A dog can give you a lot of happiness and enjoyment. But if it’s a pet dog, you need to be very careful while feeding and rearing it at home. Why? Because as every animal, it has its primary physiological needs, which can sometimes be hard to control. Thus, don’t be surprised when your beloved friend pee in the house from time to time. “Inappropriate urination,” as called by many vets, happens very often. The reasons for such behavior are various. A dog can suffer from a urinary tract infection, which is one of the most common health problems in dogs. Another cause is their senior age, which is also connected with other serious diseases, like kidney disease, diabetes, or Cushing’s disease. Old dogs are more prone to dementia and senility, which can also lead to uncontrolled peeing. Except for health problems, you can’t forget about behavioral issues as well. The way you breed your dog can significantly affect their behavior. However, no matter what reason lies behind your pet’s disability, keep up with some of the tips and tricks on how to stop it.
Train your dog
The first quite simple trick is to train your dog. For that purpose, you should house-train your puppies from the very beginning to show them how they should behave, and where they can pee. Take it with you after drinking, eating, and sleeping outside so that it could fulfill their physiological needs, whether it’s peeing or pooping. If your dog listens to you and follows your instructions, then you could reward it with a treat for the appropriate behavior. For more information, you can visit the My Sweet Puppy website, where you’ll find more creative ideas on how to train your dog.
Identify the stimulus
When you notice that your dog behaves unnaturally, and starts peeing in different places at home, then you should try to find the stimulus, and eliminate it as much as possible. For example, if it gets angry during walks when it sees the neighbor’s aggressive dog, choose a different route next time. If, instead, your pet gets stressed when it hears loud noises from the outside, play music in the house to drown out other sounds. Making your pet calm should help and stop it from random peeing on unpermitted premises.
Don’t use violence
While discovering your dog’s inappropriate behavior many people can’t control themselves, and they start shouting and beating their pets. It’s the worst thing you can do. Under no account should you practice that. It won’t solve your problem. Quite the contrary- it can only trigger your pet’s anxiety and uncontrolled urination. Punishing isn’t the right approach, either. Such behavior can easily backfire on you, making your dog even more stressed and unpredictable. Do you want to avoid nasty surprises at home? Then, be gentle to your dog and take it even in the middle of the action outside to show it where it can pee.
Use water spray
Some people try different unconventional methods to prevent their dogs from peeing in the house. One of them is using water spray, which isn’t harmful, and it can’t hurt your four-legged friend, but it can effectively discourage them from that activity. Taking advantage of your dog’s shock, you’ll have some time to get it out to finish. Then, again you should remember about praising them for going outdoors.
Clean up wet spots
If you miss catching your dog red-handed, then you have no other choice but to clean up wet spots. It would be perfect if you did that in front of your pet so that it would realize their fault. Of course, it’s also necessary for aesthetic causes. Such marks smell terrible and leave the unpleasant odor in their entire house. Therefore, for the best effect, people use enzymatic cleaners so that your dog wouldn’t recognize the urinary smell. Otherwise, they may think that peeing inside is acceptable.
Get professional help
If all these methods discussed above aren’t effective enough, and your pet still pees in dark corners, it’s a red flag for the owner that he or she should take their dog to the vet. If these are health problems, the vet will make a diagnosis and prescribe proper medicines. However, if there’s nothing to do with their health, then the help of a good dog trainer or behaviourist will be required. Don’t be ashamed to turn to a professional for advice and assistance. In most cases, it’s not your fault. Depending on the need, make a single appointment or, if need be, regular sessions until your dog stops peeing at home.
“Inappropriate urination” is a frequent disorder found among dogs. Although it could be an embarrassing problem for you and your whole family, you can’t leave it unresolved. Check out our methods and help your dog to get back to normal.
Daria Skutecka