Every dog owner expects that their dog will have a few accidents throughout their lifetime. But occasionally a dog will either be extremely difficult to housebreak or will suddenly begin to have regular accidents for an unknown reason. When you’re the owner of a dog like this, how do you get your dog to stop peeing all over your home?
Why Won’t My Dog Stop Peeing In My House?
The first thing that needs to be done is to determine why your pet is urinating inside of the home, which of course is easier said than done. Here is a list of potential reasons and tips that could result in the end of indoor urination:
Your Dog Simply Isn’t Housebroken Yet
Just like every human child who has been potty trained, every puppy is different. What might work for one dog could be completely ineffective for another! Here are a few housebreaking tips for those who are dealing with a particularly stubborn pup:
1. Limit Access Inside Of The Home: You should keep your pet confined to a comfortable but small area while housebreaking. Of course, when they’re with you and being monitored, it’s ok to bring them around by your side, but when you can’t continually keep an eye on them, a sectioned off area with preferably non-carpeted flooring is best. This is also where your dog’s crate (if you choose to use one) should be.
2. Stick To A Strict Schedule: Routines are important for potty-training. Devise a schedule that works best for you and your family and stick to it as best you can.
3. Take The Puppy Outside Immediately After Any Meals Or Naps: This is when your puppy’s bladder is likely full and they will need to go to the bathroom. Encourage them with whatever training words you choose, such as “Go potty!” or “Let’s go pee-pee!” when you get outside.
4. Reward Reward Reward: Whenever your dog goes to the bathroom outside be sure to give them plenty of praise and lots of treats!
Patience and consistency are the most important things to keep in mind during this process. You and your pup will eventually settle into a wonderful routine, free of accidents!
Are Certain Breeds Harder To Potty Train?
Although each dog is unique, there does seem to be some correlation between certain breeds and the difficulty that owners have in housebreaking them. Some of the most difficult breeds to potty-train include:
1. Italian Greyhound
2. Pug
3. Pomeranian
4. Afghan Hound
5. Jack Russel
6. Chow Chow
7. Bulldog
8. Beagle
That being said, there are plenty of dogs of each of these breeds who were housebroken quite quickly.
Your Dog Is Marking
Marking is when an otherwise healthy and housebroken dog urinates, typically on an upright object like the wall or a chair. This behavior is commonly seen in male dogs who have not been neutered and is one of the behavioral reasons that veterinarians recommend neutering at a young age.
In the wild, wolves and dogs use marking to communicate. When a dog begins to mark inside of the home, there could be several causes:
1. A New Object Has Been Introduced To The Home: Have you recently brought home a new piece of furniture or a plant? Your dog might be specifically marking that new object because it could smell of another dog or because it causes them anxiety for some reason.
2. You And Your Dog Have Moved To A New Home: It’s possible that another dog urinated in the house long before you lived there. You might not be able to smell any urine that has been cleaned up but your dog can. Marking a new home is a way of establishing territory.
3. Your Dog Has Seen Or Scented Another Dog: Even if the other dog is outside, this could cause your dog to mark to inform the unwelcome intruder that this is their home.
4. Anxiety: Separation anxiety can cause a dog to begin marking.
Marking can be a very difficult behavior to stop once it has begun. If your pet is left alone at home, consider beginning or returning to crate training when you aren’t able to supervise them. If the marking occurs on a specific object, you might want to simply remove that object from your home, no matter how much you love it. Or perhaps move the object to a room where you can close the door and limit access.
If you suspect that your dog is marking because of an underlying anxiety disorder, consult your veterinarian. Anxiety can be treated.
Your Dog Is Ill
Sadly, recurring urination can be a sign that your dog is suffering from an underlying illness. The most common causes of repetitive urination include:
1. Urinary Tract Infection: When bacteria cause a UTI, your dog may show symptoms including frequent urination, licking of the genitals, and their urine may be bloody. UTI’s can be dangerous and should be treated quickly.
2. Uroliths: Uroliths are stones that can be found anywhere in the urinary tract system. These stones can cause serious discomfort and if left untreated, can cause infection or can block the urinary tract system entirely, putting a pet’s life at risk.
3. Kidney Disease: When the kidneys aren’t working properly dogs often begin to pee more frequently and are unable to hold their urine.
4. Diabetes: As with humans, one of the symptoms of diabetes is frequent urination.
5. Cushing’s Disease: Cushing’s Disease occurs when a dog’s body produces too much cortisol. Signs of the disease include increased thirst, frequent urination, excessive panting, and hair loss.
6. Incontinence: There are many causes of incontinence, the most common being the weakening of the muscles that control urination. This is common in older dogs. There are medications that can be prescribed to treat incontinence.
It’s always important to have your pet examined by your veterinarian if they begin to urinate inside when they were previously housebroken. You could be able to help your pet feel much better and stop the inappropriate peeing with a simple visit to the doctor!
Your Dog’s Medication Is An Issue
Even though many medications are necessary and help your dog feel better, there are certain medications that can cause a dog to urinate more frequently or become incontinent. Medications that could cause inappropriate urination includes:
1. Steroids
2. Seizure Medications
3. Diuretics
If you suspect your dog is having an issue with their medication be sure to discuss this with your veterinarian. There might be a way to adjust the dosage or a different medication they could take.
Preventing Your Dog From Urinating In The Same Spot Repeatedly
In addition to consistent training and consulting with your veterinarian, the key to stopping accidents is to make sure that you do your best to eradicate urine spots from your home.
Dogs will smell where they’ve gone to the bathroom before and will frequently continue to eliminate in that spot.
Here are a few tips for cleaning up dog urine:
1. Clean each accident as quickly as possible.
2. Use a black light to find every place your dog has urinated.
3. Consider using an enzymatic cleaner. These cleaners contain bacteria and enzymes that break down the urine and help to eliminate odors. One of the best ones to try is the Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain and Odor Eliminator.
Last update on 2023-09-21 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
4. When cleaning carpets remember that the urine has likely soaked through to the padding below. Any cleaners that you use need to be applied all the way through to the subflooring.
5. Consider hiring a professional! If you’ve finally sorted out why your dog has been urinating and would like to treat yourself to something nice, consider hiring a professional cleaning company to help out.
Stay Strong
This process of figuring out why your dog is peeing in the house and then finding a solution is often a frustrating and upsetting one. Remember, you aren’t alone. Reach out to the other dog lovers in your family and circle of friends for support!
