3 month old puppy can hold it for 7 hours, is it normal?

[cornetto75]

We brought our pup home yesterday if this changes anything, and he was very well behaved. He peed and pooped around 7 hours ago. He's in a pen rn and Im keeping an eye on him so he has the freedom to go if he wants, but he doesnt. He had play sessions, breakfast, water and naps. Should I be concerned?

 

[lisa445]

@cornetto75 he may just be nervous and adjusting!! it’s a lot of new sights and smells for him. I’d wait like 48 hours and see if it improves. do y’all have a vet visit scheduled? you can always ask them at his initial appointment!!

 

[haston]

@lisa445 Pigging backing on this comment. Please get a thorough vet check as soon as possible on your puppy. Just a check up to make sure he is healthy and then you can schedule vaxines and other things he will need as he grows.

Edit: if he is anything like mine, he won't go outside right away, I have to present the yard to him so he can find a spot.

 

[cornetto75]

@lisa445 Yes! We do have an appointment in a couple of days. He did pee thankfully

 

[lisa445]

@cornetto75 some pups can just hold it longer than others! but echoing what everyone else said, make sure you’re taking him out even if he isn’t indicating he has to go. I monitor my girls water intake and still try to take her out about every 30 minutes (when she’s awake), and we’ve had minimal accidents so far!! but if it’s still worrying you just bring it up with the vet best of luck raising your boy!

 

[brascott]

@cornetto75 I'm not sure you're aware of when foster kids go to a new home. Everything is perfect. The foster kids typically have "zero" issues. Foster parents are over the moon that they secured a "good one" - Then after 4 weeks, you catch your well behaved foster child setting the house on fire. Incident after incident starts happening and you can't help but wonder what happened to your foster child. Nothing, it's just the foster kid can now work on their own problems because their basic needs of feeling safe is being met.

The kid before them is just working through the emotional turmoil of what is going through the foster system and it takes incredible patience and due diligence to let them know how much you are there for them.

That's how it typically is for a puppy. You don't actually see your real puppy for a few months. They're scared, not sure what to do, where to go, and all this. Please take them out every few hours. They are holding in their pee in because they don't feel welcomed or in a safe spot. It's not a contest or an instance of just a smart puppy. She's just incredibly freighted and needs reassurance of where to go. You mean well but try to see the POV from her end.

 

[cornetto75]

@brascott I know he's not showing his personality yet but I doubt he's scared. I do let him out often but today he wasnt intrested in going at all. I was thinking maybe the outside with more noise etc was scary, thats why I was also waiting for a cue when he is in his pen. Thankfully he did pee tho. If you have any advice though Id love to hear it!

 

[marchmum]

@cornetto75 The goal is to make walks so regularly scheduled that they don't have to signal -- they just have to hold it for a known amount of time.

Young puppies can barely read their body's own cues, let alone communicate them to their owners. That's why establishing a predictable routine for going out has to fall on the owner, not the puppy.

I may be misreading this, but

I do let him out often

Makes it sound like you aren't accompanying him into the yard? That might be why he's so afraid, if so. You could practice putting him on the leash and walking him on a patrol around the perimeter, just to establish the routine and show him it's his territory and a safe place.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@cornetto75 My corgi was sleeping throught the night at 8 weeks old, 10-11 hours. I took away his water 2 hours before bed. I was concerned about him holding it that long too, but he wasn't fussing so I assumed he was fine. During the day he went out to pee often.

 

[mdrei]

@cornetto75 Normal for our puppy, we got her with 8 weeks till 12 we were waking up around 2 a.m. to let her pee but after that we realized she didn't need it and we stopped.

She is 5 months old now, I normally let her pee around midnight and let her out of the crate around 8am and most of the times she take her 5-10 min to get out and go pee. She is not in rush

 

[alexd23]

@cornetto75 Are you waiting for him to tell you he needs to go or waiting for him to have an accident? Im confused. Take him out every few hours to get him used to a schedule.

 

[cornetto75]

@alexd23 Edit to rephrase: I do let him outside often but none of the trips have been successful. Im waiting to see if he tries to go in his pen in case he feels unsafe outside but thats wasnt happening either.

 

[alexd23]

@cornetto75 Id still take him out every few hours even if he doesnt go just to get him used to his potty area. What breed is he btw.

 

[brethrenboy]

@cornetto75 Some puppies can hold it for that long, but probably worth mentioning when you have your 12 week vaccine/check up appointment

 

[scottskitten]

@cornetto75 What breed?

 

[lovehispresence]

@cornetto75 My beagle mixes have had steel bladders almost from birth. My current puppy was sleeping though the night in my bed at 11 weeks, zero accidents. There’s just so much individual variation in bladder size and muscle control.

 

[briben1976]

@cornetto75 Our puppy (now 3 y.o. dog!) has always been a camel when it comes to toileting.

When we first got him, we were hauling him out every hour and once or twice during the night to pee and it was a huge battle of wills to get him to go.

Turns out he genuinely just didn’t need to go, and actually forcing him out of bed when he just wanted to sleep was creating negative associations for him with being disturbed during his sleep (he’s now definitely a “let sleeping dogs lie” dog!).

If he’s not hassling to go out, but is still toileting regularly on his own schedule, I think it’s fine. Obviously if he’s going a day without toileting, that’s a concern, and regardless it might be one to bring up with your vet, just for a sense check, but I wouldn’t worry. Your pup might just be like mine, and prefer to hold his pee than go outside!

 

[mariancothersby]

@cornetto75 I got my puppy at 12 weeks and he peed a lot during the day but at night he was so good at holding it. He did have some crate training before we got him but he would go all night without needing to be let out.

We eventually stopped crating him at night because it wasn’t working for him and let him roam in the living room, safely of course, but even then when he had free access to the pee pads he would wait until the morning to go. I think some pups are just better at holding it.

 

[begresten]

@cornetto75 My cockapoo can sleep through the night for 8-9 hours in his crate at 4.5 months.

I had the same concerns, but I mentioned it to the vet and they said I shouldn’t worry about it. Some dogs just master their bladder at night earlier.