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Puppies, in particular, may not yet have the bladder control to hold their urine for extended periods of time. It’s important to establish a routine for potty breaks and consistently reward your dog for going outside. If your dog is older and suddenly starts peeing in the house, it could be a sign of a medical issue such as a urinary tract infection or bladder stones. Most of the time, there is a medical reason why your senior dog can’t hold pee. Dr. Caos says common issues include urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder stones, hormonal imbalances, and kidney disease. Your dog could also have arthritis or another painful ailment that makes it difficult to physically reach an appropriate urination place.
Situational Causes of House Urination
Try to keep your arrival low key, pet them differently or avoid eye contact to see if it stops. Watch their behavior for signs of stress such as not wanting to eat, being restless or panting lots and visit the vet if you’re concerned. The art of properly training a young pupper to learn that his bathroom is always outdoors can be challenging. Hiring a dog walker is a good way to keep your dog on the schedule they're used to. If you would rather them adjust to the new routine, be sure to establish a regular feeding and watering schedule, followed immediately by bathroom breaks.
Do Dogs Have a Sense of Time?
Just as older humans can develop incontinence due to weakening of their bladder muscles, so can our older canine friends. While some dogs will be aware of their need to urinate, some dogs won’t even realize they are having an accident. This can range in severity based on the underlying cause, but many old dogs will struggle with it in some form. If you have a senior canine companion in your home, you have likely seen them change in many ways throughout the years. However, you do need to be careful about how you respond to inappropriate urination.
How To Keep Your Senior Dog Flea-Free
It might also be a good idea to consult a dog trainer about reinforcing house training and helping your dog understand where he's supposed to go. You should use an enzymatic cleaning solution on spots where accidents occurred to completely remove all traces of urine and odor so that they won't attract your pup to keep returning to that spot. The best way to stop your senior dog from peeing in the house is to identify and correct the underlying problem. For example, if a hormonal imbalance is the cause, you’ll want to work with a veterinarian who can recommend the right medications to fix the root problem. If your dog is dealing with separation anxiety or exhibiting marking behavior, you may be able to work with a trainer who can help you properly address your dog’s needs.
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Therefore, it’s vital you supervise your puppy every time they aren’t in their crate or safe area. Otherwise it’s too easy to miss the warning signs that your puppy needs to go out. Dogs often pee in spots that smell like urine, so if you don’t use an enzymatic cleaner to remove the odor, they will consider it the place to pee. Dogs are less likely to pee in areas in which they spend time, so keep your dog in just one or two rooms for a while.
Also, note if your dog is drinking more water than average and if the urination seems painful. The dog who leaves a bathroom boo-boo isn’t purposely misbehaving, either. Feeling anxious over a change in the family or the environment, such as a big move or a divorce, can trigger inappropriate elimination. Although owners of older dogs often blame a puddle problem on their dogs’ age, the years alone often aren’t the sole reason.
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Visit Your Veterinarian
It’s important to spay or neuter your dog to help reduce the likelihood of marking behavior. Providing plenty of opportunities for your dog to mark outside can also help curb this behavior indoors. Even though your senior dog is urinating in the house, it’s not OK to limit their water intake, even at night or when you are at work. Particularly for a senior dog with health issues, limiting access to water could cause serious harm. They could be ill and require medical attention for a disease such as urinary tract infections, or they could be exhibiting a behavioral response. The reasons for your dog suddenly peeing in the home range from innocuous, such as drinking a little too much (water), to the dangerous, such as diabetes.
Female vs. Male Incontinence
If there is not an obvious change that could have caused your dog to begin to pee in the home, we always suggest having them seen. If this is common for your canine friend, we suggest moving any exciting interactions outdoors or onto a surface that is easy to clean. These pups may be overwhelmed with nerves as a result of these events, causing them to pee inside of their homes. If there have been any major shifts in your home setting, this could be the cause of your dog’s sudden accidents.
Submissive Urination
With time and effort, you can effectively train your dog to go potty outside and prevent accidents indoors. Another reason why a dog may pee in the house is due to anxiety or stress. Changes in the household, such as a new pet or a move to a new home, can trigger anxiety in dogs and cause them to exhibit undesirable behaviors like peeing indoors. It’s important to provide a safe and comfortable environment for your dog and address any sources of stress that may be causing them to act out. A very common reason for an adult dog to have urinary accidents is from a urinary tract infection or urinary tract crystals/stones.
This often happens when they are occasionally allowed to pee inside, such as on a puppy pee-pad. This can leave them confused about the idea that they can “only” outside. Puppies need to learn where not to go just as much as where to go, so you must also prevent your puppy from going in the wrong place. They might know the yard is appropriate, but if they don’t know the living room isn’t, you won’t make any progress. Remember that every time your puppy has an accident, they get the reward of an empty bladder.
Dr. Rhiannon Koehler is a freelance medical writer and veterinarian whose primary focus is pet parent education. Aside from writing, she practices medicine in animal shelters and wellness clinics. Dr. Koehler's writing helps pet parents stay well-informed, which prepares them to make better health decisions for their pets.
If they are drinking too much, you can try and cut down the amount of water available to them or look for unknown sources of water they might be drinking (such as out of the toilet bowl). We advise against reducing the amount of water made available as a dog can easily become dehydrated. Sometimes this can be treated with medication, but you may also need to resign yourself to a future of doggy diapers. Being unable to control their need to pee inside could be an emotional response. Over-excitement, the need to submit, anxiety, and fear could all cause your dog to decide to pee wherever they are.
Nothing bad can come of increasing the amount of times you take your pup outside each day. Once your pup begins to pee in your home, you will want to put an end to the behavior as soon as possible. UTIs in dogs are painful, so the sooner you have them seen, the sooner your pup will find relief. This will help to prevent them from being pulled to the same spots again to pee.
Always clean up your dogs urine right away, as the lingering smell can often lead to more marking. If your dog pees when they get excited or anxious, work on desensitizing them to triggering stimuli and teaching them alternative coping mechanisms, such as sitting or lying down. Provide a calm and structured environment, use positive reinforcement, and consult with a professional trainer or behaviorist for additional guidance.
The more opportunities they have to empty their bladder throughout the day, the lower the chance of them having accidents around your home. If it is too challenging for a dog to get up and go outside, they may simply urinate where they are. Canine dementia refers to the general decline of cognitive function as a dog ages.
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