Aibu to ask - dog owners in flats - how often do you take your dog to the loo?

[anothernameagain000]

I’ve just moved somewhat unfortunately to a flat with my dog - I have a communal garden but it’s not completely secure and am now in a position where I need to take doggy out for a “number two”.

This may sound like a stupid question - but for those of you who have to take your dogs out (as opposed to just open the garden door), how often do you take them to the loo?

My dog is an older puppy so is almost toilet trained but not quite so am really keen to get it right - but at the moment am doing five short walks a day which also seems a bit excessive (Small breed)

If he's not quite toilet trained then five doesn't sound excessive to be honest. I don't live in a flat, but all it takes is to miss taking them out once or twice and it can set you right back. My small breed has been a lot harder to toilet train than my bigger dogs, and when it is colder she pretends she doesn't need to go and will then go inside

I think I would still expect them to need to go out 4-5 times even as an adult really. That is me humanising them a bit though potentially. Wake up and bedtime breaks, dinner time breaks (mine eat twice a day) and a lunchtime one. Every four hours or so.

Oh I don’t mind popping into the garden five times - it’s walking him to poop five times that I’m thinking is too much (he literally won’t go in the garden).

Sorry I wasn’t to clear in my op.

And agree - have always had larger dogs - the wee ones seem to be a lot harder to toilet train! Smaller bladders I suppose

Two walks a day for pooping and then maybe 3-4 extra trips outside for wee/playing - not necessarily walks. HTH.

I used to live in a flat and we used to walk my dog 3 times a day. 6/7am-ish, 3/4pm-ish and 11pm/midnight. My partner works shifts so this was what works around his shifts. 4 year old dog and had the same routine since 7 weeks old, being lazy and letting him out in the garden (we moved a few month ago) results in him being a pest, he goes through the bin and things like that. So we stick to routine.

I live in a flat and walk my dog 3 times a day. Around 9am 5.30pm and 11pm on working days, random times on a weekend.
Usually the 11pm walk is just a quick pee.

when we used to live in a flat - every 3 hours when not trained, then about 4-5 times.

Just two for poops should do, or does he do more than two a day?

Exercise stimulates the bowel so a short and more brisk walk might encourage that a bit quicker than a leisurely stroll.

I have a collie in a flat. We go out for a ten min wee/poop walk three times a day at very specific times (cos collies love routine). He also has knows if he comes and sits in front of me with his lead I will take him for a wee but he rarely does that. We go on other longer walks too but not at set times. Routine is your friend

For poos it would be 2 or 3 a day (morning, possibly afternoon, and evening) then maybe 3 or 4 more trips for wees mid morning, mid afternoon and right before bed. But she is a larger dog, not a puppy. A puppy obviously has a smaller bladder so would need to go more often, i would think.

Four times a day but two of those are one hour plus walks. So first thing for ten minutes round the block. Long walk at anywhere between 10.00 am to midday, long walk after dinner, out last thing at night before bed. Some days he's out with me for about four hours as well.

I don't live in a flat, but have an upstairs living room. My 9 month old puppy's been a nightmare to toilet train. She's currently on 4 walks a day (8ish, 12ish, 4ish, 7ish) plus popping her into the garden in between. She still sometimes goes in the house. I think I'm probably going to have to kill her!

Small breed owner here. Not in a flat but dog will not poo in the garden. When a puppy, had puppy pads. Now a young dog, poos at least three times per day.

My friend lives in a first floor flat. She let's hers out two to three times per day. Walk in morning and in evening.

Smallish breed 6kg...three ‘business’ walks each around 20-30 mins - 9am, 1pm and 7pm, plus pee trips to back yard.

When doing advice visits to flats we normally recommend min 4 bathroom trips a day for all dogs - more if a puppy or sometimes when elderly.
Doesn't have to be long for toilet trips (5 mins) and your ordinary walks count in those 4 x of course.
It is a bind (we have a dog flap and I have missed it terribly when we go on holiday with the mutts!) but can help prevent problems with house training, stress and even physical health

Probably 4-5 times on average. Some are just quick wander up the street for a wee others are longer walks. Tend to be fairly regularly timed with poo's & will always go again on a proper walk, but generally go twice daily. Luckily my dogs aren't that fussy where they go for either if they need it but prefer grass.

I had a standard poodle for 13 years. I'd take him out in the morning before breakfast, at lunchtime, then when I got home in the afternoon, and once more before going to bed. So four times a day at a minimum, although we often went for walks at other times since he tended to go with me wherever possible.

My dog won’t wee or poo in our garden so he goes for a morning, lunchtime, teatime and bedtime walk. He’ll poo on a max of two of those. For a younger dog that’s not long toilet trained I’d say your five walks is about right.

Meant to say, he will only poo on grass too, never ever on the pavement, luckily we live near a park. He’s quite fastidious.