How To Solve Dog Pee In the House
If you’re a dog lover and dog owner, chances are that you’ve had to deal with dog pee in the house a time or two. If you have a young dog, it’s likely you’ve had to deal with it even more often! But why do older trained dogs pee in the house and how do you solve this problem?
As you may imagine, the solution isn’t hard. It does, however, take effort and dedication. It’s essential that you react with patience and make every effort to understand WHY your dog is peeing in the house and how you can fix it the right way. Let’s look at some possible reasons for peeing in the house and solutions to deal with your dog compassionately and effectively.
Why Dogs Pee In the House
If your dog is already house-trained, their sudden choice to pee in the house may come as a big surprise. However, for your dog, this action is only natural because of some circumstance that has set them off. Let’s consider a few reasons your dog is peeing inside.
1. Disease
It is unlikely but certainly possible that your dog is peeing in the house because they have some sort of disease. This is more likely something you’ll want to consider if they’re older and have been potty-trained for many years without problems.
Some common diseases that cause dogs to pee around the house include:
- Diabetes
- Cushing’s Disease
- Liver diseases
- Kidney diseases
- Prostate diseases
These diseases cause dogs to pee in the house because they affect your dog’s nerves, cortisol levels, and digestive system, all of which help dogs regulate when they pee and poop.
If you notice other symptoms in your dog such as lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration and extreme thirst, loss of appetite, skin issues, etc., you may want to speak with your vet about your dog’s symptoms to rule out a disease.
2. Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)
A common cause of urination problems is some form of UTI. If your dog gets an infection in the urinary tract or if they develop urinary tract stones, they may start peeing in the house. UTIs cause more frequent and more painful urination and your dog may not know how to deal with it and simply pee wherever and whenever.
In older dogs, you may want to rule out cancerous tumors in the urinary tract or bladder as well, as such cancers can imitate UTIs in their symptoms. If you suspect your dog is struggling with some sort of infection, you’ll want to speak to your vet about the appropriate treatment.
3. Incontinence
Sometimes, dogs simply struggle with incontinence. This is most often an issue noticed in dogs shortly after they have been fixed, though it can occur if they are still intact.
Incontinence is generally the result of genetic changes in the urinary system, pressure changes in the urethra, and issues with nerve control in the bladder. As you may imagine, getting a dog spayed or neutered is a major contributor to incontinence, though urinary cancer or other issues may also have something to do with it.
If your dog is struggling with incontinence, you may need to seek treatment from a vet.
4. Submissive Urination or Anxiety
Peeing is a natural release that your dog may use if they are anxious, frightened, or used to harsh treatment. Some dogs practice submissive urination and pee whenever someone stands over them and/or gives them a command.
Some dogs will also pee if they begin to feel anxious because of changes in the home, storms or fireworks outside, or new visitors entering the house. In addition, some may pee when reprimanded out of fear and anxiety at the anger in your voice.
If your dog pees out of anxiety, you will need to find ways to calm their anxiety or it is likely that they won’t stop.
5. Old Age
Old age can lead dogs to pee in the house for a variety of reasons. Your dog may have cancer or another disease that is causing them to lose control of their bowels. They may be suffering from arthritis, making for painful joints that leave moving outside a challenge.
Just like humans, older dogs can develop forms of dementia that could lead to serious cognitive confusion and leave them forgetting about their training or unsure where they’re supposed to pee.
If your dog is getting old and starts peeing in the house, you may want to speak to your vet. You can also attempt to make getting outside easier or even give them a specific space to pee in the house.
6. Marking or Excitement
Dogs are naturally inclined to mark their territory. If you bring new furniture, people (e.g. a new baby or new visitors), or other items into a home, your dog may feel it important to mark his territory by peeing. Dogs may also do this when you move to a new house or rearrange furniture.
Plus, dogs are often inclined to pee when excited. This phenomenon, often known as “happy peeing,” regularly occurs when the dog gets excited about you getting home from work, visitors coming to call, other dogs entering the area, etc.
If your dog engages in marking or happy peeing, you likely just need to work more on training them so that they understand why this behavior is not acceptable.
How To Solve Dog Pee Inside
If your dog is consistently peeing in the house after being successfully potty trained in the past, there are a few ways you can address the issue.
1. Retrain
If you suspect that your dog is peeing simply because they are excited, anxious, marking their territory, etc., you may want to start by retraining them. If you’ve already gone through a training regimen with them, it should be simple to return to it.
Check out our article on potty training for tips on how to train properly and effectively. This method should help your dog to stop peeing in the house quickly. You can also try increasing potty breaks if you think that they’re simply struggling to hold it.
2. Clean Well
It’s in dog’s nature to return to places where they have peed or pooped in the past. If they smell the scent of their past pees in a spot in your home, they’ll be inclined to go there next time they have to pee.
It’s important to clean the spot with an enzymatic cleaner that will clear up the scent of your dog’s pee so that they don’t return to that spot in the future.
3. Be Gentle
Try to understand what your dog is struggling with and why. If it’s a medical issue or an issue with anxiety or fear, yelling and being angry isn’t going to help and could make things worse. It’s important that you treat your dog with understanding and gentleness.
Do your best to figure out what the problem is and address that. It’s only in fixing the deeper issue that your dog will get back to normal…punishment won’t address what’s really going on.
4. Seek Help
If your dog is consistently peeing in the house no matter what you do and/or if you notice other symptoms that could be indicative of a medical issue, don’t hesitate to take your pup to the vet.
There are some situations that call for immediate medical attention or vet-prescribed medications. It’s important that you speak with your vet if you suspect that you can’t help your dog address what they are struggling with.
Cleanup Help
If you own a dog, you know that one of the most difficult aspects of having dogs is cleaning up poop. If you’re interested in someone taking care of that nasty business for you and saving you precious time, connect with us at Idaho Poop Scoop and our team would be happy to serve you!