Dogs complete the lives of their owners and we love them for it. We raise them like our own. We love them like our own and there is nothing we won’t do for them. So, educating oneself about food habits, behaviors, and social skills of dogs become an important part of being a dog parent. So, understanding toilet habits of dogs is also of paramount importance for a dog parent.
Dogs are loving, expressive social creatures. They are on par with a 2-year-old human toddler when it comes to intelligence. They are capable of learning words, tricks, social skills etc. They are highly trainable beings, capable of learning complex social etiquette. So, there can be various reasons why these same smart creatures are not following the simple rule of peeing outdoors.
1. Excitement
Dogs are expressive animals. They tend to be sad when they are away from their owners. Similarly, they are bound to express their excitement on seeing their loved ones as well. And sometimes, peeing becomes their involuntary reaction to excitement.
So, it is normal for dogs to express their happiness on seeing their owners after a long day, as well as when they see new or familiar people. Sometimes, the way to express that happiness is jumping and wiggling, accompanied with peeing.
2. Ineffective Housetraining
Housetraining a dog can be a herculean task. Dogs can pee indoors if they are not trained properly and effectively. Sometimes, training might not be effective as the technique used to train might be faulty.
Just like humans, every dog is unique. Their behaviors and learning capabilities all differ from one another. So, correct individualized techniques need to be employed in order to train different dogs. Therefore, you need to get to know your dog before you start training.
3. Marking Their Territory
Dogs are territorial beings. In the wild, peeing is a primary act of marking or letting an intruder know what belongs to him/her. So, when your dog is peeing on your friend’s bag, it just means that your dog smells an intruder and he/she is establishing boundaries.
So, this might not be a long-term behavioral problem as this is just your dog’s primary reaction to what he/she perceives to be an invader.
4. Medical Issues
If your well-trained dog suddenly starts peeing in the house, you should be alarmed. It can be a medical issue. Symptoms of many diseases like cystitis, urinary infection, diabetes, bladder stones, etc. can be urination.
So, be on the lookout for such symptoms and take your dog to a vet immediately for a thorough checkup.
5. Fear Or Submission
Dogs can pee out of fear or submission as well. Mostly, this behavior is seen in puppies, but sometimes adult dogs can also pee out of fear.
So, shouting at your dog might not be a good option if your dog is already scared or uncomfortable.
Know The Difference
Dogs can pee inside the house due to various reasons. So, know the difference between your dog soiling the carpet or reacting out of an emotional setback. Peeing out of fear or excitement are behavioral problems. So, if your dog is peeing out of excitement, try to calm your dog down while you greet him/her. And ask others to do the same while they greet your dog. If your dog is peeing out of fear, then try not to scare your dog more. Punishing might end up doing no good. Instead, try soothing your dog.
4 Good Housetraining Practices
1. Attention Required
Do not leave your dog unattended. Tend to him/her all the time, so you can train your dog to pee outside. If you can’t, let him/her in the crate until you are free to attend to your dog again.
2. Timely Feeding
Feed your dog timely to maintain a sense of routine. It helps your dog to learn faster as the predictability is useful for dogs to understand pattern.
3. Avoid Punishments
Refrain from punishing your canine for soiling your Persian rug by accident. Punishment can confuse your dog and it might end up undoing your training.
4. Ample Rewards
Reward your dog for doing the right thing. It reinforces good behavior. Right training and a loving environment can nurture dogs into healthy, joyous pets that love, care and protect.
