Dogs’ health is a primary consideration when you want to bring home a puppy. As a pet owner, it is your responsibility to know all aspects of your dog’s health.
Most first-time pet owners/pet parent ask how often should their puppies go outside for a bathroom break.
There are lots of factors that can affect the bathroom breaks of your canine, such as body weight, sex, and age.
The potty breaks of a puppy are entirely different from the recommended number an older dog needs to go out. Read our article and find out the appropriate number of bathroom breaks for your dog to avoid urinary tract infections and other related illnesses.
Dogs’ urination
Perhaps it’s the cold weather that prohibits you from going outside. No one wants to stand in the cold while their dog sniffs everything and end up doing nothing. Or perhaps it’s your canine that is hesitant to go out and wanted to stay at home to be cozy. Whatever the reason is, sometimes, you don’t have the luxury of time to take your dog outside anytime you want and let them pee.
For this reason alone, you must know when your dogs need to go outside to have their potty break or taking a poop. The number of times that a dog needs to go out will vary on their breed, sex, age, and health conditions.
A healthy dog can produce up to 20 ml of urine per day. Preferably, adult dogs should go up to five times a day to pee. If you are traveling with your senior dog, then you should plan out at least five gas stations or places where you can stop and let your dog out. For both adult dogs and puppies, they need to go out for a potty break for five times a day.
In other particular circumstances, a diabetic dog may require more frequent potty breaks. Smaller Dogs that are under medication should have more frequent bathroom breaks. Some medicines may cause them to urinate frequently. If your dog has been outside early in the morning and has been drinking water, then expect frequent bathroom breaks from them, too.
How often should a dog go out?
Every dog is different. If your friend’s dog can endure an entire road trip without squirming on its seat, your dog might not.
Since it is unique in every dog, start by observing the canine first. As a rule of thumb, a dog should go out of the house six times a day to avoid urinary tract infections. But if your dog drinks a lot of water, then you should adjust the number of times that let them out.
Older dogs may require less frequent bathroom breaks/bathing. Their developed bodies can hold their urine, and with proper house training, they may only need to go out three to four times a day. Older dogs often do not need much assistance when it comes to their bathroom break.
But if you have a puppy, much like a baby, they may require a lot of potty breaks. So, how often should you let your puppy out? As a general rule of thumb, let them out fifteen minutes after drinking or eating every day.
If you do this and still finds your puppy squirming around, then you should let them out every hour to make sure. Their young age is a primary factor that affects their frequency of bathroom breaks, unlike older dogs who can stay home all day and not have a problem.
How often should a dog out at night?
Let’s face it-no one wants to freeze in the cold night because you think your dog needs to go out. And no one also wants to wake up with a bladder mess on their favorite carpet. Hence, it is vital to know how often should you take your dog out during nighttime.
For puppies, it is crucial to take them to a night walk/dog walker before you go to bed. Before sending your young pup to their crates to sleep, offer one last chance for them to pee outside. Make it a habit to let them out before you go to your bed. Otherwise, you increase the chances of your puppy waking up in the middle of the night, unsure where to pee.
But if your new puppy is younger than three months old, then you should take her out at least three times during nighttime. Albeit they have smaller bladder, puppies that are still under housetraining may need frequent outside bathroom trips. Set the alarm every 30 minutes to take your puppy out until she finally learns where to do her business.
How often should a dog out for a walk?
Dogs can’t say at home all day. They would get bored, and the next thing you know, they are snacking on your shoes. Hence, consider taking your dog out for a walk every day. Here are the following factors that will determine the frequency of your canine walks.
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Dog Breed
Take a look first at the smaller breed that your dog has. Shepherds and Pointers are working smaller breeds. It means that they require more exercise routines compared to lapdogs.
Naturally, dogs will want to go outside and play. Some are couch potatoes that prefer to be at home all day. Checking out first if your dog like a labrador retriever is an active canine or a lapdog can help you adjust the need for your walks together.
But keep in mind that with proper training and discipline, even a lapdog can be your jogging partner, all rights reserved to the dog training experts.
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Age
Generally speaking, puppies are more active than middle-aged dogs. Their energy level is higher, and they are more interested in going outside. Puppies also spend more time playing than adult dogs that prefer to sleep and laze all day.
If your adult dog is suffering from arthritis or other related diseases, they may not be interested in a morning walk anymore like they used to.
These diseases also affect their stamina and weaken their immune system. Visit your veterinarian/vet clinic/vet visits as soon as you notice that your younger dog can no longer keep up with you.
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Tolerance
A healthy dog can tolerate up to 30 minutes of exercise daily, assuming they don’t suffer from any illnesses. Trained dogs can go up to two hours of hiking with their owners/dog owner. But if your dog is overweight, it might not be very easy for them to trek with you. For this reason, consider taking a break now and then to let your dog breath.
To determine the adequate time that dogs need to walk, take them for a walk, and start monitoring their energy levels. Some dogs are very energetic when they’re out for a walk, while others prefer the comfort of their crate.
About half an hour of the walk, notice if your dog starts slowing down their walk. They are starting to get tired. Instead of walking, they pay more attention to their surroundings and start to sniff while resting from the walk.
On your walk back home, notice if your dog starts to slow down. If it did, then consider shortening the time the next time you’re walking with your pooch. But if it can still keep up with your pace, then you can maintain the time you’ve been walking with your canine.
Conclusion
Walking out your dog to pee or exercise is an integral part of their health. As a pet owner, you have the responsibility of taking care of your dog despite your busy feeding schedule.
Hence, knowing exactly when to take them out and how frequently every dog can help you save time and energy in the long run. Not only that, but it will also keep your dog healthy and happy.
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