How often should a dog pee?

Some dogs pee more than others. You may have one who never seems to want to go, while another pet parent may have a dog who is constantly asking to be let out for a pee.

It’s important to monitor your dog’s peeing habits. You don’t need to be too obsessive about it, but sudden changes or high and low frequencies can signal deeper issues.

So, what’s the rough guideline? How many times should a dog urinate a day, and is there a right number? What can you do if your dog is peeing too often or too little? Let’s flush away any questions or concerns below.

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General guidelines: how many times a day should a dog pee?

Roughly, a healthy dog should pee three to five times a day. But so many factors influence this that it’s difficult to always say what’s normal or abnormal urination.

Factors that influence how often a dog needs to pee

• Activity level

• Age

• Diet

• Hydration

• Marking behaviour

• Medication

• Personality

• Size

• Stress or excitement levels

Typically, puppies, senior dogs and small breeds will need more frequent breaks.

How long can a trained dog hold their pee?

Before we discuss this section, it’s important that you take your dog out to pee regularly and have a set routine for it. We recommend taking your dog outside to pee after drinking, eating, exercising, and playtime. They shouldn’t be holding their pee for too long. 

But remember: numerous factors influence how often a dog can hold their pee. If you do need to know how long a dog can hold it in for, the rough guidelines are:

• For puppies, it largely depends on age, but young puppies will only be able to hold it for a maximum of around an hour, and will probably need relief every 30 minutes. Older puppies will only be able to hold it for around two hours.

• Adult dogs can usually hold their pee for up to six hours while awake and about eight hours overnight.

• Senior dogs will need to go around every four hours. They can hold it longer overnight.

A dog who regularly has to hold in their pee will face the potential for further health issues, like bladder stones, kidney stones, stress, and urinary tract infections (UTIs).

When to worry: signs of excessive peeing in a dog

Excessive peeing is any urination that’s more frequent than usual, in larger volumes or when a dog starts to pee inside after being housetrained.

There are numerous reasons why a dog may be excessively peeing and it can be quite a broad symptom, which is why you need the trained eye of a vet. It can indicate deeper medical issues like:

• Addison’s disease

• Bladder stones

• Cancer

• Cushing’s disease

• Diabetes

• Hypercalcaemia

• Hypothyroidism

• Kidney disease

• Liver disease

• Pyometra

• UTIs

Additionally, frequent urination can mean your dog is dealing with a behavioural problem, like anxiety or excessive stress. It can also happen when dogs take certain medications.

Keep an eye on how often your dog pees. If your dog is excessively peeing, or pees too little, particularly if combined with other worrying symptoms, see your vet.

What other symptoms should you look for?

• Appetite loss

• Blood in the urine

• Crying or whimpering while peeing

• Excessive thirst

• Lethargy

• Straining to urinate

• Vomiting

What if your dog is excessively peeing indoors? 

Excessive peeing can lead to a dog frequently peeing indoors. Our guide on why dogs pee indoors and how to manage it discusses more on this. But a few general rules include:

• Have a consistent pee schedule for your dog based on key events for the day.

• Have a set nighttime routine that makes sure your dog doesn’t drink too much before bed.

• Make sure you take your dog outside to pee immediately after drinking, eating, exercise, playing and waking up.

• Make sure your dog’s housetraining is up to par.

• Never punish or negatively reinforce your dog for peeing indoors.

• Positively reinforce your dog with praise or treats when they successfully pee outside.

• Recognise your dog’s body language for signs they need to go out, like circling, pacing and sniffing.

• See if lifestyle changes, like a new pet or routine, have caused frequent urination and try to manage them.

• Thoroughly clean the area if they’ve peed indoors to prevent repeat scent marking. Our guide on cleaning dog pee discusses how to do this.

• Try crate training to reduce indoor urination.

Our housetraining guide discusses strategies to manage indoor urination in more depth if you need it.

What to do if your dog is peeing too much (or too little)

If you notice sudden changes in your dog’s peeing habits, you should see a vet, especially if there is blood in the urine and any signs of pain.

A vet will always fully examine your pet, and ask you various questions about their diet, thirst, appetite and general health, as well as ask you about any recent changes to your dog’s diet, lifestyle or behaviour.

Often the underlying causes of changes to your dog’s peeing habits cannot be easily felt or seen on a physical examination and further tests might be needed. 

It’s likely that the first thing your vet will check is a urine sample, as this can help diagnose things such as bladder stones, infection, diabetes, and kidney disease. The vet will want to check a blood sample too to get a better idea of your dog’s organ function, red and white blood cells and electrolytes. Usually both tests are needed to get a full picture and make an accurate diagnosis.

Imaging such as ultrasound can also be helpful for vets in helping to find the root cause of your dog’s peeing problems and get them started on the right treatment plan. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is it normal for my dog to pee every hour?

It depends. It’s not usual for an adult unless they’re dealing with specific issues like overhydration or underlying health conditions. But some dogs may pee this much without deeper worry, assuming your vet has already looked into it.

Why is my senior dog peeing more frequently?

Dogs will naturally pee more frequently, usually in lower volume, as they age. But do look out for other symptoms as it can indicate deeper health problems, especially in senior canines.

My dog just peed in the house after being outside. Why?

It’s probably incomplete emptying, which is when a dog doesn’t fully finish peeing outside. It can happen due to behavioural issues, like anxiety or fear, or underlying medical conditions.

Can stress cause a dog to pee more?

Yes. In fact, frequent urination is a symptom of anxiety, chronic stress and overexcitement.

How dog insurance helps

So, while dogs usually pee around three to five times a day, there are numerous factors that go into it. 

A lot depends on your dog’s age, personality, and size. But sudden changes, particularly if they’re accompanied by other worrying health symptoms, should be looked at by your vet.

And remember: dog insurance is there to help with unexpected health conditions. At ManyPets, all of our plans include 24/7 video vet access, too, meaning you can chat with a vet about things like peeing and any symptoms anytime, anywhere.

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