Stop Dog From Peeing On Carpet – Help!

There are basically three reasons your dog may be peeing on your carpet, and they are as follows:

1. Medical issue (see list of medical issues, below, in this article)
2. Behavioral issue (e.g. territorial, anxiety or stress)
3. Puppy who has not been fully housebroken

Assuming there is not a medical issue, if you want to stop a dog from peeing on the carpet, or anywhere else in the house, you will need to go back to the basics…..housebreaking 101. If your dog is beyond the puppy years, this may seem strange, but somewhere along the line there has been a breakdown in good potty manners, and your dog is going to need a refresher course.

A common misconception is that a dog may pee on the carpet out of spite, or to get back at you for something. Remember, dogs don’t think like humans so that is never the case.

When To Let Your Dog Outside – Stick To A Schedule

You should let your dog outside first thing when you wake up in the morning, and last thing before you go to bed at night. These times are important, and non-negotiable, no matter how tired you may feel at the end of the night, or lazy in the morning, it must be done.

In between those times, you should keep an eye on your dog, and let him out whenever he looks like he needs to go, don’t wait or question whether or not he is asking, just let him out. Better safe than sorry.

Dogs love to hang around with us, so if he seems to disappear to another room, you can probably make a good guess as to what he is up to. So learn to focus and become aware of his whereabouts!

Here is a reliable guide to follow for times to let your dog out:

• First thing in the morning

• Last thing in the evening

• After every meal, or drink of water (10-20 minutes afterward, but every dog is different, so keep an eye out and learn that “perfect time” for your dog)

• Whenever he begins to wander out of your sight

• After a lot of activity

• Every time he wakes up from a nap

• Whenever he gives even a vague hint through body language that he may need to go (e.g. sniffing, walking differently, hanging around the door, looking at you as if he wants something)

If there is a particular spot in the house that your dog always chooses to do his deed, try to block off that area so he can no longer get at it.

What To Do If You Catch Your Dog In The Act

If you catch your dog peeing on the carpet, sternly tell him “No!”, and immediately bring him outside. It may seem counterproductive since your dog has already done his business, but taking him outside will establish a connection with the proper place he should be eliminating.

Never yell at your dog, hit him, or rub his nose in it. These are old, outdated methods that do not work, will frighten your dog, and make the situation worse.

If you discover an accident in the house, but did not catch your dog in the act, don’t bother dragging him to the spot to reprimand him. Reprimanding after the fact is a concept your dog will not be capable of perceiving. Instead, ignore the mistake, clean it thoroughly, and continue with the retraining process.

Praise Your Dog When He Pees Outside!

When you bring your dog outside to do his business you should use a command such as, “go potty!”. The second he starts to go, bring on the praise! Really make a big deal out of a good deed done, and consider offering a treat as an additional incentive.

Dogs love to please their humans so once you establish the connection that you are pleased with his act of eliminating outdoors, your dog will begin to understand what is expected, and want to repeat that behavior.

Monitor Your Dogs Water Intake

Your dog needs plenty of water throughout the day, but considering his mistakes of late, it would be wise to monitor the water bowl.

Do not let your dog drink water 1 hour before bedtime. This will ensure accidents do not happen while you are asleep.

Likewise, it is not wise to allow him to consume too much water prior to you leaving the house for a lengthy period of time. However, your dog does need to stay hydrated, so be sure to leave at least a small amount of water on the bottom of the bowl while you are away. This is especially important if it is very hot, your dog takes medications that make him thirsty, your dog is elderly, or other medical concerns exist. In this case you may want to consider getting a dog walker, friend, or neighbor come to the house to let your dog out.

Crate Training For A Puppy

In addition to the above methods, if your little accident maker is a puppy, the most effective corrective method is crate training. Don’t worry about it being mean to lock your dog in a crate, because it isn’t. Dog’s ancestors lived in dens in the wild, and although today’s dogs are domesticated, they still possess those same instinctual needs. A crate will provide a den-like atmosphere for your puppy, and most crate trained dogs like their crates so much, they choose to continue using them on their own even in adulthood.

A puppy will prefer never to sleep where he has eliminated. With that in mind, the puppy’s crate should be big enough to stand up and turn around in, but not big enough to allow him to urinate in one end, while sleeping in the other.

Crates can be purchased with a divider panel that can be utilized to change the size of the crate from small to large as your puppy grows.

To avoid peeing in the house at night, your puppy should always be crated. Keep in mind that a puppy can usually only hold his urine for about 2 hours in the beginning, about 4 hours around 16 weeks of age, and is only reliably house trained around the 5 or 6 month mark. This is a loose guideline, of course, as all puppies are different.

A puppy should not be locked in his crate all day as he will need time to socialize with his human family and other household pets as well as have playtime and get adequate exercise. The crate should also never be used as a place of punishment.

In addition to night crating, you can use the crate if you believe your puppy needs to eliminate, but is not doing so when you bring him outside. In this case, put the puppy back in his crate, and after approximately 10 minutes bring him outside to try again. If he still doesn’t eliminate, that’s okay, just repeat the process again, or as many times as needed until he does his business.

After eliminating outdoors, it is a great time to let him have the run of the house for a bit as you can be assured there won’t be any accidents!

Puppies should be let out once every hour in the beginning, and then tapered off over time.  Click here for How to Potty Train a Puppy Fast!

Behavioral Issues That Cause A Dog To Pee In The House

In addition to going through the above steps of retraining your dog, stop to consider any type of stress or anxiety factors that may be causing your dog’s subsequent house accidents.

A common cause is separation anxiety. Or, some dogs urinate when they are fearful, such as during thunderstorms, or if they are severely punished. Others may urinate only when you arrive home, or when guests approach them in greeting; these are signs of over excitement, or submissiveness.

With patience and perseverance there are ways to correct all types of behavioral issues and help your pooch to become a calmer, and more confident dog.

Medical Issues That May Cause Your Dog To Pee In The House

If you have tried to re-train your dog, but to no avail, then you may need to get a vet check to rule out any medical conditions. Below are common medical conditions that should be considered:

• Urinary tract infection

• Bladder infection/bladder stones

• Kidney infection/kidney stones/kidney failure

• Diabetes

• Bladder or urethral tumors

• Cushings disease

• Addisons disease

• Prostatic disease (male dog)

• Male dog not neutered (marking territory)

• Pain when getting into position to pea due to arthritis

• Incontinence in senior dogs (poor muscle tone due to old age, canine cognitive dysfunction)

• Side effect of medication

• Pyometra infection (female dog)

• Vaginitis (female puppy)

The takeaway is that if your dog is peeing in the house, there are corrective measures that can be taken to fix the problem. It may take a bit of work on your part to help guide your dog through his issues. But, our pets are true family members and deserving of our patience and love, as a reciprocal exchange for what they provide to us.