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Hi JAC,

Your dog is being drawn back to the scene of the original crime because he can smell the soiling. Regular cleaning does not remove the urine crystals, and they emit an odor with even the slightest humidity. What you need to do is thoroughly soak the spot with an enzymatic cleaner that will break down the crystals and remove all trace scents. You can find a cleaner like that at most pet supply shops. Hopefully this will help put an end to the accidents and help your Min Pin get back on track. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hello! I have an almost 3-yr-old yorkie and a 2-yr-old min pin, they are both potty trained. They go outside and if they are inside and need to go they go in the puppy pad, which I keep in the bathroom. The min pin has been having accidents in the living room, same spot, for about 3 weeks now. He knows its wrong because as soon as I find it he hides. I have been telling him bad dog and making him sit on his pad for a while, but next time I know, he does it again. To me it seems like he is doing it on purpose. Anything has change so I don't know what his reason may be. Any help would be apprecciate. Thanks

-- Contributed by: JAC

Hi Charlene,

It sounds like there are a lot of factors involved here. You're right though, you don't want to follow up the scolding with the medication/treat because that could really confuse your dog. I suggest giving her the medication first, and then dealing with the soiled floor afterward.

A urinary tract infection can make it difficult for a dog to hold her water, and Chihuahuas have very small bladders. How did that first two week recheck turn out? If your dog still had the infection, a second recheck would be a very good idea. Sometimes the vet needs to change the antibiotic to find one that works better. It's certainly worth investigating.

Life changes can also confuse a dog and throw her off track, so that is probably also playing a role in your dog's current bout of house wetting. It's going to take her a little while to adjust to your children's absence, so it may be helpful to give her a little extra healthy attention like taking her out for walks or engaging her in a game of fetch, etc.

I'm going to recommend a combination of things that I hope will help.

First, confine your dog to her crate overnight. This will eliminate a lot of random accidents around the house. Take her outside first thing in the morning and give her time to really empty out. Then bring her back inside for her medication.
There's not much point in scolding if you haven't caught her in the act. She will understand you are displeased by the tone of your voice, but she won't make the connection that you are displeased she pottied in the house. Dogs make instantaneous connections. It's better to encourage the behavior you want by praising her well when she potties outside.
You'll need to purchase some enzymatic cleaner and soak those soiled areas to remove urine crystals and trace scents that normal cleaning products can't remove. This will help cut your dog's urge to soil those areas again when there's no longer a scent to draw her back there.
When you take your dog back for another recheck on her infection, ask the vet if her seizure medication could have an effect on her bladder control. Also keep in mind that dogs often wet and defecate during a seizure, so if your dog is still having any seizure activity, the vet may want to adjust the dosage on her medication.

Hopefully this combination will help get your dog back on the right track. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I am very frustrated with our chihuahua/pomeranian 9 1/2 year old dog. She is litter trained, and has been on Phenobarbitol for seizures for over 4 years now. She has been having accidents quite often, mostly after changing events, like children going back to college. It's very upsetting to find a wet spot and sometimes stool in the morning. I can never catch her in the act! She watched me clean it up, as I complain about it to her, and scold her. She cowers to her cage. I have to give her her medication in the morning,(which is like a treat to her--in some food item) so it is usually after I have cleaned up her accident. I don't want to be reinforcing the bad behavior. Should I confine her in her cage for 15 minutes first, so she gets the connection? I realize that I have to start all over with the housetraining to reinforce it. I did have her urine checked over a month ago, and they said she had a bad urinary infection. She had a retest after the 2 weeks of antibiotics. Do I have to check it again? Or does it sound more behavioral based, with the lack of attention having the house empty. I also have been stuck in the home office a lot, so she must feel neglected. It's so hard to want to show her attention when she acts out so much!

-- Contributed by: Charlene

Hi Kiaramom,

Taking your dog for an exam is actually a good idea. Sometimes a urinary tract infection is involved when an otherwise house trained dog suddenly begins having accidents in the home. It would be good to find out if this is your dog's case so you can get the medication she might need.

If there doesn't appear to be a medical cause for the accidents, you'll want to retrain your dog now just as you did when you first brought her home. Sometimes our pets get off track and need a refresher course. You'll also want to soak any soiled areas with an enzymatic cleaner found at most pet supply stores. This will remove the bacteria that normal cleaning fluids do not remove, and it will eliminate the trace scents that call you dog back to the area to soil again.

Thanks for your question, and I hope these suggestions prove helpful. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Our 4 year old dog seems to have accidents more frequently in the winter time. We had assumed last year it was because we moved into a colder climate and had to tie her up before we had finished the fence. Then she started going in the house again this winter. She is (presumably) fully house trained since we got her and has never had this problem before we moved.... We are now having to crate her during the day when we are not home as well as at night as she has now stopped scratching at the door to be let out....I am perplexed...Should I take her to a vet to see if there is a problem?

-- Contributed by: Kiaramom

Hi Andrea,

Step one, you should have your vet examine Oliver to make sure he doesn't have a urinary tract infection or a kidney stone problem that could be the root of his current behavior. Once you have that information, you can move on to correcting the situation.

It will be necessary to soak the soiled areas of the office with an enzymatic cleaner. These products "eat" the smelly bacteria that may draw Oliver back there to soil again. And yes, you will need to retrain him just as you first did when he was a puppy. Use the crate as needed, but take him out at regular intervals and use a potty command so he knows what you expect. Reward him with praise when he cooperates, but if he doesn't go while he's outside, just take him back inside quietly. Remain consistent, and you should be able to retrain Oliver to be reliable in your home once again.

Thanks for your question, and I hope this advice helps. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Oliver, our 5 year old ...zu, has started peeing in our office. We crate trained him as a puppy, and he has never had accidents in the house. We have a huge backyard and allow him to get outside pretty regularly. We also give him plenty of attention. We have started putting him in his crate when we are at work to possibly retrain him, but now we are finding pee when we wake up in the morning. What do we do to stop this? Any help on how to fix this problem would be greatly appreciated.

-- Contributed by: andrea

Hi Sean,

For whatever reason, your puppy is developing anxiety issues, and this is resulting in the unwanted behaviors. Here's what I suggest.

First, do a refresher course on potty training with your puppy to reinforce the proper place to go. Get an enzymatic cleaner from any pet supply store and soak the area where your dog is having house accidents. You have to eliminate all traces of the smell so your dog won't feel compelled to keep going there.

Now for the inappropriate chewing. Make sure you have a suitable selection of chew toys available, and keep personal items like shoes and such put away where your dog can't get them. If your puppy is also chewing the furniture, you can spray the hard surfaces with a product called Bitter Apple to discourage him.

Now for the most important step. Providing your dog with more exercise helps him burn off energy that would otherwise be misdirected into mischievious behaviors. Good daily walks and play sessions in the back yard can often help reduce anxiety issues.

All of this said, you may need to temporarily reduce your dog's territory in your home while you're away. Some pet owners confine their dogs to the kitchen during the day since cleaning the linoleum is easier to handle than carpet. Hopefully, the suggestions above will, in time, allow you to let your dog have full run again.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

When I leave the house my dog always seems to have issues. He goes to the bathroom, always in the same place, and recently he has started to chew shoes, my mail, etc. I was told that dogs can learn to hold it for the day while I am at work, is this untrue? Or is my 9 month old puppy still too young to do so? And why has he just begun to chew everything?

-- Contributed by: Sean

Hi Frank,

No, I don't believe your dog is pooping out of spite, I think he's just a bit confused about the proper place to go. Do you still have your dog on a regular schedule for potty breaks? Sometimes a new owner can become comfortable with a seemingly well trained dog and relax about taking the animal out on a predictable schedule. This can lead to house accidents.

My advice is to go back to square one with potty training. Whatever the cause of the current accidents, revisiting training provides positive reinforcement of the behavior you want. I also recommend using an enzymatic cleaner on the spots in the basement where your dog pooped. Eliminating trace scents should keep him from being drawn back to poop there again.

Best wishes for getting your dog back on the right track. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

My Golden Sheltie mix is somewhere around 1 year old, not real sure since we got him at a rescue. We've had him for about 2 months and there have been no incidents until this past weekend? Twice he pooped in the basement, same spot, and then lost night he pooped and peed on the bed in the guestroom. Is this the spite pooping I've heard about? Any suggestions to keep this kind of behavior from happening?

-- Contributed by: Frank

Hi George,

This sounds like your dog had some sort of stress/panic reaction to your being outside with the people that had arrived. You can address this issue by introducing your dog to new arrivals and giving her a moment to accept their presence before you leave her on her own. You might even give her a toy or treat to play with after the introduction has gone well.

I would also recommend enrolling your dog in a socialization class at your local dog training center to help her learn to deal with her anxieties. It may take some time, but I think you can work through them.

Best wishes.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have rescued a boxer/greyhound female, about a year old by anyone's guess. She is normally very well behaved, but has recently began pooping around a fireplace in my house. Prior to tonight's incident, I had taken her outside to go, which she did as usual. I was outside with company for about 10 minutes and she had left me 6 piles and a puddle on the couch. Help!

-- Contributed by: George

Hi Amanda,

Your boyfriend's abusive outbursts won't teach your dog a thing. I suggest you purchase a crate for your dog to sleep in overnight and this will prevent her from soiling in your bed.

That said, at four months old your puppy doesn't have quite the capacity for holding it that she will in a few more months. Active training will help her to understand the difference in where she is allowed and not allowed to go. Take her out on a regular basis and begin using a command such as "potty" to identify the act with the command and resulting praise. Simply leaving the patio door open still gives her the option to decide where she wants to go. She needs more direction and positive reinforcement to become fully house trained.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have had my 19 month old French bulldog for 4 months now she was not previously 100% potty trained when we got her and we moved into our new apartment in march which has a patio and she has been good about going outside to pee and poop when ever the door is open, but recenlty right befor bed we close the doog and get ready to go to sleep and she goes and pees on the bed. My boyfriend rubs her face in it and spank her and tell her no, and gets mad when i tell him he is being too rough, any suggestion on how to stop this problem??

-- Contributed by: Amanda

Hi Jacqui,

Yes, you can use a black light to detect old urine stains. If you find any, soak the area with an enzymatic cleaner you can find at any pet supply store. The enzymes actually eat the bacteria and crystalized urine.

As for peeing in your parent's bedroom, perhaps the first time was simply and accident, but now that your dog's scent is in the room, he'll be drawn back to it to do it again. I suggest you use the enzymatic cleaner there too to remove the bacteria and urine crystals that normal cleaning isn't able to eliminate. I also recommend that your parents make their room off limits for the dog. Hopefully this will break the cycle.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have a 1 1/2 male cockapoo who I thought was house broken. I keep him locked in my bedroom when I am at work and has yet to have accidents there or least I thought he didn't. Yet in the past week he peed 2x in my parents bedroom. Once while I was away and the second while I was talking to them before heading back to my home. He spends a lot of time there since I work at an after school program there. He has yet to have accidents in the down stairs of there house. I don't understand this behavior and beginning to wonder if he pees in my room while I am working and it dries by the time I get home (7 hours), or if this has to do with their bedroom. I was raised with cats and know that their pee glows when you put a black light to it I was wondering if a dogs does too. As well as what might spark this mischiveous behavior. Please help.....

-- Contributed by: Jacqui

Hello SAC,

I'm sorry to hear about the problem you're experiencing. At the advanced age of 15, your dog may be exhibiting signs of onset dementia/senility. Incontinence is also frequently observed in senior dogs. It may be beneficial to discuss the situation with your veterinarian and have your dog evaluated.

Thanks for your sharing your situation, and I hope the vet can provide treatment options.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

We have a 15yo Llaso who is having accidents regularly in our house. She'll bark to go out at 5 or 6 AM and promply poops on the bare floor or a favorite rugof hers' when we aren't looking. She is also taken our several times each day but to no avail.

Any suggestions?

-- Contributed by: SAC

My aunt has a chichua and every time people come over the dog pees were he stands what could cause him to pee. should we worry. He has just started doing it as he got older.

Hi Shelby,

My guess is that the little Chi's incontinence is due to a combination of anxiety and a weakening bladder. My advice is to take the dog to the vet and explain what's going on. There are medications that might help him have better control and eliminate the puddling.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: shelby

We have a 12-wk old Yellow Lab/Terrier/Pit mix. We were told at the shelter he is the dominant pup of the group...we have a black lab 16wk old puppy next door, and a 1yr. old border collie....they want to play, but all he does is jump on them, bite their ears, neck etc...they are starting to get afraid of him...but he LOVES them, we take him outside and he just sits and looks at their house like "please come out!" what can we do to encourage good puppy playing with them...?

Hi Brooke,

Have you thought about enrolling your new puppy in puppy class? Most dog training facilities offer them, and the class is mainly about socializing your puppy in a structured setting. It's not really an obedience class, but your dog will learn how to interact better with other dogs and people. It's really a great foundation to build future good behavior on. I highly recommend it if you can find a class in your area.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you have lots of fun with the class. They're usually a blast. :)

-- Contributed by: Brooke

Hello! I have two blue heeler dogs. Aussie, who is now 2 years old (we have had him sice he was 8 weeks) just started peeing and pooping in the house. He has been potty trained since he was a puppy. My question is that we just had a baby six months ago, could it be that he is acting out due to the attention focused on our son and not so much him anymore? On one occasion, he pooped INSIDE one of my shoes in the closet, then pooped in my tub. On more than one occasion, he has peed or pooped right in the doorway. We have a big yard, and they are both let out quite frequently, so, I am not understanding why all of a sudden, he is having accidents again. I should also mention that he was just neutered in January, so that could be a possible factor as well. A few pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

Hi Marci,

I think you're right that this sudden behavior may be related to a bit of jealousy over the baby. Your dog may be feeling a bit left out, and may also feel a need to re-declare his territory.

It's going to be necessary to do some potty training 101 with him again to try to get things back on track. My best advice is to make this as positive an experience as possible. Your dog will take the one-on-one training as personal attention time, and this may reassure him that he is still important to you.

A couple tips:

Move some of the stool accidents outside to reinforce where you want him to go.
Use an enzymatic cleaner to soak the areas your dog has soiled indoors. Removing all traces of the odor should discourage your dog from repeat soiling.
Try to get on a consistent schedule for potty breaks. Predictability can be very helpful in this situation.

Thanks for your question, and I hope the issue is soon resolved.

-- Contributed by: Marci

Hi iv have a 12yr old boxer .In the last month shes peed on the carpet 3 times now and last nite on my bed .Shes a great dog and has never done this before .I was woundering if it could be because she has been getting into the litter box cause i use clumping cat litter and this all started a week ago .I would realy like some advice to help her out ..thanks kenton

Hi Kenton,

At 12, your dog may be losing some of her ability to hold her urine. This is a good reason to schedule a check up with your vet. You can get a baseline on your senior pet's current health and know exactly what you're dealing with.

As for the clumping cat litter, this is definitely not something you want your dog to ingest. The clay material used is highly absorbent and it can swell to 15 times its normal size. This can cause dangerous obstructions in your dog's system. I don't think this is the cause of the urine accidents, however, I do recommend you either move the litter box location to a place your dog can't reach it, or switch to a more eco-friendly type of litter that won't harm your dog if ingested.

Best wishes for a happy resolution to your problem.

-- Contributed by: KENTON

I have an 8 year old ...zu/Poodle who has just recently been peeing in my daughters bedroom. We do not catch him. He can go 9 to 10 hours without an accident during the day, but at night is when he pees on the rug. I started to take his water away at around 8 at night which seems to be helping, but, although reduced in frequency, he still has accidents. How do I handle this if I am not there to catch him? Thank you very much for your advice. Sandi

Hi Sandi,

If your dog is only having accidents overnight, then it might be a good idea to crate train him and keep him confined overnight. This would put a stop to the random accidents.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Sandi

hi, I have little westie poo puppy who is turning 7 mnths in a couple days. When I was watching tv in my basment when suddenly my dog started peeng on the carpet. i quickly yelled NO BAD DOG nd took him outside.but i didnt know why he would do that. he hadnt had an accident for over a month and was trained to go potty on command. It's not like he's alone everyday. hes usually with someone practically all day and we still live in the same house. i dont know why hes having accidents out of nowhere after so long. im really confued and would like to know if you know whats going on. thank you

Expert Reply

Hi K.T.

I'm not quite clear. Did your dog only have just one accident, or has it happened repeatedly?

Honestly, could it be possible that someone forgot to take your dog outside? If he had to wait too long, he might not have been able to hold it anymore.

I recommend you clean the spot thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner so he's not drawn back to the spot again. Then, take him out more frequently for the next few days to remind him of his manners.

Thanks for your question, and good luck.

-- Contributed by: k.t
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