5 Reasons Why Your Puppy Peeing So Much

When you bring a puppy home, you know that bathroom breaks will be one of the main parts of the daily routine. You will probably even prepare with extra puppy pads so your dog can pee inside the house when they need to. 

If you notice that your puppy is peeing more than you expected, it may feel alarming, and you may be wondering why your puppy is peeing so much.

Here are 5 reasons why your puppy is peeing so much:

1. Marking Territory
2. Anxiety
3. Happiness
4. Submission
5. Attention

There are often completely reasonable explanations for why a puppy is frequently peeing. Let’s not forget, this happens with human children and it’s an inconvenience we are patient with.

There can be, however, more serious reasons behind frequent being, like a UTI.

If you are dealing with a puppy that is frequently peeing in your home, don’t worry, you’re not alone. This won’t last forever and it’s quite normal. 

Be patient and understanding (it’s not that big of a deal). 

Related Reading: Why Do Dogs Urinate On The Road? [ANSWERED]

5 Reasons Your Puppy Pees Too Much

Besides being young and having a smaller and weaker bladder, there can be behavioural reasons that your puppy is peeing so much.

1. Marking Territory: 

all dogs, including puppies, use urine to mark their territory. Puppies who are new to home often mark different areas of the house with urine. They will also want to mark areas outside of the home. This behaviour is normal and even more common in dogs that are not spayed or neutered.

2. Anxiety: 

when a puppy feels anxious or scared, it is normal for them to pee excessively. New puppies need to spend a lot of time with their owners. If you are away from your puppy a lot, it may be causing them separation anxiety. Visiting new places and meeting people and other animals for the first time can also cause fear and anxiety that leads to peeing.

3. Happiness: 

yes, that’s right. Your puppy could be peeing so much because they’re super happy. When puppies experience excitement or joy, they often can’t contain the feeling and just pee.

4. Submission:

some puppies may develop a habit where they pee when being trained or scolded. It means they recognize the authority and pee in submission.

5. Attention: 

if your puppy is left unstimulated for too long, it may start to pee in different areas to try to get your attention. Your puppy just needs interaction, so try to make time throughout the day for play and cuddles. You can even get your dog some special toys to keep them busy.

Tips for Handling Your Puppy Peeing Too Much

Understanding why your puppy is peeing so much is definitely helpful, but not without knowing what you can do about it. First off, it’s important to remember that puppies are still growing and will need to empty their bladders on a more regular basis.

So, what’s the best course of action for dealing with a puppy who pees a lot?

Making a schedule. Dogs are animals that thrive on routine. Starting to establish a routine from your puppy’s early days will make them feel safe and help you address behavioural quirks like excessive peeing.

When you first start training your dog, you may want to give them water at specific times in relation to their walk schedule. As we said before, puppies usually need to empty their bladder within 30 minutes of filling it. So, give your puppy a bowl of water 30 minutes before your scheduled walk. 

This will help the puppy start to build the association to hold their pee until walk time.

Another thing to ask yourself is how often you are taking your puppy out. Believe it or not, you could be taking them out too often. If a puppy learns that it will go out every 30 minutes, it will likely start to pee with each small walk.

The best way to approach the issue is to create a set schedule and take your puppy out at the same times every day. Over time, your puppy will internalize the schedule and will not feel anxious between walks.

They will confidently hold their pee for long periods of time knowing they will be taken out to relieve themselves when walk time rolls around.

Transitioning Your Puppy To A New Routine

While you’re establishing a new routine for your puppy’s potty training, you will want to keep a collection of the following items on hand:

• Puppy Pads 
• Sanitizing Spray
• Treats for Walks

Remember, learning is a process. So, be patient while you walk your puppy through pee training.

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What’s the Norm for Puppies Peeing?

When asking yourself, ‘Why is my puppy peeing so much?’ the first thing to remember is that puppies and adult dogs are different. If you’ve been around a lot of adult dogs or even had them in your own home, you may be used to their bathroom schedule. To put it simply, puppies pee more than adult dogs.

Puppies have smaller and weaker bladders than adult dogs, so they are unable to hold as much pee for long periods of time. 

In general, puppies experience the need to empty their bladder within 10 to 30 minutes of filling it up. That means, when puppies are under 6 months of age, they will need to be taken out to pee at least once every hour or two.

Some experts believe that puppies can hold their bladder for 1 hour every month of age. So, a 1-month old puppy will need pee breaks every hour, while a 5-month old puppy will be able to hold their pee for five hours.

This is something that will obviously vary from puppy to puppy, so it’s better to take your cues from your dog.

So, when you notice that your puppy is peeing more than you expected, you shouldn’t necessarily get alarmed as they’re probably just taking advantage of an opportunity to go.

Potential Pee Issues in Puppies

While puppies do pee more than adult dogs, there is always the potential for a hidden problem to be the culprit. If you’ve noticed a change in the frequency of your puppy’s urination, you may want to take a trip to the veterinarian.

Some potential issues that can cause frequent peeing are:

• Urinary Tract Infections
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
• Liver Disease

These are serious problems that are not the first thing that should come to mind with your puppy, but getting the vet’s opinion can’t hurt.

Final Thoughts

If you have a new puppy at home who is peeing a lot more than you expected, chances are there’s nothing medically wrong with them. While it’s always good to have the veterinarian confirm that, you’re probably looking at a case of a small puppy bladder.

Work on creating a schedule and teaching your puppy to wait for walk time to relieve themselves.