# Potty Training - How Long Can They "Hold It"?



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

OH GOSH NO! 

One hour for every MONTH they are old.... plus 1 if you want to be optimistic! And it's shorter than that after waking, playing, eating, drinking. Longer than that at night when sleeping. So during the day when awake and moving around, a 10 week old pup (2.5 months) can hold it a max of 2.5-3ish hours.

Maybe the equation you heard was to take number of MONTHS, divide by 2 and add one? So ten weeks = 2.5 months divided by 2 = 1.25 + 1 = 2.25, which is much closer to my original answer!


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## martinrt (Jun 24, 2008)

I heard something along the lines on the number of months plus 1. So a two month old could hold it 3 hours. Compared to what you heard, this would be a bit less time, but from my experience I've always found that they could hold it longer then what the calculation I heard suggested. I have an 8 week old at home and he's been holding it anywhere from 3-5 hours which works by both calculations. I'm sure it depends on the dog and the circumstances.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

I am amazed an 8 week old puppy can hold it that long! I took ours out every 30 min!


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## martinrt (Jun 24, 2008)

He goes out much more often then that, but just today he was home alone in the kennel for around 3 hours and no accidents. The 5 hour figure it during the night and after an especially tiring evening.


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## allux00 (Mar 2, 2008)

Debles said:


> I am amazed an 8 week old puppy can hold it that long! I took ours out every 30 min!


Me too! I feel tricked! :


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

I have been wanting to ask this question. Ike has since we brought him home, and still does, hold his pee forever!! We have to make him go out to pee before bed. If we don't walk with him, he'll sit outside then come back in as if he'd done something. In the morning, it's the same thing again. He drinks water throughout the day, so it isn't like he isn't taking in water. He literally holds it a very long time. I worry that he'll develop a bladder infection from hanging on to his urine too long. He was housebroken very quickly too, this is probably why.


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## Thor's Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

When he was a puppy and awake I remember taking Thor out every half hour to 45 minutes. It gradually got longer as he got older. During the night, he had 3:30 bladder. We took turns sleeping with him so one of us would be up and ready to go out when he awoke. The first night he slept until 5:30 it was fabulous!
FlyingQuizini gave you a good rule of thumbs calculation. Every pup is different, but to expect a 10 week old puppy to go for 6 hours seems unreasonable and unhealthy. Puppies need to eat and drink a fair amount during the day, and therefore, need to pee and poo.


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

Having done 2 puppies in five years I feel the important part is to just get them to understand they are supposed to hold it. Then they will hold it as long as they can. With little puppies I tokk them out every 20-30 minutes till they understood that was where they were supposed to go, then they held it as long as they could. Good luck to you!


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## AmyinAr (Feb 26, 2008)

Abbydabbydo said:


> Having done 2 puppies in five years I feel the important part is to just get them to understand they are supposed to hold it. Then they will hold it as long as they can. With little puppies I tokk them out every 20-30 minutes till they understood that was where they were supposed to go, then they held it as long as they could. Good luck to you!



Ditto that

and the 1 hour for every month (maybe plus one hour) is a good rule of thumb for when you are NOT there, meaning they are in a crate where they are disinclined to mess. If you are with them and they have the whole house, not just their area, to pee in then you really need to be taking them out every 20 - 30 min so they 'get it'


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## roehoe2000 (Jun 23, 2008)

My pup is 12 weeks old now and for at least a couple of weeks now, I take her out about 11:00pm and she sleeps all night until a little after 6:00AM with no issue.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

I got my foster dogs Rosie at 10 weeks .. she went out during the day every 20 mins at night I took her water up at 7 pm and she could go from 11 -6am with no accidents in her crate.... she is now 4 1/2 months and can go 8 hours day or night. I do work 8 hours a day but have someone let her out even tho she can go 8 hours


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## martinrt (Jun 24, 2008)

Aston, 9 weeks tomorrow, went to bed at 9:30 last night and slept all the way until 5am. I even heard him get up a couple of time in the middle of the night to drink water (he has a bowl in his crate). He also only goes every 3 or so hours during the day now. If I try to take him out more often he'll just plop down in the grass and try to sleep or chew on bushes and grass and leaves and then go back to the door to go inside. He's got some pretty good control there. As for #2, he held that from 3pm yesterday until about 8am today. I don't know how he does it, his big sister can't even do that at 10 months!


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## twogoldenboys (Mar 3, 2008)

When I brought Fargo home at 10 weeks, he slept through the night, first night, no accidents. At 13 weeks, he still sleeps through the night without an accident. Also, he doesn't get water after 9:00 pm until the next morning, I don't leave water in his crate. During the day he doesn't go more than 4 hours without someone taking him out.


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## maryern (Jan 15, 2017)

*Cant seem to hold it*

Our Rizzo "gets it" that he is supposed to go outside. But it is the frequency still! He will start to whine in his crate within 2 hours to have to go out. He very rarely ever makes it 3 hours. He will urinate in his crate if you aren't there to take him when he whines. Also, when out of crate will head to the door when he has to go, but this is every 30minutes or so. Then when he does go, he goes 2-3 times before coming back in. Getting very frustrating!


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## wellarmedglockgirl (Oct 6, 2016)

Our 11 wk old goes in crate at 10:00. I wake up through the night, he is out! I take him out if he is awake or moving, otherwise he goes out at 4:40am. Sometimes I really have to work to get him to walk out of the crate, as if he doesn't have to go.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

AmyinAr said:


> Ditto that
> 
> and the 1 hour for every month (maybe plus one hour) is a good rule of thumb for when you are NOT there, meaning they are in a crate where they are disinclined to mess. If you are with them and they have the whole house, not just their area, to pee in then you really need to be taking them out every 20 - 30 min so they 'get it'


Yes, this.

"Hold it" under what circumstances? A 10 week old puppy could probably hold it for 3 hours, if they are crated and sleeping. A 10 week old puppy would not be able to hold it more than 30-40 minutes when they are awake and active, running around playing.


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