Why is my 9 year old housebroken dog now peeing in the house?

Question

I have a 9 yr old male, nuetered Chihuahua. We moved into a new home 7 weeks ago. The home has never been lived in, so there was never another animal in the house Last week he started peeing on my drapes. I removed them and he found another set of drapes upstairs and peed on them. Once those were removed, he peed on the side of our comforter! He had never peed in our old home and just last week started in this home. He is not sick, I have had a urine test done which checked out fine. Is it out of stress? Or is he just mad/marking territory? I don't know what to do.....Any advice, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

There are a few reasons why a dog might not be housebroken. First, there may be physical reasons, such as a urinary infection, so get your pet checked thoroughly at the vet's. Espcially if a dog backslides, or doesn't seem to be learning when you have been consistent, a physical cause must be considered.
Many dogs do what's called submissive urination, and it is actually, in dog language, a sign of respect. This is the type of dog who gets low to the ground or squats, especially when greeting you or scolded, and pees. This is not really breaking housebreaking, but the spot on the floor is still there.
Also realize, that some dogs might know they should go outside, but don't know to ask, or don't ask in a way humans understand. One solution is training the dog to ring a bell hung on the door. Another solution is a dog door.

You may also try to re-housetrain him by:
Establish a Routine
􀁸􀀃 Take your dog out at the same times every day. For example, first thing in the morning when
he wakes up, when you arrive home from work, and before you go to bed.
􀁸􀀃 Praise your dog lavishly every time he eliminates outdoors. You can even give him a treat. You
must praise him and give him a treat immediately after he has finished and not wait until after
he comes back inside the house. This step is vital, because rewarding your dog for eliminating
outdoors is the only way he will know that is what you want him to do.
􀁸􀀃 Choose a location not too far from the door to be the bathroom spot. Always take your dog,
on leash, directly to the bathroom spot. Take him for a walk or play with him only after he has
eliminated. If you clean up an accident in the house, leave the soiled rags or paper towels in
the bathroom spot. The smell will help your dog recognize the area as the place where he is
supposed to eliminate.
􀁸􀀃 While your dog is eliminating, use a word or phrase like “go potty,” that you can eventually use
before he eliminates to remind him of what he is supposed to be doing.
􀁸􀀃 Feeding your dog on a set schedule, once or twice a day, will help make his elimination more regular

Answer 2

Take her back to the vet and get her urine tested and blood work done. I first thought urinary tract infection until you mentioned weight gain and personality shift. Diabetes is a concern as well as Cushing's Disease and thyroid issues. I can't address the seizures, and know that there are probably a host of other conditions that can cause this. I did have a dog that drank excessively, and was over weight. We tested her a couple of times for Cushings. She also broke housetraining when she had UTIs. When you get the urine sample, note the color--bloody or rusty is a good sign of infection. Good luck.

Answer 3

it will be a combination of stress and insecurity. By pissing in the home he is making it smell familiar and ensuring any other animals know it is HIS house.If you can live with it, leave the drapes for a few weeks until he has got some confidence back and explored his new territory and made sure nothing is going to hurt him.After that wash them as usual and he should be fine.

Answer 4

Since you have had his urine checked and there is no infection there it is most likely rebellious attitude. He is going through an adjustment stage since his routine has been broken. He may also be marking. The new house may be great to his people but for him it's a whole new world. Try crating him for awhile to refresh his memory. He will be fine in awhile. A week in a new house isn't very long.

Answer 5

We went thru the same thing with our 3 year old housebroken Shi Tzu - the vet said he had an enlarged prostate and needed to be neutered. We did and he stopped. Since yours is already neutered, I'd lean towards the fact that he's just trying to establish his territory. Try placing a toy or two in each room that he has access to. He may just miss your old house and needs to smell something he recognizes! God bless!

Answer 6

does he maybe have a UTI? he may smell other kinds of animal that may have been near the drapes, or maybe he knows that the home is new, so he has to show those other dogs that its his house. even though your pet is neutered, they will still mark their territory and get territorial.

Answer 7

It's a new house, so he's probably just marking his new territory. But normally, they don't do it for 7 weeks!

It could be that he's getting a little older now and you need to take him out a little more often. How many times do you take him out now? I would suggest adjusting his schedule and adding another walk.

Answer 8

Maybe he has a bladder infection. I would take him to the vet. Usually when a dog urinates all over the place for no reason its a medical related problem like a bladder infection, which can be easilly fixed with antibiotics.

Answer 9

Maybe something could have gotten in during construction. But, since its 9 years old you may want your vet to check and make sure he isnt having trouble holding his pee. As they get older they are just like us and can get incontinent. Could be alot of things but I would make sure it wasnt something physical first.

Answer 10

it could be all three, did he grow up in the other house? Call your Vet and ask if they know a good behaviorist that can help you out.