[Sookie's mom]

How long can I expect my 2yr old lab to "hold it". I let her out in the yard (her usual spot) about 9-11pm and assume she can make it to at least 6am. When she comes to get me about 4am, I want to be sure it's okay to let her hang on for a couple of hours. It's hard to tell if she's getting me up for 'gotta pee' or 'hey are you awake yet?' (Every day is a party to her) She's in excellent health. I haven't checked with the vet yet to see if there's a problem but she's always done this now and then.
My other dog didn't pee for 18hrs once. We had a big storm and it was raining so much she didn't want to go outside. We kept trying to take her out but she dug in her heels and just wanted to stay warm and dry inside.
Basically, generally speaking, how long can a normal, healthy dog 'hold it'?

 

[salask]

It really depends on the dog... I have a diabetic dog that holds his urine most of the night (9 hours). I have 2 other females that are in good health and they too can hold urine for 9 hours. If you think your doggies is urinating more than usual, you might want to have her checked. How is her water intake? is she drinking more water than usual or about the same?

 

[Willowy]

Toby does that, too, and I have a hard time determining whether he really has to go or he just wants to play. What I've been doing is I ignore him at first. If he keeps poking me, I tell him to go lie down. If he gets up and bugs me AGAIN, I know he really has to go.

 

[Kathyy]

I do the opposite. I get up and put the dogs out and watch to make sure they pee. Then back to bed, no treats, no fun. If I am really annoyed breakfast will be 1/2 hour later than usual. I only respond to the pre dawn demands every 1/2 hour. Even old sick Sassy doesn't need to pee that much!