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  1. #1
    Puppy JenDeHoet's Avatar
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    Lengths of time between potty breaks.

    Question for you all. What is a good rule of thumb for potty training and how long to have them try to hold it before letting them out? I heard 1 hour for every month they are is how long they can hold.

    Chubbs is 11 weeks now. He now gets through the night without a break, we got to the point where we were waking him up to go outside so we let him sleep now. So he is holding it anywhere between 6-7 hours. If he has to go he wakes up and rings the bell (I'm a super light sleeper so I wake up to it easily). We are currently coming home at lunch to let him out every day but I'm wondering when is it ok to try to push it a little farther? As work ramps up for my husband and I it's going to get harder and harder for us to make it home but I also don't want to push it to far to fast as he is just a puppy still. We are both gone 9 hours a day so that would be the max he would ever have to go.

    Thank you for any insight!

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    11 weeks is still young to be going 9 hours during the day. A dog can typically hold it in longer overnight than during the day. I'd probably keep the mid-day break til 5-6 months at least (well, that's my puppy planning part anyway, dog walker til 7-8 ish months daily). Rule of thumb is more or less an hour per month of age. (much more when they are awake and active though)

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    JenDeHoet (11-01-2017)

  4. #3
    House Broken jertom's Avatar
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    1 hour for every month plus 1.
    3+1= 4hours.
    as you pointed out, that's just a rule of thumb though,
    I'd rather take him more than not enough.

    Quote Originally Posted by JenDeHoet View Post
    Question for you all. What is a good rule of thumb for potty training and how long to have them try to hold it before letting them out? I heard 1 hour for every month they are is how long they can hold.

    Chubbs is 11 weeks now. He now gets through the night without a break, we got to the point where we were waking him up to go outside so we let him sleep now. So he is holding it anywhere between 6-7 hours. If he has to go he wakes up and rings the bell (I'm a super light sleeper so I wake up to it easily). We are currently coming home at lunch to let him out every day but I'm wondering when is it ok to try to push it a little farther? As work ramps up for my husband and I it's going to get harder and harder for us to make it home but I also don't want to push it to far to fast as he is just a puppy still. We are both gone 9 hours a day so that would be the max he would ever have to go.

    Thank you for any insight!

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    JenDeHoet (11-02-2017)

  6. #4
    Senior Dog ZoeysMommy's Avatar
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    I dont expect a puppy to hold it for any longer than 4 to 5 hours until about 1 years old and even though my adult dogs can certainly hold it for at least 10 hours, I wouldnt do that on a daily basis. Its just plain mean

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    Annette47 (11-01-2017)

  8. #5
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JenDeHoet View Post
    Question for you all. What is a good rule of thumb for potty training and how long to have them try to hold it before letting them out? I heard 1 hour for every month they are is how long they can hold.

    Chubbs is 11 weeks now. He now gets through the night without a break, we got to the point where we were waking him up to go outside so we let him sleep now. So he is holding it anywhere between 6-7 hours. If he has to go he wakes up and rings the bell (I'm a super light sleeper so I wake up to it easily). We are currently coming home at lunch to let him out every day but I'm wondering when is it ok to try to push it a little farther? As work ramps up for my husband and I it's going to get harder and harder for us to make it home but I also don't want to push it to far to fast as he is just a puppy still. We are both gone 9 hours a day so that would be the max he would ever have to go.

    Thank you for any insight!
    Does he have a bell inside his crate at night? Fascinating approach to potty training a puppy!

    At 11 weeks he will need to go potty on a schedule so he can learn to expect that he will be let out to go every 3 - 4 hours or so. Any longer than that will force him to pee/poop in his crate and backslide in the potty training and trust department. My puppy families that aren't home during the day have a trusted neighbor, friend, or licensed bonded and insured pet sitter visit come mid day to feed, water, potty and play with the puppy for at least 20 minutes.

    I rarely, if ever, ask my adult dogs to go 9 hours, they have and longer, but not as a rule.

  9. #6
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    It's 1 hrn per month plus 1 as others mentioned. My pup is 9 months. He can hold it all day if need be and he hangs out in the kitchen while we're out. At night it's longer. I think by the fifth night he held it all night.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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    JenDeHoet (11-02-2017)

 



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