When your dog begins to urinate in the same place in your home, you have to take action quickly to stop the behavior. Even dogs who are almost reliably housebroken can sometimes find a spot in your home that triggers their need to urinate on it. Read on for ways on how to stop a dog from urinating in a certain spot inside:
Why Does Your Dog Keep Urinating In The Same Place In Your House?
Dogs instinctively avoid fouling the place where they live or eat. If your dog is urinating in a room that it never uses, like a guest bedroom, it is likely because your dog does not regard that room as part of its living space. Once your dog uses it as its bathroom, its scent will linger. Your dog may develop a habit of going there to do its business.
Another reason your dog may be urinating in the same place is to mark it as its territory. If you have recently acquired a new pet, a new housemate, or even new furniture, your dog may be trying to assert its dominance over the intruder.
Tips For Training Your Dog To Stop Urinating In That Spot
You can correct the dog’s behavior, though it may take a little time. You will need to be patient, and refrain from punishing your dog after the incident has happened. Your dog will not understand why you are reprimanding it. Never use physical punishment on your dog. Getting physical with your dog can injure it and will only make your dog afraid of you.
Make Sure Your Dog Is Getting Enough Time Outdoors For Potty Breaks
Consider whether the problem is that your dog does not have enough time to relieve itself outside. You may have to take the dog out more often, and let it stay outside long enough to explore and do its business.
One proven training tip is to establish a routine. Take your dog outside at the same times each day. Ideally, a walk in the morning and at least one more in the evening every day will help correct the problem. During the day, make sure your dog has access to the outdoors. If you don’t have a backyard, hire a dog walking service to give your dog outdoor time.
Before long, your dog will rely on the schedule for its bathroom breaks. Urinating in the house will become less frequent and will ultimately cease.
Reward Your Dog When It Goes Outside To Pee
When your dog does its business outside, give it treats and lots of praise. The key to rewarding your dog is timing — praise your dog as soon as it begins to urinate, then give it a treat as soon as it finishes.
Get Rid Of Any Remaining Smell In The Spot
It’s important to clean the spot well. Your dog will be able to detect its scent long after you can no longer smell it. To your dog, the scent is the marker for its bathroom spot — it is an invitation to go there again and again. You will likely need to use a cleaning product that is formulated specially for pet odor and urine removal.
Monitor Your Dog Indoors And Interrupt It Before It Pees There
Keep a watchful eye on your dog while it is indoors. If you see your dog heading to its favorite place to pee, distract it and take it outside. Wait outside with the dog until it pees, then reward it and take it back inside.
Keep Your Dog Away From That Spot
Deprive your dog of access to the problem area. Close the door to the room or closet, use a baby gate, or use dog repellent products. When you prevent the dog from accessing the spot, make sure you are also giving it plenty of outdoor time so that it does not simply find another place to urinate in your house.
Realize, however, that depriving your dog access to the spot is only a way to prevent the dog from urinating there. Preventing access will not teach your dog that it is off limits as a bathroom. In fact, blocking its access will have the opposite effect. It will actually make him more likely to view it as a good place to go, especially if the dog has chosen an area in your home that is rarely used. In this case, you may need to teach it that the entire home is its living space.
To do that, you can spend a little time in that room with your dog each day. When your dog learns that the room is part of its living area, the dog is less likely to urinate in it.
Work with Paw Pals For Help With Your Dog
If your dog is urinating in the house and you are not sure how to correct the behavior, get help from the dog care professionals at Paw Pals. They are experts in dog care and can help you and your dog overcome housebreaking and other behavior issues. Contact them today for more information about their services.
