How often does a dog go out

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

How often does a dog go out for exercise and toileting depends upon size and age

Let’s get right down to it, shall we? Dogs, like an other member of the animal species, need to urinate and defecate daily. And it’s best if they do this outside.

All kidding aside, we want the best for our animals and look to find answers to anything and everything pertaining to our canines’ health, happiness, and overall contentment.

So, how often does a dog go out? And what’s the best way for you to keep your furry friend happy, satiated, and accident-free this winter season?

What’s the Skinny?

The American Animal Hospital, based out of Randolph, New Jersey, offers a few tips and tidbits for pet owners on the question of how often does a dog go out? Defecation first, please? You asked for it, so here we go.

Canines will typically need to head to the out-of-doors to take care of their business after eating.
They will defecate during this time (hopefully); depending upon how often and when you feed your animal, the need to go out for a number two will occur once to a few times daily.

Here are a few ideas on different factors which may contribute to an increase — or decrease — in bowel movement frequency:

The type of food which the canine imbibes (dry or canned)
The amount eaten during each serving
Amount of fiber found within meals

As most of you know, more fiber in your pooch’s diet will mean more trips outside to the backyard, front yard, or neighbor’s yard (bad dog!).

Urination

On to the next pleasant subject matter: urination. Your furry buddy should urinate at least every 8 to 10 hours, according to the American Animal Hospital. Certain factors will affect flow, such as:

Dietary factors like sodium intake, sugar content, and the amount of water drunk in a given time period
According to the American Animal Hospital, urine output should be less than 20 milliliters per pound.

Vets recommend that you let Fido out first thing in the morning, after he eats, before bedtime, and a few other times throughout the day as duty calls. For more information on these fantastic subject matters, be sure to head over to the Canine FAQ page on their main site to learn more.

Pet Doors

For pet owners who work full-time, have family responsibilities, or are looking to head back to school, pet doors can offer a great way to let you dog out on their own terms if you’re away for long periods of time.

There are options for a pet door addendum to a wide variety of structures, from:

Sliding glass doors
Wood doors
Walls
Windows
Screens
Metal doors, and more!

Most companies will even have options for giant breed canines, as well. This way, when you’re not home, your pet can simply head to the backyard, do their business, and head back inside to the warmth and comfort of home.

When There May Be Underlying Issues

While we’ve taken this subject in a tongue-in-cheek manner so far, there can be underlying issues at work sometimes; if your pet suffers from excessive urination or strains to defecate it would be a good time to schedule a local veterinarian visit just to make sure everything is on the up and up. Other symptoms to look out for include:

Vomiting
Trouble eating
Diarrhea
Irregular bowel movements
Infrequent urination

This is obviously not an all-encompassing list of potential ailments, but it’s a good start. Just make sure you see your local veterinarian on a regular basis in order to keep your pet happy and healthy for a long time to come! And there are many other websites online (like Pets WebMD and MedicineNet.com to name a few) which can help you to do just that.

Resources:

American Animal Hospital: FAQs.