How long can a 4-month-old hold it?

[Daisy's Mom]

Daisy is a female and she is over 4 months, nearing 5. It does not seem like she can hold her bladder for very long and pees tiny amounts every hour. At night she can hold it for about five hours in her crate. I have been catching her in the act, praising her when she goes outside, and watching her closely, but it seems like she will go, then a short time later I will find a spot. I do not see her drinking excessive amounts of water, other than after she eats, and when she is thirsty from playing.

So, my question is, how long can a female sheltie hold their bladder at four or five months? I read that they should be able to hold it for one hour according to their age. She can hold it five hours in her crate, but it seems like when she is running around in the house she looses control. Anyone else have this experience with a female?

 

[Ann]

It's not just females. Puppies don't really have bladder control until those muscles are developed at around 6 months. We know they can hold it because most of them can go 8 hours in their crates, but that may be because they aren't moving around. Your girl may be just a bit later than most, but I'd ask your vet to check her for a bladder infection just to rule it out. Most likely, it's just a development issue and will sort itself out in a month or so. You're doing all the right things with training, so just stick with it. One day soon she'll surprise you!

 

[Piper's mom]

One thing I found when Piper was that age (and I don't know if this is just males or just being a puppy) was that I'd have to let him pee twice before we came back in the house. At first I'd take him out, eventually he'd have a pee and I'd take him back in...just minutes later he'd pee in the house! I noticed that if I waited he'd have a second pee and then he'd be good for a while. It seemed like he was having sooo much fun playing that he didn't empty his bladder the first time.

 

[take4roll10]

My rule of thumb is a puppy's age in months equals how many hours you can expect them to hold their bladder. So a 4 month old should be expected to hold it around 4 months. Of course it varies with every puppy and if your puppy is playing and drinking a lot of water he will have to go sooner.

Like Ann, I suggest making sure your puppy doesn't have a bladder infection. When my dog was a puppy, she couldn't hold it for more than 1/2 an hour and it turned out she a urinary tract infection.

 

[Daisy's Mom]

I don't think she has an infection since she is able to hold it for several hours while she is in her crate. She definitely needs to be in the "right" environment to relax enough to go (and the carpet seems to fill the bill). She hasn't peed on a walk yet. I'm waiting for the day that happens. I think it is a bladder control issue, but of course, I'll talk to the vet about it on our next visit.

Thanks for your responses!