How do you stop a dog from peeing in the house? What to Know

Why does my puppy pee on my bed?

If your puppy is peeing on your bed, in their bed, or anywhere indoors, it’s safe to assume that they’re not yet fully potty trained. It’s important to remember that potty training is a process, and it can take quite a while to complete.

Sometimes, a pup will make significant progress with their potty training and then suddenly regress. This can happen after an illness or a big event in the pup’s life – moving house, a new pet or family member, even something like a change of season can impact your pup’s toilet habits.

If your puppy is peeing in the house, don’t lose hope. Just keep at it and continue to positively reinforce the desired behavior.

Dont punish your pet. Punishment only increases their anxiety and may cause them to hide when they need to go to the bathroom, thereby decreasing their ability to give you a cue when they need to go outside.

While it can be frustrating to come home to an accident, simply clean it up and consider what might have caused it. Do you need a dog walker midday or does your dog enjoy their crate and can this help reduce the accidents they’re having while keeping your home cleaner?

Before doing anything else, take your dog to the veterinarian to rule out any medical causes for the urine-marking behavior. If they get a clean bill of health, use the following tips to make sure they dont start marking their territory.

Spay or neuter your dog as soon as possible. The longer a dog goes before being spayed or neutered, the more difficult it will be to train them not to mark in the house. Spaying or neutering your dog should reduce urine-marking and may stop it altogether.

But if they have been marking for a long time, a pattern may already be established. Because it has become a learned behavior, spaying or neutering alone wont solve the problem. Use techniques for housetraining an adult dog to modify your dogs marking behavior. Top 10 tips

Why Has My Dog Started Peeing in the House?

Dogs pee in the house for a few reasons.

  • They do this as a response to a stressor or issue. For example, the introduction of a stranger or new pet can cause your dog to become distressed, anxious, or confused. As a result, they might have an indoor accident.
  • They love marking their territory. If you find your dog marking its territory in the house, it means they want to show their ownership of something. This also ties back into the previous reason and is especially true if they feel threatened or insecure due to a stressor or unfamiliar situation.
  • They’re excited. Dogs (especially puppies) sometimes pee when they’re excited as an instinctual response, which is also called submissive urination. If you’re wondering how to stop excitement urination in dogs, you can take them outside and give them treats after they pee to train them to urinate outdoors. Or, you can give them opportunities to run and play to blow off some steam.
  • How to Stop Your Dog From Peeing Indoors

    Is your dog making the inside of your house a maze of wet spots and pungent smells? Sometimes even a seasoned member of the family that’s been house-trained for years can regress, and start relieving themselves on carpeting and floors. Experts have identified several triggers for this behavior, and even have recommendations to correct the issue of dogs peeing in the house. Read on to learn why this might be happening and how to stop it so you don’t have to live with unplanned accidents.

    When your dog reverts to peeing in the house, it’s in response to some issue. Often, the introduction of a new child or new pet into the home may upset the dog, who begins to have accidents as a result. Strangers, such as workmen, may cause your dog some confusion or distress as well. Even the smell of a new carpet can inspire your dog to mark it and make it familiar.

    Health problems can also explain this behavior. Female dogs can have bladder control issues due to low estrogen levels, especially if they are spayed or older. Some medications can cause this problem along with serious medical issues like tumors and kidney disease. A trip to the vet can determine if a physical issue is causing the problem. If not, you need to focus on the behavioral issues that can cause a dog to urinate indoors.

    Training or retraining your dog to relieve themselves outside will require some diligence on your part. Try taking the following steps to alter your pet’s behavior and protect your home and your sanity.

    Watch for Peeing Signs. Dogs usually have obvious “tells” before they relieve themselves. Watch your dog closely and intervene if you see them sniffing the floor, cocking their leg, or even circling. Get them outside pronto and keep them there until they do the deed. Then, lay on the love and praise. They need to associate outside urination with your approval.

    Interrupt the Act. This one sounds messy, but if you make a loud noise when you catch them, they may stop peeing inside long enough for you to get them outside. Don’t let them continue or punish them afterward. Get them outdoors and then praise them for finishing the job there.

    Remove the Smell. As a dog owner, you know that dogs who urinate in the house will return to the same spots over and over again due to the smell. Their urine contains an enzyme that powerfully marks the spot. Simply cleaning the area won’t get rid of this special scent. Fortunately, you can use a number of homemade concoctions or pet stain removal products to eliminate the enzyme.

    Sometimes spraying your dog with water when they begin peeing in the house will discourage them from this behavior. The water is unpleasant but doesn’t hurt them or browbeat them. The shock should stop their urination long enough to get them outside to finish. Then, of course, you must praise them for going outdoors.

    Dogs who have been house-trained since they were puppies can regress later in life. Sometimes, they have physical issues that need to be addressed by a vet. If they get a clean bill of health, you will need to retrain them to go outside. Punishing your dog does not work. Encouragement and praise are effective. You will have to be vigilant, but you can get your dog properly house-trained again.

    Now that you know the most common reasons why dogs start urinating in the house and how to deal with it, try the tips we listed in this article. If your dog does not take to the listed methods and continues the bad behavior, it is in your best interest to consult with a veterinarian or a professional dog trainer.