Does anyone know how to get my once house trained Pug to stop peeing in the house while I'm at work?

Question

My Pug is almost 2yrs old and was totally housebroken until I went on vacation a few months ago. I take him out in the mornings before work and he does his business, but then during the day he decides to go in the house. I have tried to break him of it, but I'm at a loss.

Answer 1

Well since this is in the cat forum and I know a lot more about cats than dogs...I'll give an educated guess.

Did you take the dog to a kennel when you were on vacation or did you have a pet sitter come to your home to take care of the dog?

If you took the dog to a kennel it's very possible that he is now showing you his displeasure and being taken out of the enviorment he knows.

At least that's how it works with cats.
If you remove them from their enviorment they may 'act out' to show displeasure.

Answer 2

First---change the section---you've got this under CATS!! You'll get better responses under DOGS. But, while I'm here, I'm surrounded by both, so--yes, my first guess is he is MAD at you. Put him in a good size carrier with water & food during the day. Most often, a dog will NEVER go where he cannot get out of the space he's gone in. If the carrier is clean when you get home, take him out right away. Do this repeatedly, everyday that you have to work, for about 2 weeks. If clean every day, this is the problem. You MAY want to TRY letting him out (once) during the day when you go to work and see if he behaves himself. If so, go for 2 days, all OK.....well, maybe we can assume he doesn't much care for the confinement. Now, a good deal of this is YOUR part. Do NOT expect this and/or ANY dog to be able to "hold-it" to suit your schedule, just in case you leave work, go shopping, meet friends, etc. Then, this is YOUR fault, and YOU are just going to have to adjust your schedule to accomodate your dog's bladder/bowel needs, or your are (a) going to create a very sick dog, (b) a neurotic dog and/or (c) a filthy house. Always schedule a trip home for your dog before any after work activities. Good luck to you.

Answer 3

It could be a medical problem - take him to the vet for an examination. If he checks out OK, he may need to be neutered as he could just be "marking", a natural event for male & female animals that aren't altered.

Afterwards, if it's a behavioral issue, try keeping him in a small area, such as a bathroom, and put down a "pee pad", available from most any store such as Wal-Mart. They are usually scented to attract a dog to use it instead of the floor. Although not a fix, per se, it will keep you from having a mess to clean up daily, and save you from having to go on a pee hunt, trying to find the source of the odor.

Like a baby's diaper, some have a compound that turns urine into gel so that it won't escape from the pad. I've included a link as an example product.

Be sure to give him food, water, a bed, his favorite toy and maybe a night light before closing him in.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Consider crate training him. There are lots of good books and web sites on the subject. The theory of crate training is this-it provides a "den" for your dog-like he would have if he was a wolf-dog's don't want to urinate/defecate in their den so it aids house training. When selecting a crate you have to decide if you want a plastic or metal one. The crate's size for housebreaking is very important-too big and he will pee in a corner, able to be away from it. Your dog should be able to stand up (without hitting his head or back on the ceiling), turn around (without being a contorsionist) and lie down with his legs, both front and rear fully extended.

Don't expect that you will be able just to open the door and he will want to go in and don't lock it right away. You must give him time to get used to it. Put his fav blanket/pillow along with some toys. You may want to get a toy that he only gets when he goes in the crate. Eventually shut and lock the door. If he whinesor cries firmly tell him no. With my dogs when they whined or cried when I first locked the door-I told them "NO" and if it continued I put a blanket or some covering over the kennel and like a bird it quieted them down. Do not let him out until he is quiet or you are giving him positive feedback for the crying and he will cry everytime you put him in there.

When you do let him out of the crate it is impertanent that you immediately take him outside to do his business. Do not let him out and then get your coat, keys etc. He will do his business in the house.

Also take him to your vet to make sure he doesn't have an underlying health problem, such as a urinary tract infection.

Answer 5

what happened on vacation for your pug? Did it get frightened of being locked up in a strange place? Did another dog/animal frighten it? Perhaps it is the breaking of familiar territory, dogs really do not like moving out of what they consider is their terrain. Perhaps your Pug is trying to ensure their territory does not get invaded whilst you are away. This is not unlike a human child who has been taken out of familiar territory being 'home' and reverting to 'baby' like behaviours. It is simply disorientation anxiety behaviours and concistency of your behaviour is utmost to re-establish 'order'.
We understand vacations animals don't unless we teach them by giving them short trips away from home before hand, hours, day, weekend etc.
Try re-establishing the previous routine prior to vacation with lots of pats and small treats before leaving home. If no mess when you come home just give lots of pats and good dog, no treats. Giving treats in morning is to establish you will return home. As in the wild the female will feed her pups before coming back with the kill. On her return she welcomes, licks etc., her litter and then it is about eating. Dogs should always be fed AFTER the humans so they know where they fit in the pecking order of their pack/family.
And at the end of the day it is still very young and has been on a 'big' adventure, bit scary.













If all else fails have a Vet check done to make sure there is no medical reason.

Answer 6

Maybe he can't hold it or got used to another schedule while you were away. I suggest getting a baby gate and keeping him in the kitchen with fresh water and a blanket. Dogs really should not be alone all day so how about hiring a teenager to come in and spend some time with him?

Answer 7

Assuming the animal is healthy. Take him out for a walk before you leave. Crate him while you are gone, or at least confine to a small area. Take him out for a walk immediately upon your return.

The vast majority of healthy animals will eventually recognize the pattern and begin to regulate themselves so as to keep their living area clean.

Answer 8

Did you take him to the vet? Maybe there's a medical reason WHY he no longer can hold it while you are away at work.

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Answer 9

have you tried crating him/ her?