Urination issues

[Josh Adams]

We've had our puppy for over a week now. House training started off well; however, he now urinates multiple times after a water offering whereas before it was one, long urination. It also now takes him 50 minutes to empty his bladder and about 3 or 4 urinations. We usually stay outside long enough but sometimes he doesn't go. But the moment we go inside he pees out of no where showing non of the normal warning signs we're used to. We watch him like a hawk. Are we doing something wrong? Is this submissive urination? Thank you.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Have him checked for a UTI.  If he doesn't have one then you will have to learn his 'habits' and act accordingly.  We had a dog that both peed and pooped multiple times to completely empty the bowel and bladder.

[Josh Adams]

Thank you for the reply. Is this something some puppies grow out of as their bladders and digestive system grows?

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

It can. If nothing else, he will be able to hold it for hours and hours. He might continue to eliminate several times at a pee time but it won't be a big deal then.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

This sounds exactly like our Desi as a puppy. Our first doodle, Sedona, was pretty easy to potty train, so we thought we knew what we were doing when Desi came around. We took him out on a regular schedule plus after waking and after playing. He’d pee, we’d praise, we’d bring him back in, and - he’d pee again! We then kept him out until he’d peed twice. But often, he’d come in and pee again! So we’d wait until he’d peed three times (which was hard to do since it was usually pouring rain) and the little devil would still come in and pee!!! Thankfully, he finally got it and the “accidents” got fewer and farther between. When Desi was nine months old, we brought home his half-sister Cori. We dreaded the potty training, expecting a repeat of our Desi experience! Nope - very few accidents with this little one. Go figure!

[Josh Adams]

This is very encouraging! Thank you for sharing. Hopefully our boy will grow out of it as well. Our vet advised it may be normal puppy behavior but to bring him in if it continues over the next week.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Keep us posted.

[Terri Sassone]

How old is your puppy?  Definitely get him checked for a UTI and a full urine panel.  House training is a process there will be huge leaps forward and backward.  If he doesn't develop strong "tells" on when he has to go potty, you may want to hang some bells on the door and train him to ring them when he needs to go outside.  I've seen that work really well for pups that just pee without warning.  Good Luck! 

[Josh Adams]

Thank you for the encouragement! It certainly feels like big leaps forward then backward. He is now 10 weeks. We will follow up with our vet on Monday. Fingers crossed!

[Josh Adams]

Update:

Our vet conducted a Urinalysis earlier this week. There was a small increase in the number of white blood cells, so it was difficult to diagnose a UTI without doing a culture. She prescribed Clavamox which he's been taking for several days now. There has been no improvement in his frequent urination after a water offering. In fact, we just had a big accident inside immediately after he urinated outside. I don't know what's going on. Is this behavioral? I know he can hold it - he goes 8 hours in the crate overnight and he is able to hold it for 2-3 hours during his daytime naps. We're getting a little desperate. It's very tiring taking him out every 8 minutes for 1-1.5 hours after a water offering. 

[Stacy]

I don't claim to be a potty training expert, far from it. I'm having my own potty training issues though they're of a completely different nature. But I was thinking, when you take him out to potty what is happening? Is there play too? Or is it just a trip out for potty? Could he be dragging things out because he's having too much fun outside? I once had a foster dog that I really struggled with. We went outside a thousand times and without fail he would come in and immediately potty. I think he was having so much fun that he forgot to go until he came back in. He needed to be put on leash and stay in the potty area until he emptied and then he could play in the yard. And if he doesn't go, it's back in the crate until time to try again. No free run of the house to make mistakes. 

It took me until Katie was 6 months to get her reliably housebroken. I read all these stories of people who potty train their dogs in a week or two, and I have no idea what magic they have. I didn't do anything different, but one day it's like it just clicked. Potty is for outside. We keep the house clean. And she's been perfect ever since. It's such a relief when you don't have to watch them every single second to make sure they aren't sneaking off to potty. I have a sneaking suspicion that he just doesn't get it yet. I think if you keep doing what you're doing it will all come together and he will be potty trained. If you ask me this is the hardest part. Not the teething and biting and chewing everything. After Katie was potty trained everything else seemed so easy.

[Josh Adams]

Thank you for the encouragement, Stacy! We keep his outings strickly business. For the most part, he does as well since he has to pee so badly. We don't have any issue getting him to go during these times.