If you’ve recently adopted a new puppy, congratulations! You’ve got so much to learn! House training your pet is one of your first priorities. House-soiling is not something you want to live with indefinitely.
Even house-trained pets can have setbacks from time to time, resulting in potty accidents in your home. Accidental urination can occur when a pet’s excited, anxious or fearful of something in his surroundings.
If your trained dog starts peeing in the house for no apparent reason, however, that’s cause for concern. Then it’s time to dig deeper into what’s causing this behavior.
Is your dog adjusting to new people or the addition of another pet to the home? Is he drinking more water than usual or drinking out of a “new source,” i.e. your toilet? Is urinating indoors a reaction to your pup being left on his own due to your work commitments?
Pinpointing the cause of your pet’s behavior can help you resolve the problem.
Why Does My Dog Pee in the House in Front of Me?
There are actually legitimate reasons why dogs pee indoors in front of their owners. Your pup could have a health condition that’s affecting his bladder, causing him to lose control.
He could be peeing involuntarily out of fear, anxiety or excitement due to situations that are happening around him. Or he could be simply marking his territory.
A vet checkup can determine if your pet has a medical issue that’s affecting his bladder. You can book a video call with a professional veterinarian for help in resolving your pet’s indoor peeing problem.
Parasites, urinary tract infections and other health issues can cause your pet to lose bladder control and release urine at any time. Identifying the cause of your pet’s behavior is the first step to making it stop.
Dogs often pee to mark their territory. If you’ve recently bought new furniture or remodeled some area of your home, this could have triggered your pet’s instinct to make a claim on his new surroundings.
Fear or anxiety about having a new pet or new person in the home could be the cause of your pet urinating indoors. Spaying or neutering your dog could help relieve anxiety issues to reduce or eliminate this errant behavior.
Can You Train A Dog Not To Pee In The House In Front Of Me?
It can be extremely frustrating to see your house-trained pup peeing inside, especially in front of you! You may be tempted to yell at your dog, punish him somehow or even give him away! Don’t act rashly! It’s times like these that test your love for your furry friend.
Keep in mind there are dog training programs you can enroll your pup in to reinforce house-training concepts. Working with a professional trainer could help break your pet of his indoor peeing habit.
Young pets are still in learning mode, making retraining an effective plan of action. Senior dogs may need more help due to reduced bladder control as they grow older.
There are also steps you can take personally to reinforce good potty behavior in your dog. You can increase your pup’s potty breaks after meals or naps and reward him for urinating in appropriate outdoor places.
You can also avoid people or situations that produce fear or anxiety in your dog to keep him from having potty mishaps indoors. A tranquil home environment will keep your pup calm and happy, which can reduce compulsive peeing accidents.
Do Dogs Pee In The House For Attention?
It is possible that your dog is urinating indoors simply to get your attention. This behavior isn’t due to fear, excitement or anxiety, but to your pet feeling neglected or ignored.
Your dog knows if he pees in the house in front of you, you can’t help but give him attention. It doesn’t matter that it’s bad attention – attention is attention!
If you adopted your dog from a shelter, his prior background and experiences could affect his attention-getting behavior. Dogs that were neglected, abused or suffered trauma in the past are more likely to resort to errant behaviors like peeing indoors to get attention.
Rehabilitating your pup may take some time, so don’t expect instant changes in your dog. Do what you can to strengthen your bond so your pooch feels secure in your love.
In the meantime, you can take measures to remove negative memory triggers that are prompting your dog to urinate indoors. Make sure you clean the urine-infected areas well to eliminate the smell, as this could prompt a repeat performance.
Spend more quality time with your pup, indoors and out, so he doesn’t resort to errant behavior to get your attention. Make sure he’s taken outdoors frequently to relieve himself as often as possible.
Why Does My Dog Pee In The House With No Warning?
If your pet urinates indoors without warning, it could be due to loss of bladder control. Urinary incontinence is more common in senior dogs, particularly females who belong to large breeds.
Besides age, urinary incontinence can be caused by medical issues like diabetes, urinary tract infections, kidney disease, Cushing’s disease or other health conditions. These conditions can only be diagnosed by a vet.
Dogs that consistently pee in the house without warning should be examined by a vet. Your vet will test your pet for hidden health issues that can result in involuntary urination.
Treating your pet’s medical condition could resolve the indoor peeing problem. Some treatments take time, so you may have to endure this behavior until your pet is cured.
Even if your pet’s urinary incontinence isn’t the result of health problems, your vet may still be able to help. An experienced vet will be knowledgeable about canine medical and behavioral issues.
He or she could offer valuable advice on how to handle the problem or recommend a course of action on how to deter your pup from continuing down this path. Working with your vet could help you resolve this issue quicker.
Will A Dog Pee In The House Out Of Spite?
Contrary to what many pet owners think, dogs don’t pee indoors out of spite. It may seem like your dog is resorting to this behavior to get back at you for something you did or didn’t do, but he’s not.
If you forget to feed your pup or leave him alone longer than he would like, he’s not going to pee in the house to get even. Those emotions are typical of people, not canines!
Dogs are stimulus-responsive creatures, meaning they react to people’s actions and situations they encounter around them. They’re not capable of processing complex emotions like malice, vindictiveness or spite.
Your dog’s reaction to situations he doesn’t like may seem spiteful (peeing in the house, tearing up furniture, chewing on your favorite shoes), but they’re not! These reactions are simply the result of boredom, nervousness, anxiety or stress.
Unlike people, dogs aren’t capable of plotting revenge. If your pup pees in the house in front of you after you return from your vacation, it’s not because he’s angry you left him with Aunt Susie instead of taking him along.
He’s just letting you know he misses you and needs attention. Giving him the attention he needs could help rectify his errant behaviour and restore his trust.
Conclusion
Although it can be exasperating to have your house-broken dog peeing in the house, it’s one of many challenges you’ll face as a pet owner. With help from your vet and a local dog trainer, you can hopefully resolve the problem before too long. Love, patience and understanding can go a long way towards helping your dog overcome errant habits like peeing indoors. By bestowing extra time and attention on your pooch, you’ll win his loyalty, obedience and trust. These factors will increase your chances of success in retraining your pup.
