to go longer than 8 hours, 5 or 6 hours being best of all, but all sorts of dogs adjust to people's work schedules and do just fine. Different dogs have different bladder strength and it seems to have nothing to do with size or breed. That is why there is little consensus on the subject.



Most importantly is: if you've asked your dog to wait for a long time while you are out and they have an accident - you just can't get mad at them. You just can't hold it if you can't hold it and a properly housebroken dog will not go just for the hell of it if they can help it.

Answer 3

A lot of wrong information on this thread.

Basically the bigger the dog, the longer it can hold it. -much longer than a human can. It's not a good idea to compare a canine to human in many cases, this is just one.

I have a Great Dane that can easily hold it for 12+ hours. And no, this is not animal cruelty...I sometimes work 12 hour shifts and she will just sleep on my sofa until I get home. When I come home, she is usually so excited to see me that peeing is the last thing on her mind.

Now, I wouldn't go that long with anything smaller than a german shepherd, but any mastiff-type breed can hold it much longer than a human. I would say 12 hours max, (and i wouldn't want to be away from her for longer than that anyway b/c she is sooooo sweet and i'd miss her.)

I hope this clears things up a bit

Answer 4

Just like humans, it varies from dog to dog and situation to situation. There are some humans who need to go more often, and there are more dogs who need to go more often. It depends on that particular animal's make-up and health. Even with individual dogs, there will be times when the dog can hold it longer and times when he/she cannot hold it as long. As for excessively long periods of time, I would look at it this way-do I want to be forced to go for 12-14 hours without using the bathroom? Would it make me uncomfortable? Would it be an unreasonable demand on me? More than likely, I would not be able to wait that long, and I would consider it unreasonable. As a result, I would not do it to a dog, either. My personal rule is that if I am gone from home more than 8 hours, I ask someone to come let the dogs out. And if I am gone more than 4-6 hours, I do not hold it against them if they use the bathroom in the house. That's my fault, not theirs.

Answer 5

Yes, they can hold it that long.... we recently adopted a 4 yo shih tzu and she's very good at holding it for what I think is a long time for such a small dog. Ours often goes out to potty about 10:00 p.m. and I take her out around 6:00. Sometimes she'll go and sometimes she won't (till about 7:00). One weekend she went at 10:00 p.m. and didn't go till 11:30 a.m. the next day. I know she didn't have an accident because I was there with her and I took her out frequently thinking she had to go but didn't. I think it really depends on how much water they consume during the day too.

Answer 6

It depends on the dog. A Labrador can hold it longer then a toy breed like a Miniature Pinscher. Also female dogs can typically hold it longer then males. Of course age has a lot to do with it too. Puppies can't hold it but a couple hours. I have a female Dachshund who hates to go outside. She will easily hold it 12 hours...by choice! Making a dog hold it for 14+ hours on a regular basis would probably be cruel, but every once in awhile, or if it's by the dogs choice, then it's probably fine.

Answer 7

I have a Shih Itzu. She can hold it for 12hrs but I put pee pads down at

Night and every once in awhile she will go in the middle of the night.

I take her out three to four times a day but when it is pouring rain

I use the pee pads. But generally if there is a break in the rain then

I will take her out then also. Depends on the dog.

Answer 8

There are times when as you have seen a dog will hold their pee for a long time. as long as your dog is given th chance to go out then they are fine. it is up to the dog to pee or not to pee. I try to make it a rule not to let my dogs go longer than 5 hours because I don't like to wait that long either but sometimes it is unavoidable and they have had to wait as long as twelve. that is the exception rather than the rule as someone is almost always home

Answer 9

Here's how my vet put it to me:

"Can he/she hold it all night when you sleep? Then he/she can hold it while you're at work, too."



So yes, longer than 5 hours. My dog only goes out a 3 times a day. When I wake up, in the later afternoon/early evening (around 5 or 6 pm), and right before bed.

Morning and bedtime are the ones I dictate. Other than that, I take her out when she goes to the door, which is usually only once, occasionally twice, during the day.

.

Answer 10

It depends on the dog, but per both my vet and my obedience instructor an adult dog should never be made to hold it for more than 8 hours, as it is uncomfortable and can even cause urinary tract infections. I would say 8 hours is usually the popular consensus on this subject.

Answer 11

I know how you feel! But if he don't want to go you can't make him. My dog is the same way when it comes to rain. He refuses to go and will hold it, it isn't like your making him wait so I wouldn't think your being cruel. My dog will not even go after it rains if the grass is wet!. But when he can no longer hold it any longer he will go to the door and go. My dog is 3yrs old and has held it (only because of rain not because of me) for @ least 13hrs.

Answer 12

This would actually depend on the size of the dog. Remember, small dog, small bladder. So, smaller dog would not be able to "hold it" as long as a larger dog, unless there were a health issue involved.

Answer 13

A fully grown dog can surely hold it longer than 5 hours.



My dogs hold it for 8-11 hours a day.



You know, I DO need to work in order to feed them... and myself!

Answer 14

I don't know but our Golden Retriever can hokd it for what seems like FOREVER. He will lay down when we try to make him go out. He just is too lazy to even take the time to do it or something.

My moms dogs want to go out every 15 minutes it seems like.

Answer 15

How long can you hold your pee? Can you hold your pee for 12-14hrs?