When you own a dog, you know well that mishaps can occur. And by all means, pet owners are seeking the best way to stop their dogs from peeing in the house.
However, if your mature dog is frequently peeing in the house, it can be really frustrating.
Inappropriate urination is a problem that needs to be addressed right away and a variety of factors can cause this behavior in dogs.
So, the first step is to know why your dog is peeing in the house in the first place. Once you figure out the reason, the next step is to find a solution.
Of course, you may require more help. My Pet Tutor is here to give you the best tips and advice on how to manage your pets.
Meanwhile, be patient with your canine partner and use one or more of the basic methods to assist the dog with his or her issue.
Don’t give up or give your dog away, no matter what you do. You’ll be able to get through this!
Well, it will take some time and effort on your part to teach or retrain your dog to relieve themselves outside.
To change your pet’s behavior and preserve your home and sanity, try the measures below.
In this article, we’ll be looking at the right step to take on how to stop your dog from peeing in the house.
Before Going Ahead, Check-Out: Dog Peeing Blood: What it Means and What You Should Do
Why Is My Dog Peeing in the House?
If your dog suddenly starts urinating in unsuitable places, the first step is to figure out what’s causing it.
And if you recently got a new puppy, for example, it may be clear that your elder dog’s home environment is being disrupted.
If it isn’t a one-time occurrence and you don’t know what’s causing it, see your veterinarian.
Your veterinarian can then do tests to see if a medical problem caused the urinating, and you can decide on a treatment plan together.
However, if the problem isn’t caused by a medical condition, you’ll have to remedy it on your own.
Here’s what we think might be the reason your dog is peeing in the house:
- Inadequate House-Training
- Overhydration
- Territory Marking
- Emotional Reaction
- Medical Problems
- Incontinence
- Anxiety and Fear
This is not an entire list; if you’d like to explore the entire spectrum of options, read this article: Why Is My Dog Peeing In The House? What Should I Do?
What Can I Use to Stop My Dog From Peeing in the House?
Starting with a spray bottle, water, distilled white vinegar, and any essential oil of your choice, there is a simple recipe out there that can be wonderful for this.
To begin, fill your spray bottle halfway with water (pour the amount appropriate for your use).
Then, take 2 teaspoons of distilled white vinegar and pour it into your spray bottle.
The last step is to add your essential oils, mix well, and spray on any surfaces you don’t want your dog to be near or on.
You Can Also Use: The 10 Best Dog Care Shock Collars – Full Guide for 2023
How to Stop Your Dog Peeing in the House
Now you know the causes why your dog is peeing in the house, here are the possible steps to take to stop it from occurring again.
Step 1: Recognize Why
Foremost, you must attempt to comprehend why they have suddenly chosen this behavior in order to resolve the issue.
If the issue is a new pet, it may be a matter of waiting for them to adjust to the newcomer and spending more time socializing with them together.
If they’re drinking too much, consider limiting the amount of water they have access to or look for undiscovered sources of water they’re consuming (such as out of the toilet bowl).
We don’t recommend limiting the amount of water available to your dog because he can easily become dehydrated.
You can pay a dog walker to take them out during the day and reduce the amount of time they spend alone if they are having an emotional reaction, such as separation anxiety.
Fixing the problem alone may or may not be sufficient to prevent them from peeing inside, but it is an important first step.
Read Also: What is Pet Grooming? Meaning, Importance, Cost
Step 2: Consult with your Veterinarian
If your dog is peeing in the home, the first thing you should do is contact your veterinarian. There are several medical issues that can cause dogs to urinate in the house, and treating them is essential for your dog’s health as well as resolving the problem.
Some problems are minor, while others are more significant. In either case, the best person to diagnose any medical conditions causing your dog to pee in the house is your veterinarian.
Medical conditions that can cause you to urinate in your home include:
- Diabetes
- Pain when squatting or lifting the leg to urinate (a potential sign of Canine Osteoarthritis)
- An infected bladder or urinary tract
- Bladder stones
- Kidney or liver disease
- Tumors
- Cushing’s or Addison’s disease
- Adrenal gland issues
- Intestinal parasites
- Cognitive problems caused by brain disease or dementia
- Age-related illnesses and condition
Step 3: Creating a Secure and Clean Environment
Establishing a space where your dog will not have accidents is a key step in successful potty training (or re-training).
This can include a small playpen for puppies only, but for most dogs (and especially puppies), this will be a crate.
A dog crate resembles a cage because of the need for visibility, airflow, and security. The crate, on the other hand, should be used for something else entirely. It should be a secure and comfortable environment.
Fill your dog’s crate with food and water. Dogs rarely urinate or defecate in the same location where they eat and drink, thus keeping the food and water bowls in that spot prevents accidents besides giving some of life’s essential luxuries.
Include toys and blankets as well, as long as your dog doesn’t damage them if left alone.
Step 4: Leash Training and Constant Supervision
As I previously stated, ensuring that someone always supervises your puppy is an important element of potty training success.
This ensures that if an accident occurs, you can provide prompt correction, redirection, and positive reinforcement if he continues to conduct business outside.
This may appear difficult at first, but there are two ways to monitor your young puppy at all times.
The first is in-home crate training, which we just discussed, and the second is in-home leash training. That’s correct.
Inside your home, you must keep your dog on a leash with you.
Don’t worry, you’ll be able to free yourself from the leash. It may take several weeks, but with consistency and sticking to the rest of the strategy, you should be able to get rid of the leash.
Step 5: Keep a Journal
Those of you who have gone through potty training with human children (which, by the way, takes a lot longer than with pets) know how important it is to stick to a routine and encourage your child to go potty whether they “have” to go.
Similarly, some new puppy parents make the mistake of waiting for their dog to “tell” them she needs to go by whining, scratching at the door, or signaling.
Waiting until your child recognizes he or she needs to go, as we all know, frequently results in a frenzied race to the bathroom and arriving a bit late.
If you have a new puppy or have recently adopted a dog, keeping track of all of your pup’s major needs, such as eating, drinking, playing, and going to the toilet, can be quite beneficial.
You’ll be able to figure out a potty routine if you keep track of when these things happen the most.
Step 6: Monitor Their Water Intake
When a dog has accidents, some puppy parents worry that their dog is drinking too much water.
I’ve seen this happen occasionally, where a dog simply has a behavioral fixation with water and is obsessed with drinking it.
More pee equals more water consumption. This is especially true before going to bed and crating for the night.
I term the technical word for this psychogenic polydipsia, and it is not very well understood.
As a result, it’s an exclusionary diagnosis, which means we have to rule out other, more plausible medical causes first.
When we observe pee accidents in the house, our initial response may be to restrict water, but we must be extremely cautious because this can easily lead to dehydration.
I don’t propose decreasing water consumption until we know how much water a dog is consuming and whether it is actually excessive.
If your dog is having drinking or peeing issues, you should first calculate her physiological water intake needs and compare them to how much water she is getting per day.
Pet parents may discover that what they believe is too much water is actually the correct quantity.
A dog’s water intake should be around 1-2 cups per 10lb of body weight.
If you know your dog’s weight in pounds, measure out the necessary number of cups of water and lay it aside, only refilling the water bowl from this quantity.
Step 7: Do Not Use Pee Pads
Some large-breed dog owners may be perplexed why pee pads are so vital, but small-breed dog owners will understand.
Pee pads (also known as chuck pads) are frequently used by puppy parents, particularly with small and toy breed dogs, as a stepping stone to genuine housebreaking or as a single means of elimination, similar to how a cat uses a litter box.
Pads are placed in one or more “approved” and “strategic” areas throughout the house, a dog goes there to relieve herself, and the pad is thrown away and replaced after a single usage.
The major objective for using them as a temporary solution is that by teaching a dog to do her business on a pad, she will be less likely to do so elsewhere in the house.
The prospect of training a little puppy to go outside can be overwhelming, and some people believe it is safer to keep their pet within to protect it from the great scary world outside.
Unfortunately, potty training mishaps with pee pads in the home are still common, and the pads may even exacerbate the problem.
When small puppies begin to rely on them, supervision becomes lax, and lines become blurred.
How To Stop Your Dog From Peeing on the Bed
You should initially visit your veterinarian if your dog has been peeing on your bed. Your veterinarian will most likely conduct a physical examination and take a urine sample for urinalysis.
In some cases, additional lab tests and even radiographs (X-rays) may be required. Your veterinarian will discuss a treatment plan with you based on the findings.
If your veterinarian has ruled out all medical causes for your dog’s incontinence, it’s time to work on changing the behavior.
Let’s see the steps you can take:
1. Assess Your Dog’s Environment
First, assess your dog’s environment. Have there been any changes that could cause stress?
Moving, the birth of a child, the addition or removal of a pet or family member, and even your own life stress might make your dog frightened, or uneasy.
Because an anxious or terrified dog can’t learn new things, you’ll need to work on reducing tension before you train.
Anti-anxiety drugs or vitamins from your veterinarian may help.
You must first restrict access to your bed when you are not around in order to train your dog to quit peeing on it. While you’re gone, close the door to your room.
2. Keep Your Dog in a Crate
When you’re gone keep your dog in a crate for a fair amount of time. When you’re at home, make it a habit to take your dog outdoors for pee breaks regularly.
Allow your dog access to the bed only when you are in it.
If your dog urinates in places that aren’t suitable, the crate is the greatest location for him to go while you’re gone.
As soon as you arrive home, take your dog out to the potty.
Then, take him out again whenever he eats, drinks, or wakes up.
Reward him for urinating outside, but don’t penalize him if he does so incorrectly.
3. Seek for Help
If you catch your dog peeing on your bed or somewhere else improperly, say “uh oh” or “no,” then take him outside to finish.
Correcting incorrect urinating takes time and effort, and it can be irritating.
If you’re not getting excellent results, consult a dog trainer or an animal behaviorist.
FAQs
How to Stop a Male Dog from Peeing in the House
So, you have a male dog that marks the house all the time; follow these steps to stop them from peeing in the house.
Step 1: Thoroughly clean all Spills
Dogs have a far greater sense of smell than humans, therefore, your dog may react to smells you aren’t aware of.
Use a cleaning that does not include ammonia.
Choose one that’s meant to get rid of pee and soak your dog’s favorite locations multiple times.
Step 2: See your veterinarian if the markings started suddenly
Your dog may have a urinary tract infection, although dogs rarely mark because they can’t hold it.
Neutered dogs are also less likely to mark, so consider neutering your dog.
Step 3: Determine whether any changes in your dog’s routine have caused him to get agitated.
Did you get a new dog? Is it a relative? Is there a death in the family? All of these things can drive an otherwise well-behaved dog to act out.
Stabilize your dog’s routine to help with this. Ensure that it eats, exercises, and plays at the same times every day.
Whatever else is going on in your life, please do your best to give it your entire attention.
Step 4: Limit your dog’s access to the house.
You’re giving it too much freedom if it’s slipping off to mark. Any dog that is marked should be kept within your sight at all times.
Use a leash to confine it to a specific location or a kennel or baby gates to limit its freedom.
Unless you’re supervising, please keep it away from favorite marking places.
Step 5: If you notice your dog sniffing or lifting its leg, put a stop to it right away.
Make a loud noise like clapping or yelling. Take your dog’s leash outside and run with it.
Praise and treat your dog when it lifts its leg outside. Continue to train your dog until he loses interest in those areas.
Reintroduce freedom gradually. If your dog makes a mistake, give him less freedom for longer.
How to Stop a Small Dog from Peeing in the House
If you want to get a small dog, you must realize the significance of house-training him. A dog’s innate instincts and behaviors heavily influence house training.
You cannot teach your dog without facing several hurdles, even if you plan to do so on your own.
Because you cannot waste your important time constantly cleaning up your dog’s mess indoors, you should know how to stop your small dog from peeing in the house from the moment you adopt your puppy.
To see to an end of your small dog constantly peeing in the house, adopt these methods:
1. Don’t Leave Your Small Dog Alone Often
It’s possible that your dog is peeing inside because you have left him alone for too long.
If you consistently assist your friendly dog is peeing in the appropriate location, consider what your dog does while you are away — he cannot hold on in expectation of your return.
To avoid these errors, it could be a good idea to enlist the help of a neighbor while you’re at work or away.
2. Give Them All They Need
You should supply your dog with the best food, puzzles, bedding, water, and other enjoyable items.
If you’re going to be late, this is an excellent way to keep pee out of your house!
Your dog will most likely not pee in the house once he notices the presence of a caring human, so take him outdoors as soon as possible.
3. Teach Them to Go Outside to Pee
Encourage your dog to go outside to the potty and wait with him out of harm’s way. It’s critical to do this at least twice per week.
Following these instructions will train your dog to only pee outside.
How to Stop a Dog from Peeing in the House when Left Alone
Some puppies, unfortunately, suffer from separation anxiety.
If your dog has these issues, he will most likely pee in the home every time you leave the house.
A simple technique to relieve anxiety is to leave a piece of clothing with a familiar scent on your bedside table.
In the meantime, be patient with your canine companion and try taking one or more simple steps to help the dog with its problem.
- Re-Train Your Dog:
Because your dog was probably once house trained, it’s helpful to revisit the training and repeat the steps.
- Increase Potty Breaks:
After drinking, eating, and waking up from naps, take your dog outside to the potty.
Reward your dog for peeing in the designated areas outside.
- Identify the Trigger:
See if your dog’s environment has a trigger or stimulation that causes it to pee inside.
If possible, remove the trigger, teach your dog to live with it, or change any items that may contribute to your dog’s fear.
How to Stop a Dog from Peeing and Pooping in the House
Make it a habit to take her outside every couple of hours to pee and poop.
Also, you can make a designated site in the yard for her to go potty, and take her there every time. Make use of a leash.
Allow her to smell about and become accustomed to visiting that location, even if she accomplishes nothing.
How to Stop a Housebroken Dog from Peeing in the House
In preventing a housebroken dog from peeing in the house, close supervision is a great idea. This is a smart approach to prevent your dog from peeing indoors.
You can confine your best buddy to a certain area where you can easily oversee him, or you can use baby gates to barricade your dog – this will keep your house clean.
Many dog owners use a shaker bottle to prevent their pets from peeing inside their homes.
They monitor their puppy and shake the bottle if they see any signs of marking.
Some owners also throw this bottle in front of the dog in order to interrupt its efforts, followed by a command to go outside to pee.
Conclusion
These simple steps will show you how to stop your dog from peeing in the house and help you figure out what’s causing it. We must first ask this question in order to address the dog weeing problem. What’s the deal with my dog peeing in the house?
There are a variety of reasons why your dog or puppy may urinate inside your home, but whatever the reason, peeing inside is a big no-no and should be stopped immediately.
We look at why your four-legged companion might be peeing behind the couch and provide some solutions to get it to stop!
References
- pethealth.healthysolutionsforpets.com – 6 Tips to Stop a Dog From Peeing in the House
- thesprucepets.com – Why Does My Dog Pee on My Bed?
- thesprucepets.com – How to Stop Your Dog From Peeing in the House
- kristenlevine.com – How to Stop Your Dog from Peeing in the House
What Does Pet Insurance Cover? How it works in 2023