# At what age can we go beyond 4 hours?



## geissap (Sep 7, 2010)

Right now Jada is never in her crate for more than 4 hours because I worry about her little bladder holding to much, but at what age can you start to extend this? At what age can she hold it a full 8 hour day?

Also her biting is bad. I understand they bite alot, but she bites on us to the point where she's puncturing our skin and making us bleed. We say OW and she just starts barking and biting harder. Sometimes we can redirect her but then she comes back to us wanting to play, any ideas for this?


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I think I remember reading that you add an hour to however many months they are...
Example puppy is 3 months=for 4 hours MAX....but each dog is different.
Jake is fine to go 8 hours now at night but I don't think he would quite make it that long during the day....he is 8 months.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Shasta is 6 months old and cant go any longer than 12 hours. She's only had to do it a couple of time but she did very well. It all really depends on the dog though. After Shasta was fully housetrained as long as she's kenneled she pulls off the 12 hours just fine. We got her at 12 weeks old and in the kennel she never had an issue. You just build up is all.


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## geissap (Sep 7, 2010)

Our puppy is only 3 months old and I know she CAN hold it longer then 4 hours. My alarm failed to go off one night and she was sleeping soundly at 6. What I'm asking is at what age can i SAFELY do it? I just don't want her to get a urinary infection or damage her bladder. That'd be awesome if she could hold it 7 1/2 hours at 6 months. I wouldn't have to run home for lunch


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

> Shasta is 6 months old and cant go any longer than 12 hours. She's only had to do it a couple of time but she did very well. It all really depends on the dog though. After Shasta was fully housetrained as long as she's kenneled *she pulls off the 12 hours just fine*. We got her at 12 weeks old and in the kennel she never had an issue. You just build up is all.


12 hours for a six month old(or any age) is waaay too long, even a couple of times. If this is a kennel run, then that is different, but in a crate is not healthy for the mind or body. I hope anyone reading that post will not take the recommendation that it is ok to do...expect the dog to get a UTI and some muscle atrophy if they are crated for that length of time.

I agree with the others an hour for each month, but 8 hours should be the maximum for any age.


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## ahazra (Aug 20, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> 12 hours for a six month old(or any age) is waaay too long, even a couple of times. If this is a kennel run, then that is different, but in a crate is not healthy for the mind or body. I hope anyone reading that post will not take the recommendation that it is ok to do...expect the dog to get a UTI and some muscle atrophy if they are crated for that length of time.
> 
> I agree with the others an hour for each month, but 8 hours should be the maximum for any age.


This is what I read as well. I don't plan to let Zorro (9 weeks now) to go though full 8 hrs in the day till he is atleast 6-7 months of age. Forcing them to hold it in will lead to stretched bladder muscles which will only lead to UTI ,etc


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## Montana Scout (Sep 27, 2010)

mine is almost 10 weeks and he has gone a little over 8 hours before he starts begging.. but i usually get up at 7ish to let him out


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## ZAYDA (Apr 22, 2010)

geissap said:


> Right now Jada is never in her crate for more than 4 hours because I worry about her little bladder holding to much, but at what age can you start to extend this? At what age can she hold it a full 8 hour day?
> 
> Also her biting is bad. I understand they bite alot, but she bites on us to the point where she's puncturing our skin and making us bleed. We say OW and she just starts barking and biting harder. Sometimes we can redirect her but then she comes back to us wanting to play, any ideas for this?


How old is Jada? If you crate your puppy at night this teaches them to hold themselves. 4 hours is not that long at all IMO. 8-10 week old puppies I have had hold themselves that long while sleeping. Now if your talking only about during the day after eating ,playing, and drinking that is different but I still ask if you crate your puppy at night because this will tell you what their bladder is capable to handle.

As far as biting you have to replace your hand, foot, shoelaces with an appropriate toy and you must continue to say that word that you will hear in your sleep"NO BITING".Lastly you can crab your puppy by the scruff of their neck ;like mommy would do and gently pin her/him to the ground saying no biting. You have to understand at 8-12 weeks of age thats how they are trying to communicate, play, and get to know you so it;s actually best for you to bring the toy to her and encourage playing instead of her bringing her mouth to you.


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## geissap (Sep 7, 2010)

ZAYDA said:


> How old is Jada? If you crate your puppy at night this teaches them to hold themselves. 4 hours is not that long at all IMO. 8-10 week old puppies I have had hold themselves that long while sleeping. Now if your talking only about during the day after eating ,playing, and drinking that is different but I still ask if you crate your puppy at night because this will tell you what their bladder is capable to handle.
> 
> As far as biting you have to replace your hand, foot, shoelaces with an appropriate toy and you must continue to say that word that you will hear in your sleep"NO BITING".Lastly you can crab your puppy by the scruff of their neck ;like mommy would do and gently pin her/him to the ground saying no biting. You have to understand at 8-12 weeks of age thats how they are trying to communicate, play, and get to know you so it;s actually best for you to bring the toy to her and encourage playing instead of her bringing her mouth to you.


I'm talking both. In the night she'd probably sleep a full 7 hours through the night without needing to go out if I let her, but I don't let her. Like I said my alarm didn't go off one night and she never did wake me up...I woke up 6 hours into the night and said "Oh Crap" and got up to let her out, but when I opened the door to her crate I had to pull her out and wake her up. She doesn't like going out in the middle of night but I make her so she doesn't hurt herself.

During the day she's also holding in her crate for 4 hour periods. I go home for lunch and let her out but I'm like 20 minutes from home one way so I definitely want to get to the point where I don't have to do that, and it sounds like the concensus is 6-7 months.

Reading above me I'm seeing some people actually crate there puppies at night...10 weeks in one example for a full 8 hours...I don't really care what any of you say I'll happily get up in the middle of the night and let my dog out. At 10 weeks I don't see how it's healthy for them to hold it for 8 hours. This is a baby folks! Just cause she/he ain't whining doesn't mean she/he doesn't have to go. My dog doesn't whine at all at 12 weeks, but when I take her out at 2 AM she has a full bladder of pee that comes out and sometimes poop.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> 12 hours for a six month old(or any age) is waaay too long, even a couple of times. If this is a kennel run, then that is different, but in a crate is not healthy for the mind or body. I hope anyone reading that post will not take the recommendation that it is ok to do...expect the dog to get a UTI and some muscle atrophy if they are crated for that length of time.
> 
> I agree with the others an hour for each month, but 8 hours should be the maximum for any age.


 
she's only had to do it a couple of times. Sometimes its not as easy to get back home when you expected to. I got stuck in Raleigh the last time because my sisters flight got in way later than it was supposed to and hubby was in the field. Had he been home, she wouldnt have had to wait. I'm just saying its possible, not that they should do that.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

KZoppa, many people who read these threads may be new dog owners, that is why I pointed out the harm crating for long periods can do. 
Of course it's "possible" that a dog can hold it for that long, but shouldn't be suggested that it is something that normally is ok.


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## ZAYDA (Apr 22, 2010)

I always have my puppy in the crate in my bedroom and I only get up when they start whining because they need to go potty. I do not wake them up to go potty. If and when they can make it through the night is up to my puppy.


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## sunshiny (Nov 9, 2013)

*At what age do they hold pee or poop all night?*

I have a 12 week old GS puppy and does great for the most part in house training. Just wondering at about what age she will stop using her puppy pads at night?


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

KZoppa said:


> she's only had to do it a couple of times. Sometimes its not as easy to get back home when you expected to. I got stuck in Raleigh the last time because my sisters flight got in way later than it was supposed to and hubby was in the field. Had he been home, she wouldnt have had to wait. I'm just saying its possible, not that they should do that.


If I go to the airport (2 hr drive) to pick up some one I always take all the dogs and park in a covered area so at least I can take them out when the wait is too long due to possible delays in arrivals. Or you should be able to have someone lined up to check on the dog at home.
Do you know how uncomfortable it is not being able to pee when you need to? Same goes for dogs.
Mine are crated at night for about 8 hrs but then I am home and can hear what is going on.


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

I don't know how old your Jada is, but if under 12 months I wouldn't go any longer than 4 hours. I have a 5 year old GSD bitch and 2 1/2 GSD male, they are not crated, they have full run of the house and I only ever allow a maximum of 6 hours alone. When I get home after 6 hours they both empty their bladders.

My concern with being crated is that 4 hours or longer is a very long time to have limited movement, their bladders will be ok.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Harry and Lola said:


> I don't know how old your Jada is, but if under 12 months I wouldn't go any longer than 4 hours. I have a 5 year old GSD bitch and 2 1/2 GSD male, they are not crated, they have full run of the house and I only ever allow a maximum of 6 hours alone. When I get home after 6 hours they both empty their bladders.
> 
> My concern with being crated is that 4 hours or longer is a very long time to have limited movement, their bladders will be ok.


Jada is now at least 3


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

we got our pup when he was 9 weeks old. overnight he was out every
2 hours. from 4 months old to 8 months he would wake one of us up
at 4:00 am to go. my neighbor use to come in every 3 to 4 hours to
let him out if we were gone for any length of time. at 8 months old
he stopped waking one of up to go out in the middle of the night. 
our dog is 6.5 yrs old and he's out every 3 to 4 hours. can he hold 
it longer, i'm sure he can but i like knowing he's comfortable.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

So far any healthy pup of ours didn't go out at night anymore after they were 10 weeks old. No water after 8.00 PM, no food after 6.00 pm. To bed at 11.00 PM, up at 6.30 AM.
Of course they will keep waking you up if you listen to them. Waking you up pays off as you take them out and it leads to an habit.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

This thread is three years old, ressurected by someone who uses puppy pads.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

sunshiny said:


> I have a 12 week old GS puppy and does great for the most part in house training. Just wondering at about what age she will stop using her puppy pads at night?


Because of the pads, the dog is now trained to go in the house.
There is no telling if this will ever stop, as long as those pads are there.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

3 year old thread. i didn't notice that untill you said something. lol.



Sunflowers said:


> This thread is three years old, ressurected by someone who uses puppy pads.


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