Even the best-trained dog can have an occasional accident, but some four-footers start repeatedly peeing in the house. Some may only tinkle when left alone, but others will lift a leg or squat right in front of their pet parent.
No matter which camp your canine falls into, indoor peeing is definitely a problem you’ll want to solve. Don’t worry – there are a number of things you can try that should help. I’ll lay out a good plan of attack — including several things you should do and at least one thing you should not do — below!
Identify the Reason Your Dog Is Peeing in the House
It’s always wise to identify the cause of an undesirable canine behavior before you implement any potential solutions. This will not only give you a better chance at altering the behavior, but it may also let you skip strategies that are unlikely to help in your case.
For example, if your pet is peeing inside because they simply cannot hold it as long as you’re making them, you don’t have to waste any time trying to retrain them or soothe their anxiety. You simply have to provide them with more frequent bathroom breaks.
So, start your journey to a pee-free home by considering the following common causes of indoor accidents:
- Bladder Capacity: Adult dogs can usually wait about 8 hours between bathroom breaks, though most will appreciate the chance to relieve themselves every 4 to 6 hours. Senior dogs can usually hold it for similar periods of time, though they may need slightly more frequent breaks. Puppies, on the other hand, need much more frequent bathroom breaks. Most puppies can “hold it” for 1 hour for every month of age. In other words, a 2-month-old puppy can go about 2 hours between bathroom breaks.
- Stress, or Anxiety: Stress and anxiety (especially separation anxiety) can cause even well-trained dogs to pee inside. So, consider the circumstances surrounding your dog’s accidents. Do they always occur after something specific happens? Do they occur at a specific time of day? Do they follow interactions with a specific person or pet?
- Submissive Urination: Closely related to stress and anxiety, submissive urination occurs when your dog pees while also demonstrating submissive postures, such as tail tucking. Caused by fear, this combination of inappropriate urination and submissive behavior is a dog’s attempt to appease a perceived threat.
- Inadequate or Incomplete Housetraining: Sometimes, owners are overeager to consider their pets fully housetrained, when the truth is their dog still needs more practice to be considered completely house trained. This is most likely to occur in relatively young dogs or those who have just undergone house training (such as rescue dogs who were never properly housetrained).
- Familial Changes: Changes to family dynamics can be very hard on dogs and often result in accidents. These kinds of changes may include things like welcoming a new baby to the home, older children leaving for college, divorces and breakups, or relatives staying at your home for long periods of time. Changes in four-footed family dynamics can also factor in, if you’ve recently added a new pet to the family (or sadly, lost one).
- Lifestyle Changes: Dogs often crave routine, so relatively small disruptions in their day-to-day life can trigger behavioral problems, including peeing indoors. Common examples of these disruptions include things like changes in work habits (perhaps you were forced to return to the office after working from home for many months) and changes in your dog’s walking schedule. Significant changes to your dog’s environment or home, such as rearranging the furniture, may also be stressful at times.
- Marking Behavior: Some dogs will pee inside as a result of territorial instincts. Often called dog urine marking or simply urine marking, this issue is generally more common in male dogs (especially intact male dogs), but it can happen in female dogs too. This is most common among dogs living with other dogs, but it can happen in single-dog homes too.
- Health Problems: A number of illnesses and ailments can cause dogs to have accidents. A urinary tract infection is commonly to blame for frequent urination, though bladder stones, diabetes, kidney failure, autoimmune diseases, and other health issues can also cause dogs to pee more frequently. Additionally, older dogs sometimes become incontinent as they age.
Don’t worry if none of these things resonate. Identifying the reason your dog pees in the house is very helpful, but there are still things you can do if the cause isn’t apparent.
Three Things You Should Always Do When Your Pet Has Repeated Accidents
No matter the cause of your dog’s accidents, there are three things you’ll always want to do when facing these kinds of situations. So, start your quest for dry floors by completing the following steps:
1. Visit the Vet
It’s almost always a good idea to start by ruling out potential medical conditions and ensuring your dog has a clean bill of health when dealing with a behavioral issue. Many health issues that make dogs pee inside are serious, and some can be quite painful for your pooch.
Your vet will likely take a history, perform a basic physical examination, and analyze a urine sample to start. But in some cases, other tests, such as blood analysis, X-rays, or ultrasounds, may be required to rule out all health concerns.
If your vet is able to identify a likely cause, you’ll want to start treatment as soon as possible. This may be all that’s necessary to correct the problem, but you’ll still want to complete the next step anyway.
2. Clean Your Floors
No matter the reason your dog is peeing inside, it is important to eliminate the smell of urine from the floor. Lingering urine odors may trigger your dog to continue peeing in the area, even if you make other changes.
Keep in mind that your dog’s nose is roughly 10 times as sensitive as yours, so just because you can’t smell pee doesn’t mean your dog can’t. Enzymatic cleaners are typically the best type of cleaner to use, but you may still need to treat the floors (especially carpets) multiple times.
3. Prevent Your Dog from Peeing in the House Any More
While you’re trying to figure out the cause and solution for your dog’s indoor tinkling issue, it is important to prevent them from peeing inside as best you can. This is not only important for your quest to eliminate urine odors but also because peeing indoors reinforces the behavior in your dog.
Think of it like “practicing.” Every time your dog pees inside, they are practicing or reinforcing the behavior. Peeing inside will begin to feel more and more appropriate with repetition, making it harder to correct the issue in the long run. So, while you are working on this problem, be an attentive dog owner, use a crate or puppy gate if need be, and incorporate more potty breaks in your daily life.
Six Things That Are Helpful in Different Circumstances
In contrast to the three previously mentioned steps, which you’ll always want to do when trying to put an end to your dog’s indoor peeing problem, the following tips will be helpful in some cases, but not others. There’s no harm in trying any or all of them, but try to focus on those that best address your dog’s specific needs.
1. Provide More Bathroom Breaks
Providing your dog with more pee breaks is a good first step that is pretty easy to accomplish. It won’t always help; many dogs who pee inside do so for reasons other than a full bladder. But this strategy is often particularly helpful for puppies, seniors, and dogs who’re suffering from health problems.
Note that if you spend long periods of time at work or school, you may need to enlist the help of a professional dog walker. That’s often the easiest way to stop the coming-home-to-a-puddle problem.
2. Revisit Basic Housetraining
If your dog has only recently learned the poopin’ and peein’ rules, you may want to go back and start the entire housetraining process over from scratch. You probably won’t have to work as hard this time, as your dog already has some understanding of the lessons – they may just need a refresher course.
Just remember that these lessons should be positive in nature. Limit the chances your dog has to pee inside, take more frequent bathroom breaks, and provide tons of praise or dog treats when they do sprinkle in appropriate places.
3. Provide More Stimulation and Exercise
Providing more stimulation and exercise can be helpful for addressing just about any canine behavioral problem (assuming your dog is physically healthy).
And it can be especially effective for treating dogs who’re peeing because they’re bored, anxious, under stimulated, or depressed. In these situations, you’ll likely find that by getting your dog’s muscles moving and brain buzzing, the problem gets better. Simply adding more walks to your daily routine may help, as walks provide several physical and mental benefits.
It may not completely stop a dog from peeing inside, and you may have to address other underlying problems. But it will almost certainly help, and let’s face it, most dogs will appreciate some additional fun and exercise.
4. Reduce Stress and Anxiety
The best way to reduce your dog’s stress and anxiety will depend on the reason they’re distressed in the first place. If there is a specific trigger causing your dog stress, you’ll want to start by addressing that.
For example, if your dog is feeling anxious because people are walking in front of your house all day long, you may consider drawing the blinds. Or, if your dog is feeling stressed because of a new dog that you’ve added to the family, you may need to consider separating them and providing more alone time for a while. Frequent loud noises are another common cause of fear and stress, so you may need to provide a quiet spot for your dog or use a white noise machine to help soothe their nerves.
If your dog’s stress or anxiety is more generalized in nature, you may have to consider talking to your veterinarian about antianxiety medications or working with a professional trainer to help your dog feel better.
5. Discuss Spaying and Neutering with Your Vet
Deciding to spay or neuter your pet is never something to take lightly, but it may help stop a dog from peeing in the house in some cases – especially among dogs who’re peeing in the house due to a desire to mark their territory.
Just be sure to discuss the issue with your vet, weigh the pros and cons of having your dog spayed or neutered, and make the best decision you can on behalf of your pooch.
6. Seek Professional Help
If none of the steps mentioned above prove helpful, and your dog is not suffering from a medical condition that is triggering them to pee inside your house, you may want to reach out to a professional dog trainer.
Trainers not only have extensive knowledge about canine behavior (and the best ways to alter undesirable behaviors), but they also have the chance to approach the situation with “fresh eyes.” This will often allow them to notice things, such as potential triggers or sources of stress, which you may not see.
One Thing You Should NEVER Do
It can be extremely frustrating to deal with a pet who is peeing in the house, but it’s important to avoid doing one thing that will often make the problem worse: Never punish or scold your dog for having an accident (even if you suspect it was actually deliberate).
Doing so will generally worsen their underlying anxiety, which will be counterproductive to your efforts. Additionally, it may even be considered cruel if your dog is having accidents for some reason out of their control.
Instead, remain patient while you work on the issue. You certainly should interrupt your dog if you catch them in the act, so you can take them outside to a suitable place (you may have to lift your dog carefully and carry them outside in some cases). But that means quickly telling them “no” and matter-of-factly taking them outside – no yelling is required. And then be sure to dole out the dog treats and praise when your dog does pee in an acceptable place.
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Hopefully, one or more of the tips shared above will prove helpful in ending your dog’s indoor peeing habit. Just understand that these kinds of problems often take some time to resolve completely, and you may have to experiment with several different strategies before you find something that works.
But if you need professional assistance to stop your dog peeing inside, I’d love to help! Just head over to the contact page and schedule a visit.
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