how long should a dog be able to...........

[yorkster]

'hold it'???



I just moved from a house to an apt. (marital separation).........and this is the situation:

My wonderful dog Scout is confused about this going potty/poop while on leash (in the past a leash has always meant 'walk', 'car', 'beach', or something fun).
She also gets really distracted by other dogs, squirrels, people and won't go.
ANY tips that would help will be appretiated.............like how long should I stand there waiting? If she doesn't go, how soon should I take her back out? Any good commands that might help?

ALSO **very** important: how long is it realistic/fair to expect her to hold it? (I work)

[KYS]

I am so sorry to hear about your separation.

I think Scout will catch on in the bathroom department.
Sheba use to have a bashful bladder outside of
our neighborhood.
Any distraction, she would hold it in.

When we were on vacation,
I would try to find the most semi quite grass area spot and just
tell her to go potty and stand their and let her sniff.
With Sheba I would sometimes have to wait
a good 10 minutes and walk in a little circle every
time she stopped sniffing. Once she finally went I could
take her to the same spot and she would go
right away. Once Scout does finally go and her scent
is around the area you will not have such
a problem hopefully.
Distractions can be a problem.

P.S. Althought I am sure it is not healthy,
once we were on vacation Sheba held it for 12 hours.
I was a nervous wreck till she finally peed!

[elizabethann]

Fenway goes to doggy day care 3 times a week while I am at work. The other 2 days I am working, he stays home. He "holds it" for 9 to 11 hours. I figure 2 days a week won't hurt him. I also leave a pee pad out just in case. He's used it once (and that was when we first moved into our apartment). Usually, when I get up in the morning we go out for about 45 minutes. We walk around the neighborhood and he sniffs around. It takes him about 5 minutes to go pee but about 35 minutes to go poop. Then we go back home, I get ready for work and then leave. As soon as I get home (with no quick stops at the store), I walk him again so he can do his business. Hope this helps. Good luck!

[lovingisliving76]

We had this same problem with our dog when we moved to Germany and had to live in an apartment. We've had Buddy his whole life and he was 5 yrs old when we moved here to Germany. His first 5 yrs he had a big fenced in yard to use. But when we moved here we had to get him use to using the bathroom on a leash. He didnt like it at first. I took him out several times with no luck. So finally I decided to give him lots n lots of water until I knew he couldn't hold it anymore. When I took him out it still took a long time before he finally pee'd. When he did I kinda dabbed the urine with a paper towel and then took the paper towel to an area I wanted him to use the bathroom in. I then rubbed it on a tree to get his scent in that area. From then on I've had no problems with him not wanting to go while on a leash. I also taught him and my other dog to go on command by saying go pee etc while they were already doing it. I taught them this because after growing up in the south where the winters are not real winters and then moving to GERMANY where it feels like Alaska...I wasn't too fond of walking around for so long waiting on them to go. haha Now they go as soon as we get to their area. Good luck!

[pitc9]

Both of mine are in crates for 8 to 10 hours a day.

They are out running around and playing for 2 hours before I leave for work in the morning.

[Rio and Me]

I know everyones situations are different, and i have not coment on that.
But i wont leave my dog anylonger than 4hrs with going out to potty! i have a small blader and pee alot (and hate it when i cant go) i can relate to my dog not being able to go when they need too.
Personally i dont think its fair to leave a dog 11hrs without going potty (i take it they have water down in that time?).

But your dogs may have big bladders?

Try not to leave them to long its not fair, they hate to potty in the house but when they gotta go they go and it's not their fault.

Ky
no one be offended by my opinions they are what i belive is right for my dog.

[yorkster]

Originally posted by KYS

P.S. Althought I am sure it is not healthy,
once we were on vacation Sheba held it for 12 hours.
I was a nervous wreck till she finally peed! [/B]

Scout has done that a couple times also

thanks for the advice

[QueenScoopalot]

We trained Spencer, and Greta to respond to the command "outdoors". They can be stubborn at times, especially when it's raining, and they come in and hold it instead. They all go outside every few hours anyway, and go for a long walk during the day. The tiny one Peanut...as they say.."FUGGEDABOUDDIT"!

[Poetic_thing]

I have to agree with Rio and Me. My dog(s) are never left for more than 4 hours at a time without a potty break. My husband comes home at lunch and I work through my lunch so I can come home early to be with them. Imagine yourself having to hold it for so long...it hurts! I would work on the go on command for peeing, etc.

[lovemyshiba]

My Shiba, Kito, is so stubborn when it comes to going outside if it's raining. He just won't go. He has held it so long, a few times, that I was scared something was going to be wrong with him.

Every dog is different, and depending on your situation, you can do what's best for your dog.

I understand the distractions too--Kito was a nightmare to walk when we lived in the apartment--bunnies, kids, bikes, other dogs, leaves--you name it, he was distracted by it It just took a lot of patience, and long walks some days--after a while, a pattern developed, and he had certain favorite spots he would like to go in--silly pup.

[GraciesMommy]

My Gracie is being crate trained..but I come home at lunch to let her out for at least 30 minutes every day. And this is only Mon - Thursday since hubby is home on Fridays. She is in from about 7 - 11 and then noon to 4. She also sleeps in her crate from 9:30 - 5:30 without going to potty.
We have a back yard so don't have any problems with that..but when we take her walking on a leash she usually will go too...we will be traveling with her from Texas to Arkansas every couple of months and will have to stop and let her go, so she needs to get used to going on a leash too~ (8 hour drive)

[yorkster]

Originally posted by elizabethann
I also leave a pee pad out just in case.

I've been wondering about those pee pads. do they work well? my dog is about 50 lbs. she is doing okay with me working only 5 hours, but soon I'll be back fulltime and want to 'give her an option' if it's needed.
a couple of my neighbors here at the apt. complex have told me that their dogs only go twice a day! that's a long time to hold it and don't want to do that to her (I'm sure she couldn't hold it that long anyway)...................speaking of which, she is nudging me and giving me that look, so I gotta go take her out

[elizabethann]

Fenway uses his pee pad to pee. Though he hasn't peed in the apartment since we moved in (April 2004). I still leave it out "just in case". One of my cats, Maxie, now sleeps on it like it was a bed or something. I will say that when Fenway was a puppy, he NEVER used his pee pad to poop. He'd pee on the pad and then poop somewhere else! Last week, Fenway was very sick (he had an abscess) and he did poop in the house. He pooped on the hardwood floor in the living room. Again, he didn't use the pee pad (perhaps my cat was sleeping on it at the time?)

My neice has 2 pugs, one of which is very good at using the pee pad. The other holds it until it goes outdoors.

I would try a pee pad but if that doesn't work, perhaps a dog walker or doggy day care? Though the later two are expensive.

Good luck!

[yorkster]

Originally posted by elizabethann
One of my cats, Maxie, now sleeps on it like it was a bed or something.

LOL, I could see my cat doing that
Cats are funny creatures aren't they?