At our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, we always get asked, “How can I stop my dog from peeing in the house?”

Your dog going to the restroom in your house is a pretty common problem among dog owners, but generally one that is resolved when they are still in their early puppy phase.

So what do you do if your adult dog is still peeing in the house? Here are a few of the primary  behavioral and medical causes for inappropriate urination in dogs.

There are really 5 primary reasons that your dog is going to the restroom in your house:

1. Your dog has what we call, “Excited Urination.”  This is when maybe someone new comes over to the house, a family member who was gone for awhile comes back, etc.  Your dog becomes so excited, he cannot contain himself.  This can be fixed through obedience and scenario based training.

2. Another reason can be what we call, “Submissive Urination.”  This is generally done with puppies while being scolded, learned over, etc.  However, this can be exhibited by older dogs who have confidence issues or sees someone or something as a threat to them.  This can also be aided by obedience training combined with confidence building.

3. Improper house breaking/crate training.  If you did not do a proper/regimented housebreaking process, this can be a contributing factor, as well.  You can only expect your dog to do exactly what you taught them to do.  So, if you did not have a thorough housebreaking routine, this could be the cause.  In this case, we recommend going “back to the basics of crate training.”  You can read our thorough blog on housebreaking your dog HERE!

4. Your dog could simply be “territorial marking.”  I would say if they are in their own house, this isn’t as common as the other issues above.  However, once a dog starts marking in the house, it becomes a routine.  You should get a good odor eliminator to help eliminate the smell to the dog, and again, I would go “back to the basics” that is outlined in our blog above.

5. If you have ruled out all of the above options, I would recommend looking into a medical issue that you may not have noticed.  It could be things such as bladder stones, kidney disease, urinary infections, diabetes, etc. These things (like in people) help the urge to urinate quickly come over your dog.  So, you may not be able to get them out fast enough.  So, check with your local veterinarian.

If you have any more questions about obedience training, house breaking, or any other behavioral issues, check out our website at: http://www.offleashk9training.com/ or info@offleashk9training or 888-413-0896