160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
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Dog Questions
Dear Dr. Berg,
My friend and I are having an argument, and I hope you can help settle it. I keep my dog in a kennel all day because
he tends to chew up things in the house. My friend says that this is cruel, and that I may be causing damage to
his kidneys because he has to hold it so long. What do you think? He is a 1 ½ year old Husky, and we love
him, but just can't trust him home alone.
B. A., Smyrna
Dear B.A.,
There is no hard and fast rule as to how long a particular dog should remain in a kennel without relieving himself
or herself. What would you say if I asked you how long a human could go? You'd probably say it depends on age,
on what that person has been eating that day, on how much they've had to drink, and whether or not there is a medical
condition. The same is true for dogs.
In general, the younger the dog, the less they are able to "hold it". A general rule of thumb that I
have seen is to add 2 to the age in months of a puppy, and that is how long they can be expected to "hold
it". A puppy that was 2 months old could go 4 hours; a puppy that is 4 months old could probably go 6. This
rule obviously doesn't work on the very young puppy, nor can we calculate the same for a 10-year old dog (122 hours…..that's
over 5 days!).
I think most owners learn the toilet habits of their puppies pretty quickly out of necessity. And the quicker we
learn to read our dog's "signs" and to anticipate their needs, the more success we will have with the
toilet-training process. So PAY ATTENTION to your puppy and the body language when you are toilet training them.
An adult dog, if fed and watered correctly, can certainly learn to "hold it" all day, and usually does
not need to be kenneled. Sometimes, however, kenneling is done for the safety of your pet and of your home. Not
only is it nearly impossible to keep a nice house with a perpetual chewer, but it becomes a safety issue as well.
Chewing on lamp cords, toxic plants, lead paint, and sharp objects can be fatal to our pets.
There are things we can do to help dogs get used to and respect their surroundings. Plenty of exercise is essential,
especially with dogs like the Husky breed, as excess energy tends to be expressed as chewing behavior. Boredom
also tends to encourage "what can we do now" behavior. Preventatively removing dangerous objects from
the area can also help: Child gates, locks on cabinets, hanging plants from the ceiling, etc.
Another very important point to bring up here is that it pays to do your homework before you even go to look for
a potential new four-legged family member. Some breeds are bred for their high energy levels, and a mis-match in
temperament can greatly increase your chances of seeing destructive behavior in your puppy. If you don't have much
room in your yard or much time for long walks, avoid those breeds that tend to need lots of exercise and who have
a high energy level. And the size of the dog does not necessarily determine a dog's need for space. St. Bernards
(or "St. Barnyards" as we affectionately nick-name them) that weigh in at 180 pounds can be pretty happy
with a modest amount of exercise. On the other extreme, a Jack Russell Terrier that might tip the scale at 20 pounds
(if he's wet and has a heavy collar on) needs heavy exercise and stimulation all day long. Such a high-energy dog
that is left alone all day without proper exercise will be very very likely to find his own "fun" while
you are at work.
While it is possible to damage a dog's kidneys by withholding water long enough, it is possible, but unlikely that
any animal will "hold it" long enough to cause permanent damage. It is usually so painful to keep the
urine in that most animals will eventually relieve themselves, though they try their best to make you happy by
holding it. It is a very painful predicament to put a dog in, however. Just think what it feels like to you when
there are 23 more miles to the next rest stop and you're driving down the interstate just about to burst.
For more ideas on how to go about helping your dog behave while you are not at home,
I'd encourage you to read a good book on dog behavior. You will learn a lot about your dog and how he looks to
you for guidance, and you may be surprised what you learn about yourself.
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