Why Does Your Dog Pee in the House?

by Andrew Garcia

Jul 18, 2022

3 minute read

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Identify the Triggers Behind Your Dog Peeing In the House
Steps to Prevent Your Dog From Peeing In the House
How To Clean Up Dog Urine?
What Is Territorial or Urine Marking?
Conclusion

You may have wondered why your furry pal creates a maze of wet spots and pungent smells around the house. It’s normal that even longtime house-trained dogs may regress and relieve themselves in the house, destroying your carpets and home. Your dog may exhibit this behavior due to various reasons. And this article will explore the different triggers and how you can handle the situation.

Identify the Triggers Behind Your Dog Peeing In the House

Knowing the cause of your dog peeing in the house is the first step in stopping this behavior and finding a lasting solution. Pending when you find a solution, you can take specific actions to minimize or stop the behavior.

Loss Of House Training

Completely house-trained dogs may also pee all over the house sometimes. And this happens for several reasons.

Marking Territory

Dogs mark territory and pass the information along to other dogs by urinating. Unneutered dogs usually replicate this behavior at home. Therefore, neutering your dog is a great way to improve the situation.

Bad Weather

Dogs usually have urinary accidents in the house during bad weather. Your dog may feel reluctant to go outside because of the bad weather, which could be a light rain shower or a heavy thunderstorm. In addition, your dog may not want to potty outside due to major weather changes.

Anxiety

Dogs experience significant anxiety. And this results from dramatic changes in the family schedule or structure or being left alone for an extended period. Consequently, dogs respond to anxiety by soiling the house. You can limit this behavior by addressing your dog’s anxiety and making him more comfortable.

Click to learn about how to help your dog with anxiety.

Cognitive Problems

Urinary accidents are common among elderly dogs with neurologic or cognitive diseases. For example, dog dementia, also known as the canine cognitive disorder, affects senior dogs, causing restlessness and confusion. This disorder then leads to your dog peeing inappropriately.

Overexcitement

Puppies often exhibit “happy peeing”. Nevertheless, some adult dogs still exhibit this behavior. “Happy peeing” results from your dog being overstimulated by his surroundings. Usually, this behavior is not chronic; it is more of a transitory behavior. Some dogs, however, exhibit this behavior repeatedly by accident.

Steps to Prevent Your Dog From Peeing In the House

It may take a while before you figure out how to stop or manage your dog peeing in the house permanently. Pending when you find a solution, you can do the following;

Clean Up Accidents Immediately

If you don’t get rid of the pee smell immediately, your dog may get attracted to that spot. It is best to use an enzyme cleaner because it breaks down urine and removes the odor.

Create a Potty Schedule

You can create a potty schedule for your dog by taking your dog out often and increasing the time between breaks slowly. If your schedule does not allow this, you can hire the services of a dog walker.

Hiring a dog walker is the best solution, especially if you think the problem is leaving your dog alone for extended periods. You can also install a doggy door as another solution.

Offer Treats for Successful Potty Breaks

You can give your furry friend treats whenever he successfully potties outside the house. With time, you can give treats sporadically.

Fortunately, you can stop urinary incontinence in some dogs. And in other cases, you must find a way to live with it. Your vet has the best advice for determining what works for you and your dog.

How To Clean Up Dog Urine?

It would be best to clean up wet spots on your hardwood, linoleum flooring, or tile once you notice wet spots. You can use rags, paper towels, or old bath towels to clean up the mess. Afterward, throw away the paper towels and wash the rags.

If cleaning a carpet accident blot, avoid scrubbing or wiping the area. Wiping or scrubbing rubs the urine deeper into the carpet, causing an even bigger mess. It is best to continue mopping the stained area with paper towels till they no longer turn yellow. It is important to note that carpets have padding that can soak urine. Therefore, ensure you reach the padding while pressing down and absorbing the urine with the paper towel.

If there is no yellow stain on your paper towels, you can use plain room temperature water. Pour the water over the spot and keep blotting it. The water dilutes the remaining urine after you have cleaned it up. It is ideal to repeat the process and mop it at least three times or till you don’t see any more yellow stains on the paper towels.

What Is Territorial or Urine Marking?

You can see urine markings along furniture, walls, or objects you recently brought into the house. For example, if your dog pees on a new pair of shoes or attempts peeing where another cat or dog has been, he is marking his territory.

Your dog may be marking territory for several reasons. Animals mark territories in the wild, sending a message to other animals within the vicinity that they have been there. The message may be, “keep out!”, “this is mine!” or “I challenge you!”

This behavior is similar in pets. For example, two adult dogs may be vying for territory, or they may relieve anxiety by marking an area as theirs. Your pet may also mark territory to add his scent and include new objects. Regardless of why your dog is peeing in the house, it is a messy problem that can be pretty difficult to fix.

Conclusion

Peeing in the house is not all that uncommon in dogs. Nevertheless, it is still frustrating. Punishing your dog is futile because they cannot reconcile their past actions with in-the-moment punishment. You can curb the problem through positive reinforcement, talking to your vet, and paying attention to the changes in your dog’s routine.

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