How long should 5 month old puppy hold pee

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 18, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Your 5 Month Old Puppy: Milestones, Training, and Behavior Guide

A 5 month old puppy is a young dog hovering on the brink of maturity. And yet still in many ways a puppy. Today Im going to talk about my 5 month old Lab puppy Bonnie. Ill share some photos and video with you. And youll find out what you can expect from a puppy this age, in terms of their behavior, training stages and general care.

Of course all puppies are different, and your puppy wont be at exactly the same stage as Bonnie. Theres a broad range of normal, and differences in temperament can have a strong impact on puppy behavior and progress.

In many ways, a Labrador at five months looks much like an adult Lab on a slightly smaller scale. In some photos its hard to tell that Bonnie is still a puppy. While in others she still looks very young.

Billy the cat knows she is still a puppy and keeps his mittens on when telling her off!

Feeding a 5 month old puppy

At five months old, many kibble fed puppies will be having three meals a day. One early in the morning, one at lunch time, and one in the evening.

The situation with my Lab pup Bonnie is a little bit different because she is raw fed. A raw fed puppy may not need their daily food ration divided into three portions by this age, and Bonnie has been on two meals a day for a couple of weeks now.

How much to feed?

Feeding quantities will depend on your puppy, and on the brand of food. Some brands have a lot of fillers and quantities required are much higher.

***5 month old puppies can be silly sometimes!***

At five months, a puppy should be slim, rather than chubby. Check the manufacturers instructions and reduce by a third for a few days if your puppy is losing their waistline.

Youll find lots more detail in my puppy feeding guide.

What does a raw fed puppy eat at 5 months old?

At this age Bonnie is now eating what my adult dogs eat. She has a variety of meat during week, including chicken, rabbit, eggs, venison or lamb ribs, heart, lungs and other organs.

Occasionally a wobbly tooth slows her down, but apart from that she manages bones and fur with no problems.Check out my raw feeding page for more information

For training treats my Lab puppy has kibble or cubes of roast meat. I prepare these cubes in advance and keep them in little tubs in the freezer. Ten seconds in the microwave brings them up to temperature for training.

5 month old puppy teething stage

Talking of teething, Bonnie now has a lot of her adult teeth. She lost her last wobbly canine just yesterday. It had been hanging on by a thread for a while.

Shell have a full set of teeth by seven months old, so we are nearly there now.

Do 5 month old puppies bite?

By 5 months old puppy biting should be on the way out. In families where puppies are allowed to engage in rough house play with humans, play biting can be a problem at this age.

If you are finding your puppy is still play biting now, you really do need to change your approach to playing with, and managing, your dog. Have a look at our article on playing with puppies for some ideas and tips.

Genetics play a part here too. Bonnie has never been as bitey as many Labrador puppies can be. Thats because she has a very relaxed temperament. She might half heartedly mouth at your hand if you keep messing with her face, but thats about it.

Potty training progress

We have not had a puddle in the house for a month now, but that does not mean we are completely out of the woods. Accidents, in puppies this age, are common when changes are made to their routines.

If your puppy is still not clean and dry indoors do check out my potty training problems article.

Our back door is currently open for much of the day, and when the weather gets colder and the door is closed I fully expect to have to supervise Bonnie closely to begin with.

Sleeping at night and in the evenings

Labrador puppies are capable of sleeping through an eight hour stretch at night and your puppy should now be able to fit into your family sleep / wake routine.

I find Labradors generally like their beauty sleep. Many like to go back to bed after their early morning pee. And most sleep during the evenings.

All my dogs are encouraged to settle during the evening whilst adults relax. That suits our routine because our dogs have our company all day.

If you like to exercise or play with your dogs in the evening, thats fine, theyll catch up on their sleep during the day. You may find they too need a little wind down time before bed.

We are on a homestead with animals to care for, so we are up at five-thirty in the morning and try to be in bed by around ten in the evening. Our dogs go outside for last pees just before ten and are then tucked in for the night in our utility room.

Bonnie still sleeps in a crate while the other dogs are loose.

Crate size and crating at 5 months

Bonnie has just gone up a crate size as her head was touching the roof of the previous one. Her new crate measures 36 inches long by 22 inches deep, by 25 inches tall.

If she still needs a crate in two or three months, she may need to go up another size, that will depend on whether or not she has stopped chewing at that point.

Bonnie is now happy to relax in her crate for an hour or so during the day and we tend to crate her after meals when we are loading the dishwasher.

We also crate her for short periods at other times during the day, just so that she is used to the crate and comfortable being inside it.

Im currently filming a crate training course with Bonnie and when its launched youll be able to find this on the Dogsnet Homeschool website.

Training a 5 month old puppy

Five months is the age where a lot of puppy parents start to struggle with their increasingly powerful and boisterous young labs. And you might find it helpful to join our training support group on Facebook

I am teaching Bonnie four key skills at the moment. And I put clips of that training up on the group from time to time.

Those four skills are

Sit-stay
Loose leash walking
Crate confidence
Recall

Because I am building courses and trying to capture every stage in training on film, Bonnie is behind a lot of 5 month old puppies when it comes to training.

And thats fine, it isnt a race, and in a few months time you wont be able to tell the difference between her, and a dog that was trained earlier. So dont worry if your training isnt quite there yet!

Sit and stay at 5 months

Sit-stay is an important skill because a dog that is sitting still is not getting into mischief. They are not jumping up, or running around touching things they shouldnt.

However, most people get into problems with this by trying to extend the duration of their puppys sits, much too fast.

***a portable dog bed makes a great sit-stay training station***

Its better to build strong foundations and a clear understanding that sit means sit until your are released. Than it is to expect a puppy to hold a sit or a down for ten minutes.

In fact, at this age you need to be thinking in seconds not minutes. Teach a little duration first, say ten seconds, then teach your puppy to sit still while you do things around and to them. For example:

Can you walk in a circle around your puppy without them getting up?
Can you take hold of their collar and attach a leash without them moving?

These are the important things at 4-5 months.

Loose leash walking at 5 months old

After reactivity, the most common problem we see causing real distress to families with young labs, is leash pulling.

An adult Lab can weigh 70lbs or more. And, unless you want your arms pulled out of your sockets every time you leave the house, you really do need to get your dog walking nicely next to you before they get any older.

The secret to loose leash walking is to teach the dog to walk at your side without a leash. The added leash then becomes simply another cue to walk nicely. Instead of a cue to drag you to the nearest dog park

You will be able to find more information on this in my loose leash walking course over on Dogsnet

Crate confidence

Although you dont need a crate in order to manage a 5 month old puppy, I believe that crate confidence is a very useful skill for a dog to have. You never know when your dog might need to be crated in an emergency or during a period of illness.

I teach two aspects of crate training to all my puppies. I teach them to relax in a crate with the door closed. But I also teach them games that involve them jumping in and out of the crate on cue. These games are fun, and build value for being in the crate. You can find them on the Dogsnet Homeschool site.

Recall Training

Everyone wants their dog to come when they are called. Its a matter of pride, as well as a critical safety and control skill.

Recall often starts out well, most small puppies want to be near their humans, and then goes downhill from there.

When recall fails, its usually because the recall cue has been poisoned. That is to say someone, or several someones, have used the cue in a situation where the dog is unwilling to come or where the rewards for coming are non-existent.

(paid link)

I start simple, with minimal use of a recall, and massive rewards for the puppy whenever the recall is heard. At 5 months, Bonnie has never heard the recall cue without there being a significant reward immediately afterwards. A nice meal for example, or a stream of really juicy treats.

Consequently she has never ignored the cue. And my aim is that she never will. You can find out more about recall training and fixing a broken recall, by following that link.

Enjoy your 5 month old puppy

Training at five months is a lot of fun. There should be no pressure on you or your dog. Its just a question making a plan, and turning up. Do a little each day. five minutes a day will get your dog trained. Thats all it takes!

Enjoy your five month old puppy, its a wonderful moment in time and they will be grown up and sensible before you know it.

If youve any questions about this article or want to know more about our training methods or Bonnies progress, do join the Dogsnet Training Support group over on Facebook. Its a great community and wed love to see you there!

The Labrador Site Founder

Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.

She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program

Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website

How Long Can a Puppy Hold Its Pee at Night?

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If you are wondering how long a puppy can hold its pee at night, you are not alone. Puppy potty breaks are inevitable, but when and how should you deal with it? Please keep reading to learn more about sleeping and potty breaks and how to teach your puppy to hold its pee at night. Your puppy may not hold it very long at first, but youll soon find that he will hold it for longer than you ever imagined.

How Long Can A Puppy Hold Its Pee At Night

You may be wondering how long can a puppy hold its bladder for at night. Most adult dogs can hold their bladder for eight hours, while a puppy can hold it for about three hours at two months. However, some dogs can hold their bladder for even longer. When a puppy reaches 8 months old, it will have the bladder capacity to go for up to ten hours. Make your puppy wait any longer than eight hours at night is not a good idea.

A typical adult dog can hold its bladder for 8-10 hours. A puppy will need to go several times during the night. If possible, you should take your puppy outside at least an hour before bed. You can purchase dog pee pads if you dont have time to walk your puppy every night. This will help make potty training easier. A puppys bladder is small, so it is important that its trained to go at regular intervals.

Puppy Sleep

Your new puppy is almost as young as a newborn baby and your first few weeks can be emotionally and physically draining. If your puppy wakes up several times during the night to pee, youre not alone. Puppies have difficulty sleeping because theyre deprived of a natural weaning process. Sadly, most rescue groups and breeders do not have the resources to care for these animals until they reach this age.

For a pup to sleep for longer, its important that you provide the puppy with opportunities to relieve itself during the night. Its best to offer the puppy an opportunity to relieve itself ten minutes before bedtime, as full puppies are more likely to need a nighttime potty break. Another tip is to feed your puppy just before bedtime to give it ample time to digest its food and eliminate. You can also try to give your puppy one last potty break before bedtime.

You can set an alarm if your puppy wakes up to pee during the night. If your puppy hasnt peed in the night, set an alarm for two to four hours after he or she goes to bed. If your puppy hasnt peed by then, set the alarm for fifteen to thirty minutes after that time. Eventually, your puppy should be able to hold his or her pee overnight, but if you cant keep an eye on your puppy, your best option is to take him or her to the vet.

Potty Break

If you have a new puppy, you may be wondering: How long can a puppy hold its pew during the night? Unfortunately, it can take up to 3 hours to completely empty a puppys bladder. Luckily, there are some quick tricks for potty training a puppy during the night. The first is to use a timer or alarm clock to wake your pup up at the right time. Another tip is to take your puppy outside before bedtime. This way, youll have plenty of time to potty-train your puppy.

During the night, you can also take your puppy to the bathroom, but dont get too excited or play with him or her while hes in his or her crate. Instead, let him or her know that its time to relieve itself. If your puppy pees in its crate, you can simply put a chewy toy or treat inside it. Dogs do not like to pee where they eat. Lastly, it would be best if you cleaned up any mess your puppy makes with an enzyme-based cleaner. Avoid using ammonia-based products, as they remind your dog of the smell and encourage undesirable behavior.

Young Puppy

You may have asked yourself, How long can a young puppy hold its pea at night? The answer may surprise you. This is a very common question among puppies, but there are several reasons why it happens. First, young puppies have tiny bladders, so even a small amount of pee triggers a reflex action. So you may want to set a timer, so you dont forget to take your puppy out at night.

You might be thinking about house training your puppy overnight, but you should also keep in mind that your puppy is still a puppy. It needs to go to the bathroom frequently. Taking it out for a pee break is an important step, but your puppy will probably forget it and not go outside. It will eventually stick if you follow a rough schedule. Then, youll be able to teach your puppy to hold its pee during the night.

Most Puppies

When you want to potty train your puppy at night, youll want to make the process as quick as possible. This way, youll get less disruption in your nighttime routine and fewer pee-pee incidents. Avoid playtime before bedtime is a good way to make potty training a puppy easier. Instead, please pick up your puppy before bedtime and lead it to the nearest potty spot. As soon as it goes, praising and putting him back in bed will prevent over excitement.

A healthy, young adult dog can hold its bladder for eight hours. Puppies can hold urine up to two hours at a time for their first month, but a sick dog will be unable to hold it for that long. A two-month-old puppys bladder is so tiny that it cannot hold urine for this long. A six-month-old puppy can hold urine up to eight hours. Nevertheless, no puppy should be made to wait more than eight hours at a time.

Sleep Through The Night

A puppys nighttime peeing can be as disruptive to your sleep as a newborn babys. But potty training can be done more quickly with a few tricks. Here are some tips:

Set an alarm for 4 hours after your puppy goes to bed. If it has already peed by then, set the alarm for 15 to 30 minutes after that. Repeat this process until you have learned how long your puppy can go without urinating. The more hours your puppy can go without urinating, the less frequently he or she will need to pee. If you have a puppy who has this problem, try changing his or her environment.

Puppy Parents

A typical puppy can hold its urine for about two hours. The time the puppy can hold it will vary depending on age. For example, a three-month-old puppy should be able to hold its pee for at least four hours. An older puppy should be able to hold its pee for at least six hours. Depending on the age of your puppy, it may take as long as nine hours to fully potty train your puppy.

When taking your puppy out to potty at night, make sure to stay calm and avoid over-excitement or playtime with the puppy. Instead, it would be best if you led him or her to the nearest potty spot. Once the puppy has gone, make sure to praise and put him back into the crate. Its best to let your puppy know that its time to go before bedtime.

Dog Owners

As a general rule, puppies can hold their bladder for about an hour each month until they are about 8 months old. Most dogs have more than enough time for a full nights sleep. If your puppy is a bit older or a healthy adult, you may be able to make it last up to eight hours. However, forcing your puppy to hold its bladder longer than this can lead to urinary problems.

For a puppy to hold his bladder, its important to understand how it works. Young puppies have very small bladders, and a minute accumulation of pee can trigger a reflex action that will cause the puppy to go potty. You can begin to potty train your dog by understanding how puppies hold their pee. In addition, you can use a few tips to speed up the potty training process.

Hungry Or Thirsty Pup

You may be wondering, How long can a hungry or thirsty pup hold its pee during the night? First, it is important to note that your dog will not urinate in his crate unless he has a full bladder. Stopping food and water for your pup at least two hours before bedtime is the best way to prevent a full bladder during the night. A full bladder may wake your pup up throughout the night, but it may only require a small cookie or snack before he goes to bed.

If your pup has recently potty trained, you may not have to worry about water at night. But for a potty-trained dog, you should remove the water at least two hours before bedtime and give him a drink when he wakes up. In general, an adult dog can hold his pee for at least eight hours. But if your pup does not have the habit of going out before bed, it may be wise to remove water at least two to three hours before bedtime.

Puppies Sleep

It is almost as difficult for a puppy to hold its pee at night as it is for a newborn baby. Most puppies can sleep for up to seven hours before they need to go potty. Regardless of age, however, some puppies will wake up before they finish their nightly routine. To help your puppy avoid waking up during the night, you should try to minimize the amount of light that your house has.

If youre having trouble training your puppy to hold its pee at night, try setting an alarm an hour or half an hour before bedtime. If this doesnt work, talk to your veterinarian about the issue. He or she may run diagnostic tests and suggest a solution, such as limiting your puppys water intake before bedtime. If your puppy has accidents during the night, it may be a sign that it has a bladder infection or some other health problem.

Your puppys bed is an important part of her development. It should be cozy and comfortable, but many different options are available. For example, some puppies like blankets and fluffy towels while others may prefer cold, hard floors. Be sure to pay attention to your puppys preferences so that you can set the environment for success. Once youve set the right environment, you can ensure your puppy sleeps through the night without an accident.

About As Many Hours

When training a puppy to hold its pee at night, keep in mind that your dogs bladder control will vary by breed. Puppies from smaller breeds generally have less bladder control than larger breeds. Nonetheless, puppies have a limited amount of bladder control. A puppy can hold its urine for about as many hours at night as a dog of the same breed. Puppies undergo Frenetic Random Activity Periods, or zoomies, which are simply a release of excess energy and stress.

To avoid this problem, put your puppy in a crate near your bedroom and let it sleep inside. If your puppy wakes up early, take it out and give it a chance to eliminate. Make bedtime a pleasant one for your dog. Dim lights, soft music, and items of clothing that smell like a dogs bedtime routine will help your puppy fall asleep sooner.

Proper Potty Training

Preparing yourself for your puppys nighttime potty trips before bed is vital. Many new puppy owners assume that their dog will be fine through the night and just hope theyll get a pee-pee-break in their crate. But the truth is that most puppies will not sleep through their potty trips and will likely start barking. Then, half-asleep owners scramble around trying to find their slippers. And if youre lucky, youll get the puppy out in time for the morning!

You should first remember that puppies are highly sensitive to smell. Therefore, they will think that it is important to pee in the place they previously peed. Even if youve used the bathroom several times, a single accident can send your puppy spiraling out of control. So, dont make the mistake of comparing your results to other pet owners. Each dog is unique and requires a unique approach.

Potty Trained

When potty training your puppy at night, you want the process to be easy and quick, with the least amount of disruption. Youll want your puppy to know that when you return home, they will be able to relieve themselves at the same spot as before. If you can keep this routine as consistent as possible, youll have far fewer accidents and fewer days of pee-peeing during the night.

As a general rule, young puppies should go to the bathroom first thing in the morning and twice or three times during the night. By the time they reach six months, their bladders are nearly full and they can hold in urine for longer periods. Eventually, however, you will want to potty train your puppy to sleep through the night. To make potty training easier, consider waking up your puppy only once or twice during the night.

As a general rule, adult dogs can hold their urine for 10-12 hours. This can be difficult to achieve if your pup does not have regular access to a potty area. You can begin housetraining your puppy by brushing up on your puppys potty training and coming up with a schedule for when your pup will go. Your pets bladder capacity will vary depending on their age, health, and training. But never push your puppy past his or her limits!

Crate Training

You may be wondering how long a puppy can hold its pee at night while crate training. It will help to know that you should not move your puppy into your bedroom for the first three weeks of crate training. This will make the transition from home to crate a little easier. Then, when your puppy begins to cry, please do not move it. Instead, go to it only when it needs to go potty. Eventually, your puppy will be sleeping peacefully in its crate.

Before you begin crate training, it is important to remember that puppies need to be distracted for a short time before they can go to the bathroom. Start with small distractions, such as your television or DVD collection. Gradually add more distractions and move on to more difficult distractions. Once your puppy is ready, you can start with crate training, gradually increasing the difficulty.

Tiny Breed

The answer to the question: How long can a tiny breed hold its urine at night? The answer varies with the breed. Dogs eight to ten weeks old can hold their bladder for up to an hour. Puppies can hold their bladder for up to four hours between three and six months. And once they are over six months, they can hold their urine for as much as six hours. This is great news for those of us who need to go to the bathroom at odd hours.

The answer may surprise you if youre wondering how long a tiny breed can hold its bladder at night. Although puppies need to go out every five to six hours, adult dogs can hold their pee for up to nine hours. But thats not the end of the story! Many tiny breeds will hold their pee for a full 24 hours or longer. For this reason, you should always remember to schedule potty trips according to your dogs needs and your own schedule.

Week Old Puppy

You may be wondering, How long can a week old puppy hold its potty at night? First, its important to remember that puppies learn to eliminate both indoors and outdoors. While puppies enjoy going out to pee and playing with their owners, they also need to go to the bathroom indoors. However, there are a few ways to help your puppy learn to hold it in.

Taking your puppy outside before bed is one way to help it hold its bladder for longer. Its also helpful to go to the yard every two hours. You can set the alarm to remind your puppy to go potty. This way, youll have peace of mind that hes held his pee and have more peaceful nights. Of course, you cant always do this, but you can try to get out every two hours and take your puppy for a walk.

A puppys bladder is tiny and needs to go out every few hours. Therefore, up to three or four months, old puppies will need to go outside every three to four hours. However, if you start training your pup to go outside at night at about eight weeks, hell be able to sleep for seven hours without going outside. And if youre unsure how long your puppy can hold his pee at night, set the alarm for at least four hours after bedtime.