How Often Should I Take My Dog Out? 3 Factors to Consider

Dog walks are longer excursions that offer your dog exercise, whereas potty breaks are short trips outside your home to allow your dog to urinate or defecate. Adult dogs typically need a minimum of three to five bathroom breaks every six to eight hours per day. However, puppies, younger dogs, and senior dogs often require more opportunities to relieve themselves.

While potty breaks are essential, they do not provide enough physical activity to meet a dog’s health and exercise needs, so pet parents should also make time for dog walks. The average adult dog needs three to four regular walks a day, though your dog’s age and breed can affect that number. Busy dog parents can hire a pet sitter or dog walker to ensure their furry friend gets outside the recommended number of times each day.

Dogs need to take regular potty breaks for several reasons. Regularly taking your dog out helps:

1. 1. Reinforce dog training: Regular bathroom breaks are a cornerstone of potty training for a new puppy. When house training or crate training young puppies, take them out to poop or pee every two hours, especially after they wake up from naps and following playtime or meals.
2. 2. Prevent serious health conditions: Dogs can hold their urine and bowel movements for long periods. Adult dogs require potty breaks every six to eight hours, while puppies can hold their bladders for one hour for each month of their age; for example, an eight-month-old puppy needs a potty break every eight hours. Dog owners should keep a regular potty break schedule to avoid serious health conditions such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder infections, or urinary stones.
3. 3. Support digestive health: Regular opportunities for a dog to poop or urinate are essential to avoid health problems like constipation. Your dog’s urinary and digestive systems work best when you give your pet consistent bathroom breaks.

Several criteria determine how often you should take out your dog for walks or potty breaks, including your pooch’s:

1. 1. Age: Younger dogs—those under the age of five—have higher energy levels than middle-aged or senior dogs, and require three to four walks (around fifteen minutes each) per day or one long walk, and three to five daily bathroom breaks. Older dogs may have health conditions that reduce their daily walking time and stamina, such as arthritis or hypothyroidism, and they may need more frequent urination breaks due to incontinence or loss of bladder control.
   
2. 2. Breed: Medium-sized dog breeds like collies or large dogs like golden retrievers have greater endurance when it comes to walks and bathroom breaks. Smaller dogs, such as terriers or Chihuahuas, have smaller bladders and shorter legs; these dogs need shorter walks but more potty breaks.
3. 3. Health issues: Obesity reduces a dog’s tolerance for exercise, as do certain diseases, such as diabetes, which also increase a dog’s need to relieve itself. Medications like steroids can also cause frequent urination.

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