# How long can my puppy last through the night?



## rooney (Mar 31, 2012)

Can I expect my 18-week-old dachshund/chihuahua mix puppy to be able to hold it 8-9 hours overnight? He's been reliable with 7 hours without a break, but I'm worried about making it any longer...I usually put him to sleep around 10pm and wake up at 5am, but sometimes my schedule will work out that I need to put him to bed a bit earlier than that, around 9-9:30pm--of course, with a final bathroom break right before that.

Also, sometimes he'll sleep through the night, and sometimes he'll wake up and start barking in his crate very early (12am-2am) in the morning. Should I just let him settle down (which he usually does) and go back to sleep, or if he's barking should I take him out?


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

A rule-of-thumb is that, at 18 weeks, a pup should be able to "hold it" about 4-1/2 hours. I'd expect to be up at least once each night with a pup that age.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Mine has been good for 9 hrs overnight since about 12 weeks. He just hit 4 months yesterday. All dogs are different though.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Yes, all dogs are different. And, at night many of a dog's (and human's, for that matter) bodily functions slow down. Heart rate, breathing, digestion rate, lots of things slow down, and as a result, less urine is produced. So, they can usually hold it longer at night than during the day.

That said, as Hambonez said, every dog is different. My chihuahua dachshund mix was a bit more challenging to potty train, and needed frequent middle of the night bathroom breaks til she was about 10 months old. Not every day, mind you, but a few times a week. Now, she's about 2 and a half. She usually has to go out to potty the minute she wakes up in the morning. 
On the other hand, my mini dachshund can go FOREVER! He will gladly to 10 hours, at least, and HATES to get up in the morning. He would lay around all morning in bed, if we didn't have to go to work!


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

Agreed with doxiemommy! Butters is now 10 months old, and last night was the first time EVER she held her pee all night (12am - 8am). Boy was that a relief!!!!!


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Sounds like I really lucked out with Hamilton's ability to wait the night to pee!!


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## luvmyfurballs (Mar 5, 2012)

Mine was also about 4 months when she was allowed to sleep with me and now she is 7.5 months. 99% of the time she will make it all night, but on a rare occasion she might have had to much water to late, she will get up and cry in the middle of the night to go out. I have always taken a young puppy that is crying in the crate in the middle of the night out to pee/poop, who wants to worry about a mess in the morning...usually you can tell that they have to go to the bathroom, their cries are different.


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## Papa Deuce (Mar 26, 2007)

That's the one thing that was / is great about my coonhound mix puppy.... she never really ever wanted to pee in the middle of the night even at 10 weeks. OTOH, she does seem to enjoy waking me up once a week to poop at 5 AM... and she's 10 months old now. Well, really, she wakes my wife up, who then wakes me up. :/


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## Luna'sOwner (Apr 11, 2012)

Luna is 9 weeks. We put her to bed at 10:00 and got up at 4:30 to lether out for a week, but now she holds it until 6:30AM... She seems to be a very clean dog, and only does her thing outside. All dogs differ in that way... You could try but remove any traces of urine or poo smells with a good scrub to discourage potty-ing in the home.


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

Butters slept all night in her crate with no whining whatsoever!! She was on painkillers tho so maybe it made her sleepier.. But it's a nice feeling having ur dog sleep next to u and no whining  She's also done crate training!! No fuss anymore and snuggles in nicely with Courage. Only took 8 months lol


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## BentleyAndSophie (Apr 21, 2012)

Wow, thats a lot of work for a dog... you must be really caring good for you


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## swellmomma (Apr 21, 2012)

Delilah is 14 weeks now and for the last 2.5-3 weeks she has gone from 11pm until 7 am with no accidents. She had been sleeping under my bed but now that she is growing bigger she often sleeps at the foot instead. I take her out at about 1030-1045 to a potty break and occasionally a short walk around the block. Then off to bed we go. Usually she snuggles to be pet and scratched behind the ears while I read but as soon as I turn out the light she moves to her sleep space. She wakes up when my alarm does and gives me a kiss and immediately rolls over for a belly rub. I find if I jump in the shower right away and then take her out once I am dressed again she goes very quickly once we are out. We have our morning routine which involves me taking her out at 7 am. During the week just out, weekends we go for a walk at 7am. Even when our sleeping arrangements were messed up (I had to sleep sitting up on the sofa due to bad coughing if I laid down) she still cuddled on the couch until lights out and then found a spot by her toy box to sleep at night with no accidents. She still has accidents during the day but that over night period and our morning routine she is no problem.


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