Why is my dog peeing in the house all of a sudden?

Dog peeing in the house

Some dogs, even though house trained, can suddenly start peeing in the house. This is of course not only inconvenient, but also can have some serious implications. In this article, you will get to know all the reasons as to what might be the reason that your dog is suddenly peeing in your house. So, please read along if you are interested or curious as to what these reasons might be.

 

The physical and mental causes of my dog peeing in the house so suddenly

There can be many diverse and varying reasons as to why your dog is peeing in your house all of a sudden. It is always a good idea to contact and schedule a meeting with your vet to make sure that there are no medical conditions underlying their urinating issues. For example, a dog can suffer from a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). A urinary tract infection is basically an infection of any part of the urinary system, like an infection of the bladder. If this is the case, you will notice that your dog has difficulty with peeing, perhaps has some blood in its urine and will lick its genitals frequently.

If you suspect that your dog is suffering from a UTI, it is highly recommended to contact your vet. He or she will most likely ask you to hand in a urine sample to make sure that it involves a UTI, and nothing more serious is at hand. Once confirmed, you can receive medication that will help with the infection and pain your dog is dealing with. In the meantime, you can decide to put a dog diaper on your dog, if you will be gone for longer periods of time and are not able to find someone else to take your dog out.

Pressures on the spinal cords can also lead to similar experiences as with a UTI. In this case the spinal cord is pressured, which causes a dog to experience a lot of tension at the bottom half of his body. Again, this may lead them to pee in your house all of a sudden.

It could also be the case that your dog is not sufficiently house trained, or is suffering from loss of house training. This loss or insufficient house training may cause your dog to be confused. That, in turn, may lead to your dog urinating inside of the house. It is often seen that pups who were allowed to pee inside, for example on a pee pad or newspaper, during their training tend to suffer from a loss of house training at some point.

Puppy plast in huis

If this is the case, the dog will most likely pee at the place where he or she usually was allowed to pee. So, if you always used to have a pee pad or newspaper at your backdoor during house training of your dog, and now your dog is peeing in the exact same place, chances are high that they are simply improperly house trained.

A dog can also start peeing in the house suddenly as a way to mark their territory. This often happens when a new dog joins a family, or if they are visiting a place where another dog is or was also present. Through leaving their pee in the house, a dog basically lets another dog know that this is now his or her place. It is worth noting that the issue of territory marking often happens with unneutered male dogs. This mainly has to do with the fact that they suffer from more hormonal issues, leading them to be more involved with marking their territory. If this problem keeps occurring, it might be worth talking to your vet to see if neutering may help.

Anxiety or stress is also a very large factor that can play a role in your dog peeing in the house all of a sudden. If your dog is very scared of loud noises, bangs, the weather or other factors, this may cause them to pee in the house. They simply get so scared that they just let their pee run.

It could also be that your dog has difficulties with adjusting to a new situation. For example, newly adopted dogs tend to have difficulties with getting used to their new home. Also, the sudden loss or change within a family can lead to similar issues. So, if you recently divorced or lost a family member, this can impact your dog highly, leading them to experience stress. That kind of pressure can cause them to urinate in the house suddenly.

Lastly, incontinence can also be a reason for your dog peeing in the house. Often, this happens with dogs that are senior and lose control over their bladder and urinary systems. Incontinence can be even more of an issue if your dog is suffering from dementia. In these cases, your dog is simply confused and does not know where to pee.

Rarely, dogs tend to forget how to signal to you that they need to pee when suffering from dementia. However, incontinence can also be a sign that something is wrong with your dogs. Sudden incontinence, especially with younger dogs, can be signs for kidney issues or even diabetes. If this is happening to your dog, please consult your veterinarian to rule out any serious illnesses.

 

Can I help with stopping my dog to pee or urinate in the house?

You absolutely can with a few tips and tricks. Not only you, but also your dog is probably not feeling all too good about suddenly peeing in the house. Once you have ruled out that there are no medical conditions that are at bay of the behavior of your dog, there are few things you can do to help your dog to stop peeing in the house.

First of all, you can start by house retraining. By simply reinstating the rules and habits you had when your dog was still a pup and starting house training, it can help with your dog knowing what to do. Just simply put them outside after they have slept or played for a long time. Often, your dog will catch on pretty quickly!

Sometimes, it is also necessary to increase the moments in which you allow your dog to pee. In specific cases, some dogs just need more breaks to pee or they take a while to find the right spot to pee. Give them some time and try not to rush it. Just as with home training, try to put your dog outside after he or she has been sleeping, playing or eating/drinking. It often also helps to reward them with a nice treat or a cuddle.

Third, it is very helpful if you are able to find out what the reason is that your dog is suddenly peeing. If you do suspect that this has to do with anxiety, try to find out what it is that they are scared of. When possible, try to get rid of the thing that sparks your dog’s anxiety or stress. In case that you have difficulty with controlling your dog’s anxiety or stress-levels, it might be helpful to install a camera and microphone.

That way you can regularly check up on your dog to see how he or she is doing. When you notice that they are portraying stressful behavior, you can talk to them through the microphone. Hearing your voice often calms your dog down. If your dog is afraid of noise in general, it might help to put on some music or white noise while you are away. There are even specific music playlists for dogs that will help them calm down.

Even though we can understand that this whole process might be frustrating, try to avoid to hit or yell at your dog. In most cases this will only lead to your dog feeling more stressed and anxious. In turn, this can increase the amount of times they pee in the house.

We also recommend that you try to remove the urine smell as much possible. When you do not do so, your dog might think that it is okay to pee in the house, whereas you are trying very hard to prevent that from happening.

Lastly, if your dog still continues to pee in the house and any medical reasons have been ruled out, it might be worth contacting someone that is specialized in dog behavior. They might be able to help you out in identifying what the problem is, and how you can help your dog to stop urinating in the house.

Hond plast op kleed

The why and solutions to your dog urinating in the house

There are many, various reasons that may lead to your dog urinating in the house. As can be read above, factors that may cause sudden peeing in your house are:

  • Urinary tract infection(s)
  • Pressure on the spinal cord
  • Insufficient house training
  • Marking territory
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Incontinence due to seniority, kidney issues or diabetes

This is, however, not the end of the world. Luckily for you, there are various ways in which you can try to stop your dog from peeing in your house. First, we recommend you to start with house retraining and increasing the moments for your dog to pee. It is also very helpful if you are able to find out what the reason is that your dog is peeing in the house. When you know that, you can take measures accordingly, like playing music or installing a camera.

Please, never hit or yell at your dog in this process. Although it can all be very frustrating, hitting or yelling is never the solution and will probably lead to the opposite effect. We also recommend you to remove as much as the urine smell as possible, this way your dog does not think it is okay to pee in the house. Lastly, contacting a professional that is specialized in dog behavior can help with identifying what the issue at hand is.

We are very curious to hear if your dog has ever suddenly peed in house. What was your dog’s reason for suddenly urinating in the house, and what did you do to stop it? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

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Onlinedogworld Team

Onlinedogworld Team

Our readers and writers have one thing in common: a passion for dogs. At Onlinedogworld we try to help dog owners (and dogs) by giving them information about dog breeds, dog training and dog behavior. Our team does their best to make Onlinedogworld the best possible place to go to for dog owners, by keep improving the website.
Onlinedogworld Team

Onlinedogworld Team

Our readers and writers have one thing in common: a passion for dogs. At Onlinedogworld we try to help dog owners (and dogs) by giving them information about dog breeds, dog training and dog behavior. Our team does their best to make Onlinedogworld the best possible place to go to for dog owners, by keep improving the website.

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