# How Often Does OLDER Dog Need to Go Potty?



## dlada (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks so much for some great puppy housetraining advice and ideas. Since this is all new to me I am also wondering what to expect once my puppy grows up! How often does a dog need to be taken outside to go potty? I have not yet payed for my puppy in full (I am 99.9% sure I want to do this!) I am really stressing about this potty thing! I fully understand the work, time and commitment with a puppy and their schedule...every 2-3 hours and during the night as well. BUT once they are fully housetrained and no longer a baby do we get some freedom back? Can I go to the pool all day with my kids and not have to rush home within a few hours to let him out? Do they sleep through the night (a good 7 hours or so)? Any adult dog schedules/ideas would be very helpful to me! I hate to miss out on this guy (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) and the joy of a dog in general just because I am afraid I will never be able to leave my house again for more than a few hours! Thank you so much in advance!


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

Much depends on the dog as well as such factors as are you free feeding (food down all the time) or free watering (drinking water left down 24/7. It would also depend on the dog's health. For example if the dog should develop diabetes he'd probably drink more and thus potty more often. A small breed such as a Cav is probably going to need to go out more often than a larger breed just due to the size of the bladder.

Once your dog understands that he is to do his business outside and IF he has access to the outside when you're gone, and IF he's been trained to use that access he'll go out to do his business. You just have to take the time to train and make sure the area he has access to is safe for him.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

I agree he'd have to go out about every 2 to 4 hours once he is older, 9 months or older. My dog is a tad smaller than a cav and if I wait more than 3 or 4 hours he will have an accident.


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## GermanShepherdMama (Dec 9, 2007)

The general rule is that a dog can go 1 hour per month of age between potty breaks (up to 8 or 9 months old), so a 4 month old dog should be able to go 4 hours... 6 months should go 6 hours. The limit for many small dogs is 6 hours or so, some can go 8. Larger dogs are a bit different. My nearly 2 year old German Shepherd and/or my mom's Great Dane can go 12 hours if necessary (obviously we try to NEVER let this happen, but my dog has gone 14 hours during a bad rain/wind storm when he refused to go out). 8 hours is probably about max for most dogs, though you will hear quite a bit of variation with that. 

I would not worry too much, I don't see a problem with a day at the beach, pool, museum, etc. with your family once your pup is older. Until then you can look into a neighbor or petsitter who can stop by and let him out once or twice during a day trip. 

Oh, and sleeping though the night? My dog would rather hold it than leave the nice warm bed in the morning if I get the luxury of sleeping in. I take him out right before I fall alseep but on the rare (RARE!) occasion that I get 9 or 10 hours of consecutive sleep he is right there snoring on the bed with me. LOL!


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

Mine goes 7 hrs during the day on a regular basis, and up to 9 hours overnight without any stress whatsoever. We try not to make her go longer than 7 hours unless it's overnight, though she's gone 12 hours before when we were unexpectedly held up and she was fine.

She's a medium sized dog though, at 45 lbs, so your dog may have a harder time holding that long. You don't want to push them to their limit if you can possibly help it (emergency situations are exceptions of course).


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## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

My dogs go for 6 or 7 hours during the day and 8 or 9 at night with no problems whatsoever. If I'm home all day, then I take them out when they "ask" to go out. I don't have a set schedule that I take them out on anymore. They are 100% house trained and always tell me when they need to go.


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## Max'sHuman (Oct 6, 2007)

I have a small, 18 lb. terrier mix, and he can go 8-9 hours without an accident. Of course, I try not to do that to him too often during the daytime. But that's more an issue of lonliness than potty problems. I find when he is by himself for too long he gets bored and then makes up his own fun. He also easily makes it through the night. Anwyay, here's his typical schedule:

9:30 AM- 30 minute walk- pee and BM.
5:30 PM- 30 minute walk- pee and BM.
9:00 PM- Quick pee.
10:30 PM- One last quick pee.

We've had very few accidents. The only I can think of are usually a result of a change in his food schedule or if he's gotten into something he's not supposed to. Also, if I try to short-change his morning walk. But if you're going to do it like this you need to have your dog on a feeding schedule. It also helps to keep the walk times fairly consistent.


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

I have three ~10-pound dogs. At about one year of age most of the accidents in the house stop, unless they are ill. And around the same age all of our dogs have been able to go 8 hours during the day and 10-12 hours at night (ok, we can be real snoozers on the weekends!) in their crates. 

I try not to push the limits but it happens sometimes. Also, I think if you are going to push the limits it helps to keep the crate(s) near the door so they can go right outside, quick!

Please be sure that your cav breeder is doing all the necessary health checks on their dogs and that you are aware of the health pitfalls of the breed. We just had a dear friend lose her second cav from heart diease.


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