We, dog parents, sometimes come home after a daunting day to find a urine mess on the floor. Dog wetting inside has become so common that we might see it as a normal part of raising a pup. But wait! We need to uncover something behind this behavior to break the dog from peeing in the house.
As someone who’s taken care of thousands of dogs, we will share with you some insider tips!
In This Article:
7 Reasons Why Your Dog Is Peeing In The House
Your Pup Is Marking Its Territory
Canines were born with a strong sense of territory. So, it’s an instinctual urge for a dog to urinate in a new space as a claim of ownership. Your four-legged friends simply want to announce to other dogs or pets in the house that this is their territory.
This behavior is especially common in the case of social changes, like moving to a new house or welcoming a new animal member into the family. Additionally, adult dogs use their urine to signal their partners that they’re ready for breeding.
It’s Just An Accident
Think of puppies like human babies. They have smaller bladders and can hold their urine for just a short period. So, they sometimes can pee uncontrollably when the bladder is overly full.
If you bring them home from a shelter, they won’t be familiar with the new home. Also, these furry balls have no idea about the appropriate potty area. Therefore, they might perceive the house as a safe peeing location.
Your Dog Is Excited
Have you ever seen your little furball sprinter around you and suddenly wee? Don’t panic! If a pup experiences a burst of excitement or contentment, it might be too focused on that overwhelming feeling and unaware of its urination needs.
So, it answers the call of nature instinctually, leading to inappropriate peeing.
Fear, Stress, or Anxiety (Submissive Urination)
Canines are gifted with a deep emotional intuition that makes them vulnerable to fear and stress.
Even a small change or gesture can trigger their rollercoaster of emotions, such as a loud noise (thunder, fireworks, etc.), an angry tone, a greeting from a stranger, moving to a new place, or simply reading sorrow in your eyes. Imagine the emotional turmoil they experience when there’s a new member or their loved ones passed away!
Exposure to these triggers for an extended time results in suppressed stress and submissive urination. Inappropriate peeing is manifested more clearly in sensitive doggos or those with separation anxiety.
Changing Routine
Dogs thrive on habits, so an unexpected change, even small, can screw up their well-established routines. Moving to a new home, welcoming a new member, and changing the feeding, watering, and bathing schedule can all contribute to their improper peeing behavior.
Aging
It might be frightening to watch a senior dog with ample house training urinate uncontrollably. But sometimes, we must accept that our once little puppy has transformed into an old veteran. With his age comes a weaker urinary system, leading to more frequent indoor peeing. Here are some consequences of aging that your dog can experience:
- Physical changes: Weaker muscle and bladder control are the main culprits behind urination accidents in senior canines.
- Arthritis or other mobility problems: If dogs with arthritis or other mobility issues are urged to pee, they can struggle to reach the designated potty area quickly, thereby peeing on the floor.
- Kidney problems: Old canines are prone to kidney dysfunction, which causes more frequent urination. So, they can only hold their bladder for too long.
- Cognitive issues: Memory loss during aging can make our dogs forget the house-training and potty-training rules.
Medical Concerns
Frequent and uncontrolled urination in a previously house-trained dog might reveal a medical issue. It could be a UTI (urinary tract infection), incontinence, or a kidney disease. If you also notice other symptoms, like urine with an abnormal color (red, pink, or dark), we recommend you seek help from a qualified vet.
9 Ways To Stop A Dog From Wetting In The House
Track Your Pup’s Behavior To Identify The Cause
Knowing the root cause means you hold the key to addressing the issue. Start tracking your dog’s daily routine, from eating, watering, sleeping, and going potty. Keep a close eye on abnormal symptoms or triggers.
Is your pup whining or playing when peeing? Does it tend to pee a short time after watering? Does it wee when seeing other dogs around or hearing a sudden loud noise? When you get to the bottom of the problem, simply eliminate the triggers. Let’s say your pup freaks out and pees uncontrollably when the TV is on. Try to lower its volume and keep your dog away from it.
Interrupt Your Dog And Set Up A Routine
Once you understand your furball’s potty habits and schedule, you can interfere with your routine. For example, when you catch your dog in the act, stop him by saying “Stop!” or “No!” and take him outside to do his business.
If your dog has been house-trained before but accidentally wee in the house, reestablish his potty schedule. Every 2 hours, bring him outside for around 10-15 minutes to urinate. If accidents continue, increase the frequency to every 1 hour. This might be time-consuming at first, but training needs time, and it’ll soon pay off down the line.
House-Train To Avoid Urine Marking
Have you just brought your pup home? Or does it lack house training? It’s time to start from scratch. Here is how we successfully train hundreds of dogs for our clients:
- Set up a daily routine with frequent and consistent feeding, watering, and go-outside breaks. For example, at PetSitUSA, we offer our pups with 3 meals at fixed times, along with fresh water available all the time, and take them outside every 2 hours for bathroom breaks. Dr. Wuellner from Hill’s Pet Nutrition shared that canines start producing bowel movements within half an hour post-meal, so keep in mind this point.
- Babysit your pooch, look for signs they need to pee, and take them outside quickly. This helps our canines perceive that urinating outside is the right thing to do.
- Praise and reward them with their favorite treats whenever they pee outdoors.
- If they tend to pee in certain areas in the house, limit access to these places using crates or baby gates.
Keep It In A Crate When You’re Out
When you’re away, ensure to confine your dogs in a crate, a small room, or a pen to prevent them from peeing. Most doggos hate a messy living space or being near their waste, so keeping them in a confined space might diminish their temptation to wee. However, don’t leave it alone for too long! Holding their urine for too long can do more harm than good.
When you start training your pup, confinement is also an effective strategy. If your four-legged friend refuses to pee during bathroom breaks, keep it in a crate for a few minutes and then take it out to do its business. Over time, dogs will perceive the crate as a no-go zone for potting.
Be Patient And Use Positive Reinforcement
Be gentle and patient with your furry companion. Try to accompany your furry companion as a friend during the house-training journey. Start by doing these these:
- Tell your friend or a new family member to befriend the dog step by step. Approach him from the side instead of the front and minimize direct eye contact at first. Sit down on their knees at the same level as the pooch rather than leaning or looming over him. If the pup doesn’t roll over, bark, or show an aggressive attitude, start petting him under the chin. Don’t rub his head or raise your voice too high and loud.
- Whenever you notice your furball is scared, tell him to sit, lie down, or do other tricks to direct his focus away from his anxiety. If he still appears freaked out, don’t force him to do anything. It only leads to a higher level of fear and another round of inappropriate urination. Instead, keep a safe distance from your dog to the object that’s spooking him.
- During training, always carry your puppy’s favorite treats and reward him when he pees appropriately. If your pup walks by a strange dog or person and starts panicking, calm them down by offering him treats.
Clean Up The Mess And Remove The Odor Soon
Thoroughly cleaning up the pee and deodorizing the place is essential to deter your pooch from repeating that accident. If the pup sniffs even a lingering trace of urine smell, it might think it’s a safe potty area and continue his inappropriate behavior. A spotless and odorless place signals the dog that it’s a no-go for peeing.
Neuter or Spay It
Will neutering and spaying help with house-training a doggo? Many of our clients doubted this approach. However, we notice that territory marking is more common among dogs that haven’t been spayed or neutered, especially males.
When a canine feels the urge to reproduce, it tends to use its urination as a silent invitation to its partner. Neutering or spaying can dampen this temptation, reducing accidents in the house. After applying this method, our clients said their dogs pee inside less frequently.
Treat Puppies and Senior Dogs Differently
While senior dogs and puppies are more prone to these accidents, we should not treat them equally, as the root cause isn’t the same. While puppies pee in the house mostly due to lack of house training, many old furry friends can’t control their urination well due to a weakened urinary system and aging.
Therefore, we suggest starting training your pups as soon as possible. For senior dogs, it’s best to adjust the bathroom breaks according to their conditions.
Seek Professional Advice
Try as you might, but your little furball is still accidentally wee inside. If that’s also your case, it’s time to seek professional advice to rule out any medical or behavioral issues.
2 Things You Should Never Do To Your Pup!
Even when your four-legged friend’s potty habits haven’t improved yet, don’t do these two things to him:
- Punish your pooch: Hitting or yelling at our dogs is not only inhumane but also exacerbates their fear and anxiety. Doing so might force them to hide their urge to pee so you won’t spot any sign when they need to do their business to take them outside.
- Stop house training too soon: Seeing your pooch wee outdoors one, two, or three times? Don’t celebrate your success, and cease training just yet! It takes time to form a long-term habit, so be patient. According to the American Humane Society, you should train your pup until it can pee without any accidents for a few months on end. Dr. Kristin Wuellner also recommends rewarding your dogs with high-quality treats one more month from when you assume your pup gets used to peeing outside.
FAQs
How Often Should A Dog Pee?
A normal dog should urinate 3 to 5 times daily or every 4 to 6 hours.
What Are Some Signs Your Dog Needs To Pee?
If you notice your pup is squatting, scratching the floor/ground, barking, circling, or sniffing around, it might receive the call of nature.
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Conclusion
Seeing your pooch marking the house with his urine might be frustrating. But it’s never too late to guide him to the right potty habits and bathroom routine. At PetSitUSA, we have successfully trained many dogs, and our secrets are only patience and positive reinforcement. Good luck with your training journey!
