I remember when I first got my Golden Retriever puppy. Early on, we had to take him out frequently to pee. Sometimes he peed so much that I wondered if Golden Retriever puppies pee a lot and if it was normal for them to do so?
In general, Golden Retriever puppies pee a lot and will need to pee every 1 to 4 hours, depending on their age. Puppies at eight weeks typically need to go out every hour or less. By six months of age, they can typically hold their bladders for 4 hours or more before relieving themselves.
So, yes, Golden Retriever puppies pee a lot, especially when they are young. The good news is that by six months of age, they can hold their pee about four hours before going out.
Now, of course, these are general guidelines. All puppies are different, and many factors can affect how often they go.
Why Do Golden Retriever Puppies Pee So Much?
If you get a Golden Retriever puppy, you will notice that they will pee a lot when they are very young! You may wonder why this is, and it has to do with their bladders.
Golden Retriever puppies must go pee frequently because they have very small bladders. The smaller the dog, the smaller the bladder. However, Golden Retrievers puppies grow quickly. As their bladders get larger, so does their ability to hold their pee for longer.
So, much of puppy peeing has to do with simple anatomy. Tiny bladders are ill-equipped to hold liquids for any appreciable time.
However, as the Golden Retriever puppy grows, so does its bladder, and in turn, the amount of peeing decreases.
The table below is a GENERAL guideline of what to expect. However, as discussed in the next section, it can vary day by day depending on many factors.
| Age | Approximate Time A Golden Retriever Puppy Can Hold Its Bladder |
| 8 weeks to 10 weeks | 1 to 2 hours |
| 10 to 12 weeks | 2 to 3 hours |
| 4 months | 3 to 4 hours |
| 5 to 6 months | 4 hours |
| 6 months and older | 4 to 6 hours |
Also, keep in mind that no two puppies are alike; they are individuals. So, one puppy at 12 weeks of age may go every hour, whereas another puppy at the same age goes every two.
Up to 6 months of age, the maximum time a puppy should go before being allowed to relieve itself is four hours. After 6 months of age, a puppy might be able to hold it for 6 hours, but again that is dependent on many factors, and the individual dog and pee breaks should be no more than four hours.
A good rule of thumb is that after six months of age make sure your dog can go out for a potty break every 4-hours, no matter how long they can hold their bladders.
How Many Times Does a Golden Retriever Puppy Pee in a Day?
Golden Retriever puppies pee a lot. The younger the pee, the more it will pee.
In general, expect Golden Retriever puppies up to three months old to pee 10 to 15 times per day. After three months, they may only pee four to eight times per day. However, the peeing frequency can be impacted by age, size, activity, diet, hydration, stress, and medical issues.
Age
Age is the most significant determinant of peeing frequency for puppies. This is because when they are very young, their bladders are small, and they do not have the physical ability to hold their pee.
Moreover, at this age, they have not had any formal house training, so they have not yet learned how to hold it. So, when the urge strikes, they go.
They do not care if it is on your carpet, bed, or floor. In the wild, when an animal needs to go, it goes. Puppies must learn not to pee in the home and wait until outside.
Fortunately, Golden Retrievers are smart and learn fast. So, as their bladders grow, if they are given a reasonable opportunity to go outside when the urge strikes, they will quickly learn to hold it.
Size
Size is the next important factor. The bigger your puppy, the bigger its bladder. As a result, you will typically find a larger puppy has better bladder control. Not always, but usually.
For example, at eight weeks of age, my Golden Retriever only went once during the night, and by week 10 could hold it until morning (and never cried). However, he was a huge puppy for his age.
Bailey was one of four in the litter, and the breeder described them as being healthy and very “plump” when they were born.
Activity
You may notice that during and after exercise, your puppy has to pee more. This increased peeing from exercise is perfectly normal.
The most obvious reason for increased pee frequency is increased fluid intake. Activity increases a puppy’s body temperature, and dogs cool themselves through panting or evaporative fluid loss.
To replenish the lost water due to panting and keep themselves cool, they drink more water.
Additionally, during activity, blood flow to the kidneys is decreased and diverted to the muscles. After rest, normal blood flow returns to the kidneys, and urine output is increased.
High amounts of activity are normal for a Golden Retriever puppy. In fact, they can often border on crazy, because of their insane activity levels. So, be diligent because they will often stop suddenly to go pee during these times.
Diet
What a puppy eats can impact its need to urinate. For example, diets rich in moisture-rich foods can increase fluid intake and result in more urination.
For example, giving your puppy some wet or raw dog food or adding some water to its kibble increases fluid intake. Or, your puppy may be getting more moisture-rich foods in snacks.
For example, cucumbers, apples, and other moisture-rich foods can increase hydration levels and peeing frequency. In contrast, if your puppy eats dry kibble and snacks, such as the freeze-dried liver, it may pee less.
Regardless of the diet, always ensure your puppy has lots of fresh water.
Hydration
The more your puppy drinks, the more it will pee. As mentioned previously, both diet and activity levels can impact hydration levels.
However, weather can also impact the amount of water consumed. For example, puppies need more water on hot summer days to cool themselves adequately, including indoors if there is no air conditioning in the home.
In the winter, drier weather can also cause a puppy to drink more.
Ensure your puppy is not left outside too long on summer days, and always make sure there is an adequate water supply both inside and out.
To learn about Golden Retrievers in hot weather and what temperatures are too hot, consider checking out this post: Golden Retrievers In Hot Weather: What’s Too Hot?
Stress
Stress can be in the form of fear, anxiety, or even excitement. These intense emotions can both increase or decrease urination.
It’s not uncommon to see a puppy pee when excited, such as when you come home after work and the puppy is happy to see you. This form of peeing is called excitement urination, and it can happen when a puppy is excited. It is normal for puppies, and most puppies outgrow this over time.
Puppies can also urinate when you are leaving due to separation anxiety. In addition, puppies may urinate from the emotional distress and fear of you leaving and them being alone. Puppies may also urinate from harsh punishments such as yelling or physical reprimands, and this stems from fear.
Often submission urination in puppies or dogs is due to being fearful or highly anxious.
Please keep training positive and rewarding. It will save you from behavioral problems down the road.
Did you know that 70% of problem behaviors originate in puppyhood? If you need help training your puppy I purchased five of the most popular online dog training programs to determine the best one. Find out which ones are the best here: Online Dog Training Courses: These Are The Ones To Buy.
Medical Issues
While medical issues in puppies are thankfully rare, they can occur and may impact urination.
For example, your Golden Retriever puppy might get a urinary tract infection or UTI.
A UTI is caused by bacteria. While your puppy may need to pee more frequently, very little comes out, and it may leak, strain to pee, or pee in the house.
Again, most puppies are healthy and medical issues causing urination problems are mostly rare. It is important to remember that puppies under 3 months of age typically have limited bladder control and reflexes and need to be house-trained.
In other words, they pee a lot, so expect accidents – a lot of them, especially early on.
However, call your veterinarian if you feel your puppy is peeing more or less than usual. Often, they can determine over the phone if your puppy needs to come in for an exam.
Common Times When Your Golden Retriever Puppy Needs to Pee
When you are potty training your Golden Retriever puppy, there will be a pattern to when it needs to go out to pee. Recognizing these patterns will help you in your potty training because you can be proactive in getting your dog out quickly when it needs to do its business.
Typical times when your Golden Retriever puppy will need to go out to pee include:
- When waking up: either in the morning or after a nap
- After meals
- Within an hour after drinking water
- During or after play
- Before bed
These are the most common times your puppy will need to go pee. But, for a good reason, the first on that list is after sleeping, especially in the morning.
When getting up in the morning, take your puppy out first thing. Not after a cup of coffee or your shower, but before you do anything else.
Consider that your puppy has a small bladder, and if it has held it most of the night, it has to relieve itself. So if you have to go, it has to go worse.
Other typical times include after meals and after drinking water. Be on the watch as puppies often go potty within 30 to 60 minutes after eating or drinking.
This is an excellent time to keep your puppy in sight. The same applies during play. You might see your puppy suddenly stop, sneak away, and start sniffing, circling, or squatting. Then, quickly (but calmly), pick the puppy up and take it outside.
A house line works well, too, if you’re not able to watch your puppy. In this way, a puppy is tethered to you, and you are more able to catch accidents before they happen.
And always take the puppy out before bed. This is a good habit to instill earlier. Allowing the dog to relieve itself before bed ensures the bladder is emptied before sleep.
Golden Retrievers puppies also poop a lot. To learn about Golden Retriever puppy pooping check this post out: Golden Retriever Puppy Pooping: How Often Is Normal?
Tips To Help Potty Train Your Golden Retriever Puppy
Golden Retrievers are exceptionally smart and learn fast. They are also eager to please and learn. So, potty training should happen quickly if you are positive, aware, and consistent.
There are many great resources on how to teach your Golden Retriever puppy to go outside. Still, there are a few rules you should always follow to make it as easy as possible.
In addition, to the common times noted above, ensure that you:
- Keep a consistent schedule; this pertains to trips outside, feeding, and exercise. Patterns are built around consistency.
- Provide regular exercise outside – outside exercise gives opportunities for the puppy to pee outside and for you to reward quickly for that behavior.
- Reinforce your puppy for “going” outside – be generous and positive. Make it a celebration, so the puppy learns “going outside is a good thing.”
- Have the right potty training supplies on hand – such as a house line, poop bags, and cleaning supplies.
- Signs or patterns of when your puppy will need to go will become clear if you observe and supervise. Use a house line to keep the puppy visible and within reach. They can sneak away like little Golden puppy ninjas.
- Keep rewards with you always. One of the biggest mistakes people make when training a puppy is missed opportunities. Ensure that if your puppy does something you want, you always have treats on hand to reward behaviors you want.
- Potty time outside is not playtime – when you take the puppy out to go potty, don’t engage it in play. The puppy must learn potty time is for peeing and pooing.
If you need to stock up on supplies such as poop bags, treat pouches, pooper scoopers, and more, check out my Must-Have Dog Gear page.
Summing It All Up
Don’t be alarmed if your Golden Retriever puppy pees a lot. It is normal, and it can be more or less depending on various factors. Expect very young puppies to go more and for urination to decrease as the puppy ages, and the bladder grows.
Early on, at eight weeks, you may be taking your Golden Retriever puppy out every one to two hours, but they will decline rapidly as the puppy grows. Peeing should decline to every two to four hours by three or four months old, and it just gets better from thereon.
Finally, keep potty training positive. Reward the puppy generously for going outside – make it a celebration, and remember to stay chill when accidents happen!
Woof-woof!
