As a pup, I had Jackson on a strict schedule. By that, I mean, we just had a routine. I was lucky enough to not be working when I brought him home, so it was every 2hours at first. I would bring him out even if I didn't think he had to go. Just in case. I did not want to set him up to fail.
At 4 1/2, he's completely reliable. He can honestly hold it for a long time but I don't make him do that very often. The most he's usually left alone is 6 hours, but he's gone 8 hours before during the day and 10-11 hours overnight.
But our general routine now is ...
- Potty at 8am when I get up for work (poop/pee)
- I get off work at 1, come home and he goes pee (we also usually do something at this point -- park, dog park, walk, fetch, etc) so he poops at the park.
- He will usually pee again around 4:30/5.
- Pee around 8pm
- Last potty break around 10-11pm.
On lazy rainy days or days I'm off work, it's usually more like
- wake up at 10-11am and let him go pee/poop
- go out around 3-4
- again between 7-8
- last potty break is after midnight |