How long can a small dog hold its bladder and do they need to pee more often when compared to bigger dogs?
Small dogs can not hold their bladders as long as larger dogs can. There are many factors that contribute to how long a dog can hold its bladder-like age, training, health status, weather conditions, and lifestyle.
How Long Can A Small Dog Hold Its Bladder
The amount of time that a small dog can hold its bladder is directly related to its age.
Puppies and younger dogs can not hold their bladders as long as adult dogs can due to the smaller size of their bladders as well as physical and mental maturity.
A newborn puppy may only be able to hold its bladder for an hour whereas an adult dog can hold it for up to six to eight hours.
Do Small Dogs Pee More Often
Small dogs have much smaller bladders compared to larger dogs making them need to pee more often.
Can Small Dogs Hold Their Bladder Overnight
Small dogs are able to start holding their pee at night once they are fourteen to sixteen weeks of age.
At that time your young puppy should be able to hold its pee at night and no longer soil in its bed or crate.
Always make sure to bring your dog outside to pee right before you go to bed and immediately in the morning when you wake up.
How Long Can An Adult Dog Hold Its Bladder
An adult dog can hold its bladder for up to eight hours at a time.
How Long Can A Puppy Hold Its Bladder
Very young puppies can only hold their bladders for a short period of time and will need to be brought outside to pee often.
The younger your puppy is the smaller its bladder is and the less time it can physically hold its urine.
How Long Can Dogs Hold Their Pee By Age
The amount of time that a dog can hold its bladder is directly related to its age up until around eight months of age when they are able to hold their pee for up to eight hours.
| AGE | MAXIMUM BLADDER CAPACITY |
| 1 Month | 1 hour |
| 2 Months | 2 hours |
| 3 Months | 3 hours |
| 4 Months | 4 hours |
| 5 Months | 5 hours |
| 6 Months | 6 hours |
| 7 Months | 7 hours |
| 8 Months | 8 hours |
How Long Can A Three Month Old Puppy Hold Its Bladder
The maximum amount of time that a three-month-old puppy can hold its bladder is three hours.
Even though a three-month-old puppy can technically hold their urine for three hours the majority are not trained to do so.
At this age don’t expect your three-month-old puppy to be fully trained and holing its bladder consistently in three-hour chunks of time.
You can expect a three-month-old puppy to stop urinating in its bed or crate at night.
Most puppies will know not to pee in their sleeping area, obviously, every puppy is different and we need to be patient at this age.
How Long Can A Six Month Old Puppy Hold Its Bladder
A six-month-old puppy can hold its bladder for up to six hours at a time.
By six months of age, your puppy should be pretty much potty trained and able to hold its urine for six hours at a time, especially at night.
A six-month-old puppy is still a young dog, expect the occasional accident and be patient.
Contributing Factors To A Dogs Bladder Capacity
Although determining the amount of time that a dog can hold its bladder by its age is pretty cut and dry, there are other factors that can contribute to each individual dog’s bladder capacity and length of time that they can hold their pee.
- Developmental Delays
- Health Issues
- Seasonal Changes
- Anxiety
- Training
- Age
Developmental Delays Preventing Your Dog From Holding Its Pee
A young dog’s sphincter muscles are very hard to control especially within the first few weeks of life.
Over time those muscles become stronger and your dog is able to control the flow of urine and hold it longer.
Some dogs take longer to strengthen these muscles or have developmental delays that prevent your dog from physically holding their urine as long as others can at the same age.
Health Issues Can Prevent Your Dog From Holding Its Urine
There are many different health issues that can contribute to your dog not being able to hold its urine as long as it should be able to.
Some of these health issues are.
- Diabetes
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Bladder Stones
- Kidney Infection
- Medications
- Spinal Injuries
- Hormonal Imbalance
- Prostate Disorders
- Cushing’s Disease
Seasonal Changes Can Affect How Long Your Dog Can Hold Its Bladder
Depending on where you live and what your lifestyle is, seasonal changes can affect how much water your dog consumes, their access to the outdoors for bathroom breaks, and the number of times your dog needs to urinate.
When the weather is hot your dog will naturally consume more water and need to urinate more often.
If the weather is nice you may naturally be outside more often allowing your dog to play and have access to the great outdoors for frequent urination.
As the weather cools or gets too hot that you need to stay indoors more, your dog may consume less water and go outside to urinate less often.
Anxiety May Make You Dog Pee More Often
You have probably come across a situation where your dog becomes so nervous it may even urinate when unexpected.
This sort of behavior is often more common in very young dogs but, anxiety can affect a dog at any age.
Try not to get frustrated with a dog that urinates when it is nervous or anxious, the best thing we can do is try to figure out what is causing those feelings in your dog and what you can do to help him or her.
Your Dogs Training Affects How Long It Can Hold Its Pee
Puppies need a lot of training within the first couple of years of life with potty training being one of the most challenging times.
Make sure that your dog receives the training it needs to learn how to hold its bladder.
Be aware of those times when your dogs should go out to pee.
- After Eating
- After Drinking
- When You Wake Up
- Before Bed
- When You Get Home
- Every Hour For Its Month Of Age
Age Affects How Long Your Dog Can Hold Its Pee
The younger a dog is the shorter the amount of time that your dog can hold its pee.
The same goes on the opposite end of the spectrum, as a dog ages it may no longer be able to hold its urine for as long as it used to.
Being aware of your dog’s health and physical condition can help you adapt and accommodated your young or old dog with more frequent bathroom breaks and patience.
Can A Dog Hold Its Pee For 12 Hours
Some dogs can hold their pee for up to twelve hours but, the majority can not and shouldn’t be expected to.
Every dog will be different with eight to ten hours being the longest you should expect a dog to hold its urine.
What Happens If A Dog Holds Its Pee For Too Long
Striving for your dog to hold its urine throughout the night is as long as you should expect with a maximum of eight hours at a time.
Holding urine for too long can end up having negative health effects.
Some health issues that can develop when your dog holds its pee for too long include.
- Urinary Tract Infects
- Bladder Stones
- Kidney Stones
- Higher Risk For Cancer
Can Small Dogs Hold Their Bladder As Long A Big Dogs
Small dogs have much smaller bladders making it not possible for them to hold their pee as long as a big dog can.
Big dogs naturally have bigger bladders making it easier for them to hold their urine longer.
A small dog can only hold its pee for up to eight to ten hours whereas a large dog may be able to hold it for up to twelve hours.
How Many Times Do Little Dogs Pee
The younger the dog is the more often it will need to go pee.
A newborn puppy may urinate up to twenty-four times a day whereas an adult dog may only urinate eight to ten times a day.
Final Thoughts
Small dogs, especially young small dogs can not hold their bladder for very long periods of time.
Within the first eight months of life, a new puppy can only hold its pee for one hour for every month of age up until around eight months.
At eight months of age, your small dog will be at its max time frame of being able to hold its pee for up to eight hours.
