A dog urinating where he shouldn’t, regardless of his age, can be one of the biggest concerns for dog owners. When this situation involves a puppy, we can understand it, but with an adult it means more trouble. Often, mistakes made during puppyhood can activate the problem later on.
What is the origin of this behaviour, how to work with a puppy and why does this issue also affect the adult dog?
Uncompleted or not entirely well carried out cleanliness training
Very often, the difficulty of pottying is brought up from puppyhood. Dogs that have been taught to use pads or training mats, after they suddenly disappear, look for another soft surface and do not understand why their behaviour is met with disapproval by their guardian. Therefore, when deciding on this type of support for learning cleanliness, we need to be sure that the training process, but also the withdrawal of the mats, is carried out correctly and completed one hundred per cent.
Health problems
If a problem with pooping has suddenly appeared, let’s first go to the vet to check our pooch’s health. Often, pooping in places such as the bed or sofa is a message from your pet that something is wrong. The basic tests we should perform are urine and blood analysis. Let’s remember that it is worth doing them regularly, as early detected health changes may protect our dog from bigger problems.
Walking is the source of the problem
It may sound strange, but going out with your dog can also be a source of a problem. Walking is not only a way for a dog to satisfy its physiological needs, but also its mental and behavioural needs. By serving your dog too short walks, your dog will not have time to take care of its needs. Let’s remember that there are individuals who take care of their physiological needs in instalments. However, it is not only too short a hike that can be a problem, but also too exciting. In this case, the pooch, having too much external stimuli, does not have time to do his business, which results in mishaps at home later on. Sometimes our pet feels a high level of anxiety and is unable to take care of its natural needs.
If this is the case, it is very important to work on our pet’s comfort and sense of security on walks. This will be achieved by providing him with a good dose of mental puzzles and taking care of his other behavioural needs and rewarding him for the desired behaviour!
Separation anxiety and stress
If the slip-ups happen while we are away, it is worth considering whether separation anxiety is the problem. Dogs urinating is a behaviour that relieves their tension. If this is the case, the carer can install a camera in the house and watch what the pet does while we are away. This will allow us to analyse his behaviour and take appropriate action to solve the problem of our pet pooping in undesirable places. Remember that it is always a good idea to consult a behaviourist.
If the dog poops in our presence, we should consider whether there is something in the environment that is causing it to do so. It could be noises from the walk or an unpredictable schedule, as well as inappropriate play which, instead of giving the dog pleasure, only annoys him. Often, instead of playing, we are unknowingly competing with the dog, and this form of activity is highly stressful for the dog.
Remember that change has a huge impact on a dog’s behaviour and stress levels.
Stress, sudden changes and boredom all affect your dog’s behaviour and can make him anxious. Remember to introduce changes gradually and, if this is not possible, allow time for your dog to get used to them and work on his mental comfort during this time.
The importance of territory
There is another reason for importance in the home. It concerns uncastrated males. Often, if the reason lies precisely in the importance of the territory, the quantities of urine are smaller than in the case of stress, because here we are not dealing with regulating an emotional state, but with leaving one’s scent.
The most commonly suggested solution in such a situation is neutering, but before making such a decision, one should consult a behaviourist, as this procedure can have a great influence on the dog’s subsequent behaviour. Unfortunately, it is common for dogs to be neutered without prior behavioural consultation, which can result in aggression. The specialist will create a plan of action and manage the space to ensure this does not happen. Sometimes blocking this behaviour will result in the extinction of the learned pattern.
In addition, it is important to remember that such behaviour can result from habit. In such a case, neutering will not help. We should only perform this procedure due to medical indications.
Summary
There are many reasons for leaving urine at home, and it is worth making an appointment with a specialist to work through the problem behaviour rather than acting blindly. Urination is often only an effect, and by not focusing on the cause, we will not solve the problem. Remember that we need to look after our pet’s health and mental comfort first and foremost.
