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Is Your Dog Peeing In The House?

June 15, 2019

There are many reasons why dogs have accidents in the house and some of them can be a symptom of a bigger issue so it’s well worth putting a little effort into figuring out what’s causing the problem rather than disciplining them.

Scent Marking

Toilet accidents generally leave large amounts of urine, scent marking is different. You will find small amounts of urine in different place around your house.

Dogs will want to mark scent where other dogs have been to the toilet and ammonia can often trigger that response. Since many of our household cleaners contain ammonia, try switching to a natural cleaner and clean the area thoroughly.

Medical Issue

If your dog was previously housetrained and suddenly starts having accidents, get the vet to check for gastrointestinal disease, urinary or bladder infection or canine cognitive dysfunction (similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans).

Change of Environment

If your dog has been cleared by a vet and it’s definitely not scent marking, have a look to see if anything significant has happened in your dog’s environment? Have you moved house or has someone recently moved out of the household. Dogs are very perceptive and are more affected by changes in family life, routine or discipline than we realise.

Look for a Pattern

When are the accidents happening? Is it during a thunderstorm or when you leave the house or do they sneak away and go in the same place? Finding a pattern can help find the reason.

Go Back to Basic Training

To stop a dog peeing in the house, you may need to go back to the basics of toilet training.

• Take the dog outside more frequently
• Reward outside toileting
• Supervise at all times
• Don’t punish accidents

Be patient, with consistent guidance and support, your dog will get back on track and keep the accidents to a minimum.