Adult dogs need to pee an average of 3 to 5 times per day. However, how often this is normal depends on age, race, health and drinking behavior. It is therefore recommended to let the dog outside every 6-8 hours.
Depending on the breed, dogs produce between 23 and 46 ml of urine per kilogram of body weight per day. For a dog weighing 20 kg, this is 460-920 ml. [1]
For comparison: people produce an average of around 800-2000 ml per day and have to urinate between 6 and 8 times a day. [2]
If peeing is really about emptying and not marking territory, then your bladder will be completely emptied after an average of 21 seconds. [3]
This is a phenomenon that applies not only to dogs, but also to a variety of other mammals – the so-called “law of urination”. [4]
It is also important to distinguish between how often dogs “can” and “must” pee. “Opportunity makes thieves” can be translated here.
Below you will find the average number of times small, medium and large dogs have to urinate daily depending on their age:
Dude, little one
DogMedium-sized
DogBig One
Dog8-126-105-93-12 months6-95-84-71-8 years4-63-53-58-11 years5-74-64-5>11 years5-85-74-6
Slight deviations from normal values are generally not a cause for concern. Large differences, on the other hand, can indicate underlying diseases.
Holding off pee for too long also increases the risk of bladder, kidney and urinary tract infections. So you should avoid that.
If for some reason you cannot go out with your dog on time, the following products can help you:
- Dog flap: This variant is airtight, burglar-proof, stylish and only allows your dog into the house with a chip and no other animals.
- Pee Pads: You can place these absorbent pads around the house. They absorb urine completely without leaving a mess.
- Dog diapers: Peeing accidents are inevitable with young puppies. This is why reusable diapers are such a blessing.
Important: If your dog doesn't have to pee at all within a day, this could be a sign of illness. Because that is neither healthy nor normal.
Healthy, adult dogs usually need to urinate between 3 and 5 times a day. Young puppies of a small breed, on the other hand, also have to pee up to 12 times a day. Pee pads, dog diapers and a dog flap can help prevent this.
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Influencing factors
How often dogs need to pee depends primarily on their age, breed, health and other factors.
#1 Dude
The bladder of young puppies is initially barely larger than a small plum. For anatomical reasons, they can therefore only hold their urge to urinate for a very short time.
In addition, the sphincters in the urethra are relatively weak at the beginning, so they usually have to pee within 15 minutes of drinking. [5]
As you get older, your bladder also becomes a little weaker. The following shows how long a dog can hold urine during the day.
Dude, little one
DogMedium-sized
DogBig One
Dog1-2 h1-3 h2-3 h3-12 months2-7 h3-8 h3-9 h1-8 years6-10 h6-12 h7-14 h8-11 years4-8 h4-10 h5-11 h>11 years3- 5h3-6h4-7h
Since the bladder relaxes at night, most adult and healthy dogs can easily go through the night without peeing.
#2 Breed
Basically, small dogs have to go to the toilet much more often than large breeds. How often a Chihuahua and a Great Dane pee is therefore very different.
At the same time, territorial breeds also use their urine to mark their own territory. This primarily refers to guard and protection dogs.
For example, our dog “Alex” pees around 8-12 times on a short walk alone to mark his territory. Here, urinating is less about emptying the body. [6]
#3 Other
Even dogs of the same age and breed often pee at very different rates. This is primarily due to the following influencing factors:
Various illnesses such as diabetes, bladder infections and kidney diseases can lead to a more frequent urge to urinate.
When sleeping, the muscles around the urinary tract relax, so dogs automatically have to urinate less often. Activity has the opposite effect.
Dogs already get around 10% of their daily water requirements from dry food. With wet food or raw feeding it is even up to 30%. [7]
Due to the strong sex drive during their period, dogs are often so distracted that they forget to eat and drink. During this time, they urinate less often.
If your dog wakes up in his sleep due to noise, unpleasant temperatures or other illnesses, he may need to go out at night.
Dogs drink more when their water bowl is always near them. Since drinking a lot of water is healthy, it may make sense to have several water bowls in the house.
If you have high blood pressure, liver disease, heart problems or kidney disease, diuretics are often used to promote the urge to urinate.
- Castration of female dogs
Removing the ovaries also massively reduces estrogen production. This hormone also regulates, among other things, the urethral sphincters.
In addition to physical health, mental health also plays a key role. Because dogs pee more often when they are extremely anxious and stressed. [8]
Shortly before giving birth, pregnant dogs become very restless, which constantly stimulates their bladder. So constant peeing is completely normal here.
Physical and mental health, as well as eating and drinking habits, have a major impact on how often dogs need to pee each day. In addition, medications, castration, pregnancy and activity level can also influence the urge to urinate.
Breed specific statistics
Below you will find a list of the 50 most popular breeds worldwide and how often they have to urinate depending on age and on average per day.
Dog breed age
Old
3-12 months age
1-8 years old
8-11 years old
> 11 J.Akita5-94-73-54-54-6 American Cocker Spaniel6-105-83-54-65-7Australian Shepherd5-94-73-54-54-6Basset Hound6-105-83-54-65-7Beagle6 -105-83-54-65-7Berner Mountain Dog5-94-73-54-54-6 Bichon Frisé8-126-94-65-75-8Bloodhound5-94-73-54-54-6Border Collie6-105-83-54-65-7Boston Terrier8-126-94- 65-75-8Cane Corso Italiano5-94-73-54-54-6Cão de Água Português6-105-83-54-65-7Cavalier King Charles Spaniel8-126-94-65-75-8Chesapeake Bay Retriever5-94-73-54-54-6Chihuahua8-126-94-65-75-8Dachshund8-126-94-65-75-8German Shorthair5-94-73-54-54-6Great Dane5-94-73-54- 54-6German boxer5-94-73-54-54-6German German Shepherd5-94-73-54-54-6Doberman5-94-73-54-54-6English Bulldog6-105-83-54-65-7English Cocker Spaniel6-105-83-54-65-7English Springer Spaniel6-105-83 -54-65-7Epagneul Breton6-105-83-54-65-7French Bulldog8-126-94-65-75-8Golden Retriever5-94-73-54-54-6Havanese8-126-94-65-75-8Labrador Retriever5-94-73-54-54-6Long-haired Collie5-94-73-54-54-6Malinois5-94-73-54-54-6Maltese8-126-94-65-75-8Mastiff5-94-73-54-54- 6Miniature American Shepherd6-105-83-54-65-7Pug8-126-94-65-75-8Newfoundland5-94-73-54-54-6Poodle6-105-83-54-65-7Rhodesian Ridgeback5-94-73-54-54 -6Rottweiler5-94-73-54-54-6Shetland Sheepdog6-105-83-54-65-7Shiba Inu6-105-83-54-65-7Shih Tzu8-126-94-65-75-8Siberian Husky5-94-73-54-54-6Vizsla5-94-73-54-54-6Weimaraner5-94-73-54-54-6Welsh Corgi Pembroke8-126-94-65-75-8West Highland White Terrier8-126-94 -65-75-8Yorkshire Terrier8-126-94-65-75-8Zwergschnauzer8-126-94-65-75-8Zwergspitz8-126-94-65-75-8
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