For a puppy, the first few weeks of life can be overwhelming. Who can blame them? Tiny, naked and like fluffy magnets to strangers’ hands. As you can imagine, a yellow puddle on the floor is a not-so-uncommon way for them to react to all the novelty and excitement, (or stress) that comes with it. As a new puppy parent, you will grow used to seeing accidental wees here and there, although it may seem impossible at times that something so small could urinate so much. To help you out, this article will help you to understand the cause in order to prevent it in the future.
If, in fact, you’re wondering why your puppy is peeing so much, this article is for you. We’ll help you understand why your puppy pees so much, so that you know what to do to prevent them doing it in the wrong place, and when you might want to take them to the vet.
For more help on puppy training, not just with toilet training, download the Zigzag puppy training app and learn all about the socialisation, habituation, alone time training, and other important Life Skills you’ll have to sink your teeth into. We know every dog is different, so we’ll give you a personalised training journey where all of your puppy’s needs and milestones are met. If you run into trouble, our team of amazing puppy experts will be there to help you at any moment. Literally. Even when you’re stuck trying to make them go for a poo before bed.
Why does my puppy pee so much?
There are a few reasons why your puppy is peeing so much. But let’s start with a simple biology lesson.
Puppies have small bladders. Therefore, they need to pee often.
Simple enough?
Being puppies, they hardly have any bladder control at first either, so when they gotta go, they literally WILL go. No warning, sorry!
Toilet training is something that improves over time, so try not to lose your patience. Some of you will be lucky and heir breeder will have done a lot of previous work on teaching them to use a grassy area outside, or even trained them to use puppy pads, or crate trained them with a puppy pen. But for the rest, it probably means you’ll have to do it yourself. You’re still lucky though, especially with Zigzag by your side.
Just as a head’s up, your puppy will likely need to pee after:
- Waking up
- Drinking
- Eating
- After or during a training session
- After or during play
- And then at least every two hours.
Seems like a lot, but just think of their small bladders. It’s actually quite normal that a young puppy will pee a lot when going through toilet training.
Puppies also pee through excitement or fear. Yes, emotions run high in puppies too. If you have a puppy who pees when someone comes into the house, you can take steps to prevent this from happening. We see this happen a lot in Spaniels and Retrievers, but it can be in any breed of dog.
Lastly, your puppy may have a UTI if the frequent peeing is also accompanied by them licking their bits a lot. Keep your eye out for that! Don’t look away. We know how weird that sounds. If you see that your pup is straining and nothing comes out, or discolouration/blood in their urine, it may be a good idea to call your vet.
What to do when your puppy pees a lot inside and outside
If you have a puppy that pees a lot inside as well as outside, we have some tips to hopefully help them understand that outside is the place to go.
Puppy Proof your house to reduce puppy accidents inside
Puppy proofing your home is essential. We recommend doing it before you bring your puppy home – it will save you time and patience in the long run, trust us.
Puppies will naturally gravitate to rugs and soft furnishings to pee on, especially if they have been trained on puppy pads. Who wouldn’t want to pee on such luxurious flooring, anyway. Time to roll those puppy pads up to prevent accidents or build your puppy a safe area with a puppy playpen.
Create a schedule to prevent your puppy peeing so much inside
Creating a schedule which outlines when your puppy eats, sleeps, has playtimes and toilet breaks will help you reduce the amounts of peeing accidents your puppy has inside by a ton.
If the commonly-asked question ‘why is my puppy peeing so much’ goes through your mind a lot, then it’s highly likely that your puppy, and household, need a routine to follow.
Create a puppy toilet area so your puppy has somewhere to pee
If you live in an apartment, you’ll need to create a toilet area for your puppy to go to. We know the struggle of getting up and down the stairs, or in the lift with a puppy who desperately needs the toilet. Going up and down becomes a drag, but trust us on this – accidents will happen. Especially in the middle of the night!
If you want to keep puppy pads, toilet train your puppy to go on one pad, in an area away from their sleeping area. That way, your puppy won’t pee so much where you don’t want them to!
Don’t tell them off for peeing inside!
We get it. Teaching a puppy to pee outside can be frustrating at times. But they really don’t understand why we get cross when all they did was go for a wee. If you get visibly cross with them, they’ll start to feel worried about peeing in front of you, and this is when you’ll get into trouble: your puppy will start going off and hiding where they’re going to the toilet. To give you an idea, this will generally result in a surprise wet sock on your end, and a lot of work to teach them to pee in front of you again!
Is your puppy an excited pee-er?
This might be another reason why your puppy is peeing so much. It’s often called submissive urination, but it’s really where a puppy feels overwhelmed by the situation and wee comes out. It often happens when people say hello to your puppy. With training and keeping greetings on the low, this kind of peeing will reduce over time.
When should I take them to the vet?
If your puppy is straining but no wee is coming out, or they are wincing when they pee or showing signs of discomfort in their body language, it’s time to call the vet for some advice. Keep your eye out for any discolouration in their urine – if it’s dark or has blood in it then definitely go to the vet.
If you see a sudden increase in peeing from a previously toilet trained puppy, then we recommend seeing a vet. Any behaviour changes which happen quickly may have a medical reason behind them so it’s best to be safe!
How can I teach my puppy to pee outside?
It’s highly likely that ‘’outside’’ will be your puppy’s toilet. Therefore, you will find yourself training loads on how to teach your puppy when they gotta go, outside is the right place.
Here’s how to teach your puppy to pee outside:
- Decide on the place in your garden, balcony, terrace or yard that you want to be your puppy’s toilet area.
- Load your pocket up with some really delicious high-value treats
- After every activity such as sleeping, playing, training, eating, drinking, cuddling, take them to that spot on their lead and wait.
- You’ll want to take them to the same spot every 2 hours at a minimum – remember their small bladders!
- When your puppy pees (or poos), have a celebration with treats and praise to show them they’ve done something good.
- Wait a couple of minutes in case they want a second pee – you just never know.
- If your puppy doesn’t pee, bring them inside. Have them tethered to you, or watch them like a hawk. You don’t want to run into an accidental pee!
- Any body language that looks like sniffing, circling, licking your hands, wandering off or generally being a bit agitated – take it as a loud alarm for you to take them outside.
- Repeat the above until your puppy stops weeing everywhere except their designated toilet. It will take time, but it will be worth it.
We hope we’ve helped you with some of the answers to why is your puppy peeing so much. You’ve got plenty of actionable steps you can take now for toilet training your pup, so let’s get to it!
At this point, another question you might be asking yourself is ‘’why is my puppy eating everything’’ and, well, we have answers for that too. Check it out in our article, as well as many, many other questions you might be asking yourself as you familiarise yourself with being a puppy parent, Download the Zigzag puppy training app today for more puppy training tips, expert advice, and a personalised puppy training journey. No pressure. But we’ll be waiting.
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