Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have an almost 8 year old Malkie (Maltese and Silky Terrier), he is wee wee pad trained as well as trained to go outside. Whenever someone is home he will always go on the wee wee pad, even if there is one spot where he already went, but generally we try to change the pad right after. He has always been left alone when we are at work so I know it's not separation anxiety. We had his kidneys checked and everything else and he is a healthy dog. We also tried to crate train him as a puppy and even recently and he hates it, he scratches at the crate and his paws start to bleed so we stopped putting him in the crate.
Confine him at night or when you are not home in an area of the house with the pad available. Use a gate if you can.
You must clean up everywhere he peed with Nature's Miracle to remove the scent. He has to be crated or gated until he goes outside.
I have a 10 month old black Lab who is relieving himself on the carpet when I'm at work. I work from 3 pm to 12 am. I take him out two times before I go to work, one quick potty break in the morning before breakfast, and then about an hour right before I go to work. I also have an hour long lunch break, and I come home and take him out for another 15 minutes, before I go back to work.
When I get home, I take him out again for about 45 min. So he's only alone for four hour intervals without a potty break. Any suggestions on how to make the accidents stop and also how to clean the carpets?in order to clean the carpet, enzymatic cleaners are really the only thing that will get rid of that smell. "They work quickly by bio-degrading the stain, grease, oil, dirt, grime, vomit, urine, blood, coffee or food into its basic carbon, hydrogen or oxygen element, eliminating the problem. " Get rid of the smell and the dog is less liable to want to 'go' there.
You can buy one here www.chewy.com/
or, if you have brown sugar, citrus peels and a lot of time on your hands, you can make your own: www.wikihow.com/
As far as the problem, it looks like you need to keep him crated when you're away, and in this way he learns appropriate places to 'go': "Crate training takes advantage of your dog's natural instincts as a den animal. A wild dog's den is their homea place to sleep, hide from danger and raise a family. The crate becomes your dog's den, where they can find comfort and solitude while you know theyre safe and secure (and not shredding your house while you're out running errands). The primary use for a crate is housetraining, because dogs don't like to soil their dens. The crate can limit access to the rest of the house while they learn other rules, like not to chew on furniture. Crates are also a safe way to transport your dog in the car." www.humanesociety.org/
Clean the carpets with Nature's Miracle, which will take care of stains and odors.
Crate your dog or gate in a room and provide pads in a tiled area for when you are out of the house.
I have a 2 year old black Lab that pees when we leave or don't play with him. My dad wants to get rid of him, but my mom, sisters, and I don't.
We have no idea what to do. We've sprayed vinger it worked a little bit but not enough. If I could get any advice on this that would be great!Dogs are not toys that you throw away when they become torn or dirty. Animals/Pets are living and feeling creatures that can have a problem needing help, just like himans.
Your dog may have a medical problem that results in difficulty in controlling his urine when he is upset. Please take him to your vet to check for any medical problem. Your vet can also help with suggestions on how you can work with your dog to help him with your problem. If you delay, the urine problem will probably worsen as your dog has no way to help himself improve. The first and most important step is to clarify any possible medical issue to help your dog improve.
Black labs are active dogs and love people.
Your dog needs a half hour to an hour walk every day. He also needs about a half hour play time, like fetch, every day. That is separate from the walk.
Tire out your dog and he won't mind so much when you leave.
I have a 3 year old male Boxer. When I'm home he is fine unless someone comes over he doesn't approve of then he tries to attack them. I think he's trying to protect me. I've noticed if I'm not home and my dad's here and someone new comes over he's totally fine as long as I'm not here. 
Also he barks to go outside, but if nobody's home he will even if he doesn't have to force himself to pee and it's getting to the point he will pee on my couch, my bed, anywhere.
It's gross! The upholstery cleaners my best friends! :( Can anyone offer any advice please? He's really a great dog, he just has those couple things I have to figure out, but look at that face. I love this doggy!
What a handsome dog. I am a boxer lover too. I provide foster care for boxers that are rescued from shelters until they find their permanent home. The behavior you are describing is because your dog is the pack leader. He is protecting you because he doesn't senses you are in charge. Also the wetting, I believe, is him marking "his territory" There are ways to correct this, and they basically teach the dog "YOU" are the pack leader. It's very important to remove couch, bed etc. privileges for awhile. Then he is only allowed up on furniture if and when you "invite" him. He should be trained to "wait" at the door coming in and out of the house and you go first and he follows.
I second Merlene's advice. When the dog is in the leadership position you will get all sorts of unwanted behaviors. Large breed dogs such as Boxers, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and Mastiffs must be taught that you are in charge, not them.
Waiting to eat, walking the correct way (beside you, not in front or pulling at the leash), waiting to be invited onto furniture or into rooms, and other things are all a normal part of the training.
For more pack leader training, see also Cesar Millan's (Dog Whisperer's) pack leader training techniques.
When we go out we have to put our female 18 month old Staffie in her crate, but she is so clever she can escape. When she does she goes in my daughter's bedroom and wees. Any ideas?
By Ali
I have a 7 year old Boston Terrier who has been house trained since she was a puppy. She has always had a dog door and does use it frequently. However, every time we leave the house she pees somewhere in the house. She has a few favorite places she goes, but she also, occasionally, will go right in front of the door that we leave and enter through. One time we gave her a shower and then had to leave shortly after that and she peed in the shower. Sometimes she'll go right in front of the dog door.
By Megan J.
l have a toy Poodle l can't go to the restroom or anywhere. If she sees me leave there's pee and poop when l return. When she gets upset at me, she will poop on the pad and pee, but leave one on the floor; sometimes a lot. Honestly she holds some poop. She is evil, but sweet. I don't get why is she doing this. What can l do?
By cahas
We have a 4 year old female Pit Bull we adopted when she was a year old. We also have another smaller dog that is also 4 years old. They are both house trained and know not to pee in the house, but the Pit Bull will potty in our house in random areas (hallway, kitchen, etc.) when we sleep if we don't let her sleep in the room with us. They always slept with us, but I am now 6 months pregnant and it is just too uncomfortable for them to be in the bed with us so we let them stay in the living room. I'm not sure if she is just rebelling because she is upset she can't stay in the bed with us anymore.
By Angellle
I would guess she is just ticked. Maybe take her to see your vet to rule out bladder issues or infection. You could also try putting dog beds in your room, and teaching them to go to their beds, and not sleep in yours. Best of luck!
How about crates for the dogs in your bedroom at night?
I have a 5 year old male Pit Bull, and I have to put him in a cage every time I leave. When I go to bed he has to be in his cage or in the room I'm in with the door shut. If he is away from me too long he will go to the bathroom in the house. I feel like he is nervous if he can't see me or knows I'm gone. How can I stop this? I don't like leaving him in a cage. I want him to be free to walk the house.
By Giovanna
At his age there probably isn't much you can do to cure his separation anxiety and the best place for him when you are out is the crate.
I used to leave the TV on low in another room for my young Boxers but in all the years I raised AKC Boxers in the US (40+) there were times no matter what I did for an anxious puppy; he/she grew up to be an anxious adult. So I learned to live with it-dogs have individual personalities and some are just anxious by nature so we worked around it:)
By the way, with an anxious older dog, draping a duvet or blanket over the back half of the crate seemed to be an extra soothing thing to do for the dog. Although dogs evolved from lupine to canine a very long time ago, certain things like den behaviours have remained-dogs, like wolves, are thrilled (and soothed) by a den like place to call their own.
Good luck with your lad, he sounds like a lovely fellow who absolutely adores you:)
You might also try having his crate in the room you are in (when you are home) and leaving the door open. Drape the back of the crate with a blanket. Make the crate as comfortable as possible and throw some treats in there to encourage him to go in. Let him know that this crate is his "den" - a safe place to retreat to. Don't close him in - leave the door open so he can come in and out as he wishes. In time, if he feels he has a safe spot that is all his, he might retreat to the crate when he feels anxious and not feel he has to pee to mark his territory.
My dog pees in the house if not in her crate when I am not home.
Our two year old dog that hasn't had an accident in the house since he was 6 months old has suddenly decided to start peeing in the house (on our couches) when we are gone. He has a doggy door and access to the backyard at all times. We've tried cleaning it with the pet odor removing cleaners, etc., but he keeps peeing. We are hesitant to punish him too much as we can't catch him in the act since we aren't home when he does it and he never does it while we're home.
Any help on how to correct this would be great. We work away from home and we live in a freezing area, so crating him all day won't work and putting him outside all day won't work.It seems your dog doesn't want to go out in the cold to do his business. He doesn't misbehave when you're there because he knows you'd catch him doing it.
Did you train him on pee pads or newspaper? Can you switch him back to those until the weather warms up a bit?
My male Yorkie, Romo, is very stubborn. I'm gone from 7:30AM-5 PM every weekday. I take him outside twice every morning and feed him in the evenings. He poops every morning, but still everyday when I get home there is a poop pile and a pee spot. Also every weekend when I'm home he's fine.
He never goes in the house when I'm home. I tried crating him in a crate small enough for him to just turn around in and he still went in his crate. I really don't want to drive home everyday from work on my lunch to let him outside. Are there any other options? Help please.Your dog is not stubborn. You are asking your dog to hold his pee and poop for 9 and a half hours. Could you do this? Try leaving for work and not going to the bathroom until you get home.
Second of all, your dog is home all day. Dogs can not read or surf the internet or use the phone. Your dog is home alone, bored with no stimulation for the entire day.
I have a 6 month old Beagle mix, Walker Blue Tick/Beagle. Anyways, Fred will go all night with out going potty in the house, but if we leave the house for a half hour we come home to him having peed and pooped in the livingroom or kitchen.
We don"t cage him up because he will freak out and chew on the metal cage to get out. Any help would be greatly appreciated since I also have a 18 month old son. I'm scared I will have to get rid of Fred.I'd like some more information here.
First, how often do you walk Fred? The walk is a bonding experience that also increases your dog's confidence and helps drain his puppy energy. A Blue Tick Beagle mix needs to walk a LOT. With a toddler, this may be difficult. An hour a day broken up into two thirty minute walks would not be too much. If you are only doing twice a week or so it is way too little.
Freaking out and chewing the cage shows a neurotic and nervous behavior. Beagles especially can be high-strung bundles of energy and need a calm and structured environment.
Is your home calm or chaotic? Is it structured or more "anything goes?"
Finally, this dog will need training. He will need to learn several things: To walk on a leash properly, not to eat everything that smells good (especially with Beagles), not to jump up on your son, try to take food/toys from his hand, etc.
You're going to need time and focus for the dog's training. Be honest if you really have that right now. You're going to have to focus on your son learning to use the potty or eat with regular utensils and all the other stuff he needs to know. Children are a lot of work. If you honestly feel you don't have the time and energy to also train and socialize a dog, luckily he is young enough to find a home with someone who has the time and training experience. Experience with Beagles and hounds is a plus.
As for the peeing, it should go away with peace and quiet, more intense walking, more discipline and structure for the dog.
The cage should be used as a den or bed for naps and rest time, but don't close the door at these times. Eventually you should be able to close the door and leave if your dog is tired enough from daily exercise to need to catch up with a quick nap while you're gone.
Our French Bulldog is 6 years old and every time we leave him alone he pees in the house. It could be 10 minutes or 4 hours. We have tried kennel training and he broke two of the wires trying to get out and hurt himself. We've tried putting him in our room and he destroyed the door frame. We tried the bathroom and he ripped up all the tile. When we leave, we leave the TV on and some lights. We have a baby coming in 3 months so would really like to not have to worry about her laying or crawling in dog pee!
By Ariel D.
This is extreme separation anxiety. Here are some links:
www.aspca.org/
pets.webmd.com/
I recently moved with my dog. He used to have access to outdoors and indoors all day though a doggy door. The new house does not have this. However, he is only ever home 4.5 hours without a potty break. Either I go home at lunch or a dog walker comes and takes him to the dog park. He was doing fine. However, recently I started a fitness class after work which brings me home an hour later. We adjusted his potty break so the dog walker comes at noon (I leave at 8:00 a.m.) and leaves him at 1:15 p.m.
and I arrive home at 5:30. He has been peeing on these days I have this class only. He is home alone the same amount of time the other days, but does not pee when I am home at the usual time, even though the times he is alone are the same. I wonder if he is doing this just because I am not home when "I am supposed to be"? How can I break this habit?By Jenna
Your poor dog! He had alot of freedom in his old home and is now very restricted in his new home. It is clear he is not a happy camper. Is it possible to make a new doggie door to give him full access in and out? If not, your vet may be able to help you help your dog adjust to his new requirements. There are also pet training services that may be able to help.
I have a mutt that is 5 years old. We rescued him from the pound when he was one. When we leave, he poops and sometimes pees in the house. Even if we take him out right before we leave, then forgot something and 1 minute later go back inside he is in the act of pooping, like he is doing it on purpose. He is a great dog! Only when we are gone does he act up. We tired the crate and he not only chewed through one cage but three cages. One was metal and the other two were a thick plastic. What do I need to do?
By Krystal
He empties because he's stressed. You lock him in a very large cage, the house, and he can't escape the imagined enemies. He needs a companion to help him feel safe.
We adopted Joey about 5 months ago after our other Boston Terrier passed away. (We had disposed of all of the previous dog's belongings, and there were zero accidents in the house from the previous dog).
Joey is a 6-7 year old adult, and we adopted him from a Boston Terrier Rescue in another state. They had picked him up as a stray, which they believe he was for a while as he was covered in fleas and very dirty. We believe he spent most I his life (before they rescued him) in a breeder/puppy mill situation. It's impossible to know for sure.
He is a very sweet, affectionate, and appreciative dog, as he was when we first visited him at the rescue shelter. They neutered him just before we picked him up. We are retired so the only time he is alone, may be for 3-4 hours when if we have something to do and cannot bring him with. We take him everywhere we can, as he loves car rides, and is even comfortable staying in the car while we run errands (weather permitting, of course.) We live in Minnesota for most if the year, but winter in Mesa, Arizona.
He made the trip with us to Arizona (flew first class without any issues at all) and adjusted to our home here with no other issues. (This issue has been consistent in MN and AZ). He gets taken outside frequently, and we keep him on a very regular feeding and bathroom schedule.
When we go to bed at night, be goes in his crate, and is perfectly fine. But when we have to leave him during the day for any amount of time (he goes in his crate as well) he pees either in his crate, or lifts his leg and pees out of the crate all over the floor, every single time. It doesn't matter if we are gone for 10 minutes or 2 hours.
We took him to the vet when we first got him and he was having this issue, as we thought it was an adjusting period, or he just had separation anxiety because he may have been left alone for long periods of time in his previous years. The vet prescribed Valium. It worked for about 2-3 occasions, but now, he just takes it, gets a little drowsy, but that's it. He is still peeing.
We don't make a big deal about leaving, or fuss when we return, as the vet recommended we try this to keep Joey calm. His crate has his blankets, chew bones, a toy or two, and we've recently started trying using a Kong with some dog food and even a little peanut butter on top to keep him busy/distracted. Still not working.
We love him dearly and are so happy we can make the remaining years if his life wonderful, but we just don't know how to fix this issue to help him? And to help us from having to clean up the messes every time.
What can we do or try? Anything is helpful!
By Kate
Bless you for taking this dog in. It sounds to me like you have tried just about everything. You might try incontinence pads from WM. I use them for my cat who has neurological issues. Saves a lot of cleaning up. Have you tried not crating the dog when you are gone? I wonder if crating him brings back bad memories and bad behavior. If he was in a puppy mill he probably had no choice but to go in his small cage. It may seem like perfectly proper behavior to him. Good luck.
Five months ago we rescued a Brittney Spaniel. He is about 3 years old. We have taught him a few commands, and potty trained him, but when we leave, even for an hour he poops in his crate. Once he even peed in the crate and it ruined the floors so the crate was moved into the garage until we can trust him.
I'm not sure how to fix the problem. It's not every time we go out, but it's often enough that I can't allow him in the house without anyone home. He even peed on the basement door once when I went into the basement for 5 minutes without him. I know it's a separation thing or a spite thing, but I can't have that in our house. Help!
By Chrissy G.
Sounds like separation anxiety to me. You can find info and suggestions for treating it from your vet or online.
My Maltese dogs are 4 years old, (Max and Chloe, brother and sis). The past year they started peeing in the house when I'm gone. It started when I had my niece stay at the house to take care of them which she has done since they were pups.
Now when we are away on vacation and sometimes when we are just out for a few hours they leave their mark. I make sure that they urinate before we leave, they both seem well drained, but still seem to squeeze some out while we are gone? I don't know what to do.
By Mary
