Is it normal for a puppy to hold on to its pee for hours and hours? Eg one day he went at 10.00 am and didn't go again til 10pm! He's so easily distracted when he's in the garden and he has to look at birds and listen to every noise. He'd stands sniffing the air and his ears twitching listening to every sound. Its worse if we're in a hurry and have somewhere to go, then we have to wait about for ages trying to make him pee. Another day he held on from 11.00am til 6.00pm. Another day he went to the toilet around 5 or maybe 6pm and wouldn't go, even up til midnight he held on. I don't know what to do. He's a 9mth spitz.

I check for accidents in the house but there are none. He takes plenty of drinks.

Any ideas or is this normal?

Most definitely not normal.  I'll be interested in any ideas on this one.

Are you confining him to a small area of the garden to toilet in, given free range they will roam around sniffing and exploring, maybe a puppy pen you can pop him in outside whilst you get ready to go out and then check undercarriage for results.

There is always bribery, giving an extra tasty treat as a reward for performing, mature cheddar or tin piece of pepperami works here.

No he's not getting free roam of the garden, ha ha I'd never see him all day if I did that he's so nosey. I take him out on the lead and only walk him about in a small area so its only like a toilet trip not an exciting walk.

A lot of young dogs are too shy to toilet when they are on the lead, could you have him loose in a confined area instead? I find that getting them to run around also helps jiggle the bladder but may be difficult to do in this heat we're having at the moment.

He's a 9mth spitz.

Think the word spitz may be the answer here - it would seem he has decided that he will not go on the lead. Try an enclosed area where he can be free and on his own in your own garden and if that does not work I would see the vet with him - urine retention will soon result infection and you need to check there is not a physical reason for it.

Do you have another dog or are there several in the area you walk him?

Thanks. I take him out to the back garden on his own. He does go when he's on the lead, I think its just noseyness that keeps him from doing it sometimes. There are other times he goes straight away when he's taken out, its just how long he holds on for in between.

Unfortunately I don't have a well enclosed part of the garden, there are some fences but they belong to the neighbours and the fences are a bit old, so might have holes. I don't know because there are plants in front of the fence on my side so I would be afraid in case he would find a gap and be gone. Plus he's very good a jumping high.

Yesterday he went at 5.30am, 10.20am, 6pm, and 8.30.

Yesterday he went at 5.30am, 10.20am, 6pm, and 8.30.

Well that seems all right providing he is emptying and not just marking.

Forgot to say he does a pee in the middle of the night too, so he's not holding all that time. Its not me who takes him out then though so not sure exactly what time.

I had a similar problem with my lab when he was about the same age, would ONLY go to toilet in the back garden, not anywhere else. We went to stay at MIL house thinking he would just go when he needed. After about 30 hours we realised he wasn't going to go so ended up having to go back home so he could go. He did eventually grow out of it, I spent many hours sitting out in fields playing with him hoping he would go, when he eventually did he got loads of praise and he figured out it was ok to go elsewhere!

Same thing with my beagle.  She was over 12 months old before she went anywhere other than my back garden (and a corner of my house!)  She went well over 12 hours as a puppy when we were out all day at the beach.  So much so she was crying with needing to go but just wouldn't.  She is now 3 and has only just started to toilet when she is on a lead. 

"Forgot to say he does a pee in the middle of the night too"

If he's 9 months old, I'd be surprised that he's not clean through the night until morning?

For those whose dogs won't 'go' when away from home, have you tried a newspaper soaked in their pee?   Doesn't have to stay wet, but when thrown on the grass or wherever, can help give them the 'cue' that they can go there :-)

Worked with mine when at shows or travelling as youngsters :-)