# How does my bladder know...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-my-bladder-know/369728
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 22, 2006, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-my-bladder-know/369728 "2006-08-22T11:01:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2006, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-my-bladder-know/369728/1 "2006-08-22T11:01:30Z")
When I am getting home? If I have a slight need to pee (male here) when I get home my bladder seems to get all uppity when I am turning the key in the door. I might have been driving around for an hour with a slight urge, but the minute I am within striking distance of the commode, suddenly Mr. Happy needs to put out a fire right now! How does he know?
---
### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2006, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-my-bladder-know/369728/2 "2006-08-22T11:26:18Z")
I think this is what they call a conditioned reflex. Pavlov’s dogs and all that.
> **[Classical conditioning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_conditioning)**
>
> Classical conditioning (also respondent conditioning and Pavlovian conditioning) is a behavioral procedure in which a biologically potent physiological stimulus (e.g. food) is paired with a neutral stimulus (e.g. the sound of a musical triangle). The term classical conditioning refers to the process of an automatic, conditioned response that is paired with a specific stimulus.
> The Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov studied classical conditioning with detailed experiments with dogs, and published t...
---
### Author:  [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-my-bladder-know/369728/3 "2006-08-22T13:25:57Z")
Your bladder doesn’t know. Your brain, which controls the bladder does.
---
### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-my-bladder-know/369728/4 "2006-08-22T14:26:16Z")
I can’t believe I’m the first one to post [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=166577&highlight=my+bladder+knows) link.
---
### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-my-bladder-know/369728/5 "2006-08-22T14:38:27Z")
And of course… I have no clue how the bladder knows (yeah, I know, I know, conditioned reflex) but I do sympathise.
Bladder: You should go to the bathroom in the next half hour or so
Me: yeah, sure, in a little while.
(little while later)
Bladder: You know, you should really go soon, like in the next 20 minutes or so
Me: Yeah, I guess this is a good stopping point, let’s head to the potty now.
(walks into bathroom)
Bladder: Oh good. WARNING I"M GONNA CUT LOOSE IN 5 SECONDS AND I DONT CARE THAT I TOLD YOU 20 MINUTES JUST 10 SECONDS AGO. SO I LIED, OKAY!!!
Underwear: EEEEEEKKKKKK!!! RIPPPPPPP!!!
(with apologies to **Attrayant/Patty O’Furniture**. Evidently there’s a PEE NOW force-field at the bathroom door).
---
### Author:  [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-my-bladder-know/369728/6 "2006-08-22T18:59:58Z")
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The bladder knows!
---
### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-my-bladder-know/369728/7 "2006-08-22T19:05:21Z")
I just wanted to say this is an excellent question and I was going to ask it myself soon. Besides the rather vague ideas of conditioning, there has to be some physiological process that kicks in and actually causes this.