How do I stop my dog from peeing in the house?

A dog does not just starting peeing in his own house for the fun of it. Ask yourself if your dog is merely peeing in the house, or is he marking his territory?

A big clue is normally found in the location. If the dog is peeing against upright objects then it is probably an attempt to mark his territory. Remember though, male dogs normally cock their legs when they pee so they necessarily pee against upright objects.

A good clue is also the amount of urine involved.

Small puddles are normally indicative of marking behaviour, while drowning in dog urine means your dog is regarding the house as his new toilet.

Copious amounts normally means the dog is urinating due to a physical need, and either couldn't, or didn't want to, go out.

Easy solution: If your dog pees during the night it is usually enough to let him drink water earlier, rather than later at night, and take him outside for a pee before going to bed. Careful though! You don't want to dehydrate the poor little guy!

The first step in solving a problem with your dog marking territory inside the house is understanding why dogs mark their territory.

A dog has a sense of smell that is significantly better developed than that of a human. Incidentally, this is why it's a bad idea to take your home-grown stash on holiday with you. Airport dogs can smell that stuff a mile away.

While a dog's urine might smell offensive to us humans, it's as good as a letter to other dogs. It tells them who he is, and whether or not he or she is available to mate. It also establishes dominance over other dogs ("I was here first, so this is my turf"), and helps to dispel his feelings of insecurity and builds confidence.

If your dog is struggling with confidence problems, any sudden change in his home environment can trigger this behaviour because they engender feelings of anxiety. For instance; the arrival of a new baby may mean that your dog is now not getting as much attention as previously. He'll start marking territory to establish his dominance over the new member of the pack, and to reaffirm his place in the pecking order. If you think your dog is having confidence issues, then take a look at My New Lens namely How you can tell if your dog suffers from Separation Anxiety. I would love to hear about your experiences if you have to deal with this issue.

Usually dogs mark outside the house because they don't feel the need to mark inside the house. They feel secure and safe inside the house, they know everyone inside the house and their position is secure. It's when they feel they need to establish dominance inside the pack that they start marking inside the house.

Small dogs are more inclined to pee inside the house than larger dogs; males are more likely to mark than females. Two or more dogs in the same house may regard each other as competition and are then more prone to marking.

While marking is a natural thing for your dog to do, he needs to understand that he does not have to do this inside the house. He needs to feel he is a respected and valued member of the family. Helping your dog feel secure in your love for him will go a long way to alleviating the problem.

A few very important things to remember is:

Have him checked by your vet:
If this is a recent development with a dog that has never exhibited this type of behaviour the best thing you can do is take him to the vet. It is possible that he may have a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) that causes his incontinence.

There can be many other medical reasons for this behaviour - a friend of mine has a cat that sometime pees inside the house a few times per day and on other days not at all. Nobody could figure out why she did this until he chanced upon a vet who had a cat with the same problem.

It turned out his cat suffers from epilepsy and she pees whenever she has an epileptic episode.

Do not shout, rant or rave at him:
This is counter productive and will make the problem worse, not better.

Do not rub his nose in it:
All this will do is teach him that when he does pee he will be punished. This will make it more likely that he will hide from you and go to different parts of the house to pee or poop. He needs to know that pooping or peeing is fine and that he's allowed to do it - outside.

You can prevent the habit forming by neutering (ouch!)
Neutering at an early age can prevent the habit forming, or can stop marking behaviour. Of course neutering is not always an option should you want him to breed, but please discuss this with your vet before taking any irreversible action.

Try the Supervision Method
Try to catch him in the act. Dogs learn (much as humans do) by operational conditioning. Watch your dog closely when he starts exhibiting signs that he might be thinking of marking. Such signs can include sniffing, or circling in spots where he has marked before. When he starts to lift his leg make some noise to distract him and get his attention. Giving him a clear "NO" command and diverting his attention will distract him and, if he was going to mark, will change his mind. If he really needs to pee, take him outside to play ball or something, and he will do it outside the house.

Remember to be consistent.
Treat him the same way every time you see him exhibiting marking symptoms, or attempting to mark. I cannot stress the fact enough that at no time should you shout at him, or hit him - you will only make the problem worse.

In order to speed up the learning process be sure to lavish praise upon him when he pees where you want him to. Your dog learns fastest from your positive responses to his behaviour. If the neighbours aren't looking at you like you're crazy when you praise him for peeing and pooping in the garden then you're probably not praising enough. Make a HUGE fuss every time he gets it right.

Dogs LOVE treats and if you praise and reward enough they get the message and will repeat the behavior that got them the treat.

To crate or not to crate
I am not a big fan of crate training a dog as it easily becomes something the dog perceives as punishment rather than what it should be namely, a safe place for your dog to relax.

Remember, dogs are den animals and a healthy dog will not pee or poop where it sleeps. A dog that is confined in a crate and is then forced to soil its own sleeping place will not be a happy dog. He will think you wanted to punish rather than protect him.

If however, your dog regards the crate as a place of safety where it can sleep unmolested and safe, then crating is beneficial.

What about pee pads?
Make sure the pads you use are large enough for your dog (Don't expect a Great Dane to be able to pee on a pad intended for a Chihuahua!) and if you decide to use pads then be sure to praise and reward when your dog uses them.

Clean the spots where he marked or peed thoroughly, but don't use ammonia. Dog urine contains ammonia and instead of deterring him it will only make him think some other strange dog is leaving messages. If you're trying to clean the pee stains and smells from a carpet also bear in mind that ammonia can, and probably will bleach or discolor your carpet. Instead, use a solution of water and vinegar to wash the areas thoroughly.

Unfortunately professional carpet cleaning won't always work to eliminate the problem. Bear in mind that professional carpet cleaners are aimed at the human sense of smell and just because you can't smell it, it doesn't mean that your dog can't! You dog will still be able to smell his old calling card, and may even be tempted to pee there again so that the smell is nice and strong.

Alternatively, you can use Bicarbonate of soda or a Pee Cleaner for getting rid of the odor.

A specially formulated Pee Cleaner breaks down urine odors and stains by attacking and breaking down the enzymes and chemicals in your dog's pee, neutralizing the smell, and If your dog cannot smell the old urine he won't be tempted to leave his own little messages.

In fact, you can use his good sense of smell to your advantage. Next time he pees inside the house wipe some up with a paper towel and rub it on the place where you want him to pee, for instance a tree or a lamp post. Then when you take him out make sure you stop there and give him time to recognise his own pee-smell. Dogs are great at identifying smells and he will know it's his own scent.

If he does pee inside the house and you didn't catch him then try not to make a big fuss about it. Clean it up without scolding him or making him feel like you're angry at him. Don't even look at him while you're cleaning. It's okay to say stuff like "Yuk!", but it's important that he realises you're not angry at him, rather that you don't like pee or poop inside the house.

If you happen to catch him in time to stop him and take him outside, then do so without scolding. Make sure you use a happy, cheerful tone of voice as you rush him outside. He should see this as fun, rather than punishment. Be ready with a treat as a reward once he's finished his business outside. Then, reward immediately after he's done and praise, praise, praise!

You can easily change your dog's behaviour and get him to pee where you want him to, i.e. outside the house!

Remember, if you start the training as early as possible - preferably when he's still only a puppy - the problem is likely to be more manageable.

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Having your dog pee all over the house is never funny (or much fun) but it doesn't mean that you need to lose your sense of humor.

Why don't you have a T-shirt made that says: "I don't smell bad, my dog peed on this shirt!"

Peeing is not a problem, it is merely a symptom.

Once you understand why your dog is peeing inside rather than outside the house, you are more than halfway to solving the issue.

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