Why your dog pees in the house

One of the most common problems in house training is a dog that pees in the house or just won’t wait until you take him outside. Even after weeks of patience and practice, some dogs don’t seem to grasp what we think is a simple concept: DON’T GO IN THE HOUSE! If you’ve followed all the steps for house training your dog and he still won’t hold it, consider these possibilities:

Your dog is a puppy less than 5 or 6 months old:

Your puppy may know the house training process like the back of his paw. But at such a young age he doesn.t have good bladder control. Reconsider your house training schedule and wait less time between trips outside. As your puppy grows into a dog, house training will eventually pay off.

Your dog just doesn’t know he’s supposed to wait

In this case, your dog doesn’t understand house training yet. Some dogs catch on quickly, others not so much. Rather than second-guess your dog’s willingness to eliminate outside, go over the house training process again. Start from the beginning and make sure your dog understands each step before you move on to the next. Dedicate more time to the fundamentals of house training and your dog should pick it up in no time.

Your dog doesn’t trust your house training schedule

If you crate train your dog and leave him confined for long stretches during the day or you take him out whenever you feel like it, he’s not going to appreciate the house training process. Think about it. You try your hardest to hold it until you get outside, but you’re forced to wait and wait. Eventually you’ll give up. The solution is a regular house training schedule. It’ll take time to win back your dog’s trust, so be consistent, never leave your dog unsupervised, and clean up messes immediately with an odor neutralizing product.

Your dog wants to move up in the pack

If you let your dog rule the roost in your house, he may use soiling to show dominance. He eliminates on, or “scent marks”, your bed and furniture because he thinks he’s the pack leader. In his mind those are HIS possessions and he’s letting you know it. And this behavior isn’t limited to male dogs. Female dogs also exhibit marking behavior. In cases like this, the problem isn’t with house training but discipline. To remind your dog of his proper position in the pack, obedience training is key. He’ll learn to focus his attention on you and respond to your commands. As you reestablish your authority, the marking behavior should fade away. Also, keep in mind that dogs that are spayed or neutered are less likely to engage in this behavior, but it’s no guarantee against it.

As with learning any type of communication with your dog, house training takes time. There are bound to be problems and times when your dog pees in the house. But be patient and stay focused on the ultimate goal of a house trained dog and you’ll get there.