When you have a dog, it is normal for accidents to happen.
A friend of mine recently shared that her adult training dog suddenly started peeing in the house.
She did some research.
She found out that dogs can suddenly pee in the house regardless of their life stage: puppy, adult dog or senior dog.
And there are many reasons for this change in behavior.
When your dog starts peeing in the house, the issue should be addressed as soon as possible.
Why is my dog suddenly peeing in the house? Peeing in the house is quite a common problem with dogs, however, it is usually taken care of when they’re puppies. If your adult dog is peeing in the house, this could be due to a number of behavioral or health issues including urinary tract issues, old age, or excitement.
While it’s quite common for a dog to occasionally pee in the house, if it is becoming a problem, you want to address the issue and determine the cause.
We will go over some of the most common health and behavioral causes for sudden peeing in the house.
Why Is My Dog Suddenly Peeing in The House?
Below is a list of possible reasons why your dog may be peeing in the house, the symptoms to look out for, and the treatments for each cause.
Dog urinating in house (medical reasons)
| REASON | SYMPTOMS | TREATMENT |
| Urinary tract problems (including infections) | Frequent urination, whining while urinating, blood in urine, licking genitals, strong urine odor | Antibiotic medication, pain medication, change of diet |
| Incontinence | Leaking or dribbling urine, urine puddles during naps | Veterinary medication |
| Old age | Signs of dementia, accidental urination | Medications and supplements, doggie diapers, lined bedding, absorbent pads |
Urinary tract problems
If your dog is urinating frequently or seems to be in pain when urinating, this is likely a sign of a urinary tract infection.
These can be quite common in dogs and can be diagnosed and treated by your vet.
Incontinence
This is more common in older dogs but can also happen to younger dogs.
Dogs that experience incontinence don’t know that it is happening and don’t have any control over their toileting.
It is usually treated with medication from your vet.
Old age
Older dogs can often experience dementia or may become senile, causing them to forget where they are.
This can result in some accidents inside the house.
This can usually be managed with medications and supplements.
Some people may also choose to use absorbent pads or doggie diapers to protect the house from these inevitable accidents.
Dog urinating in house (behavioral reasons)
There are five behavioral-based reasons why your dog has suddenly started peeing inside the house.
| REASON | SYMPTOMS | TREATMENT |
| Marking | Peeing on things, marking spots with urine | Re-training, increased potty breaks |
| Submissive urination | Urinating when intimidated | Re-training, avoid standing over the dog, avoid shouting at or around the dog |
| Excited urination | Urinating when excited | Re-training |
| Changes in the home | Urinating due to recent changes | Re-training |
| Outdoor situations | Avoiding urinating outdoors, being scared to go outside | Re-training, comforting, reassuring |
These reasons go some way to answer 2 questions you may have “Why does my dog pee in the house in front of me?” and “Why is my dog peeing in the house when the door is open?”
Marking
Male dogs will often display marking behaviors which include peeing on things to mark their territory.
This is driven by the male’s sex hormones and can be treated through increased training and more frequent potty breaks.
Submissive urination
This occurs when your dog is feeling scared or intimidated.
The best course of action to avoid submissive urination is to try re-training your dog and avoid situations where he may feel scared or nervous.
Excited urination
This occurs when your dog gets a little bit too excited – a little bit of urine may leak out.
I find this can happen as I walk through the front door at night after work. It’s crazy!
The best thing you can do to prevent excited urination is to re-train your dog.
Changes in the home
Your dog may respond to certain changes in the home by peeing in the house.
Has something changed recently, such as adding a new pet, a new baby, or has someone recently passed away?
Dogs are sensitive to these situations and the best thing you can do is resort to re-training them according to these changes.
Outdoor situations
Has your dog experienced something upsetting or traumatic outside?
This may lead them to avoid wanting to go outside and they will resort to peeing indoors instead.
The best thing you can do in this situation is re-train your dog.
You should also accompany them outside for reassurance and comfort them if they seem uneasy.
Is your dog peeing in her sleep?
We’ve dedicated a whole article exclusively to this topic which you can read here.
What Can I Spray to Keep My Dog from Peeing in the House?
One of the most frequently asked questions we get from readers at Outdoor Dog Fun is “What can I use to stop my dog from peeing in the house?”
You can create your own dog deterrent spray which will help to keep your dog from peeing in the house.
Homemade dog deterrent spray
This is the best dog pee repellent spray.
| What You Will Need | The Method |
| -20 drops of orange essential oil -Spray bottle -2 tablespoons of distilled white wine vinegar -1 ½ cups of water | -Add your water to the spray bottle. -Add 2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar -Add 20 drops of orange essential oil -Allow time to mix -Spray on areas where your dog is peeing. |
Why use an orange-flavored essential oil?
Because citrus is a smell that dogs hate.
How To Stop A Dog From Urinating In A Certain Spot Inside?
A dog most commonly urinates repeatedly on the same spot to “mark” or advertise that that spot in the house is theirs.
You can stop this behavior by cleaning that spot with an enzymatic cleaner.
This type of cleaner will completely remove the scent so your dog can’t find their former favorite peeing spot.
Here are the enzymatic cleaners we recommend to get the job done:
- Best overall – Rocco and Roxie Professional Strength Stain and Odor Eliminator. It’s safe to use around both pets and children.
- Best for hard surfaces like wooden or stone floors, tiles etc. – Unique Hard Floor Cleaner. This formula worlds on new and old messes in your home. Non-toxic: safe for family and pets.
- Best for carpet (as a spot remover) or use in carpet cleaning machines – Unique Carpet Shampoo and Stain Remover. Once again, safe for use around pets and family. No sticky residue.
- Want something more heavy-duty for marking in multiple spots with high volumes of urine? Try the Unique Advanced Dog Odor and Stain Remover. This Professional strength cleaner is non-toxic, eco-friendly, and made in America.
What’s Age Got To Do With Peeing In The House Suddenly?
Puppies
When dogs are puppies, it’s very common for them to urinate inside – especially while they are still training.
If your puppy is trained and suddenly starts to pee inside, you may need to re-start their training or try different tactics to ensure that they learn that peeing outside is the right thing to do inside is wrong.
Why is your senior dog urinating in house?
As dogs get older, they can often develop incontinence. This means that they are no longer able to hold their urine, so you may notice that they start to pee in the house.
How do you stop an older dog from peeing in the house?
Unfortunately, this is common among older dogs and can’t be helped.
However, it can be managed with a series of medications and supplements provided by your vet.
Related Questions
Why is my dog peeing on the couch all of a sudden?
There are several reasons why your dog may suddenly start peeing on the couch.
Below is a list of the most common reasons why your dog might suddenly start to pee on the furniture:
- Canine incontinence
- Territorial marking
- Canine anxiety.
If your dog is suddenly peeing on the couch and you’re not sure why, the best thing you can do is take them to your vet so that the problem can be properly determined.
Your vet will then be able to provide appropriate advice and will suggest medications as needed.
Dog peeing in a new house: what does this mean?
If you have recently moved to a new home and your dog is now peeing in the house, this is quite common.
Many dogs will be stressed after a recent move as it disrupts their usual routine.
Dogs can get so stressed, they can scratch or lose hair excessively!
Moving home also exposes your dog to new sights, sounds, smells, and turns his life a bit chaotic.
If your dog has been used to peeing in a particular spot for many years, it can be very difficult for them to determine where to pee in the new environment.
This can be very stressful for the dog and may cause them to resort to peeing inside.
To help your dog after moving, you may need to re-train them to pee outside.
You should supervise your dog as much as possible to prevent unwanted peeing in the house.
Take them outside often and direct them to where they should be peeing.
Eventually, your dog will learn where to pee in this new environment and this should then solve any problems with peeing in the house.
Why has my puppy started peeing in the house again?
Is your 6 month old puppy peeing in the house again?
Regardless of your puppies age, if they were successfully toilet-trained and then out of the blue, they suddenly pee in the house: the most common cause for this will be a urinary tract infection.
Dog urinating in house and drinking lots of water – what should I do?
There are too many reasons to cover here to explain this.
We recommended visiting your vet to explain the symptoms, behavior, and age unique to your dog.
My puppy keeps peeing inside after being outside?
For puppies, the most common reason for this behavior is inadequate housetraining.
For older dogs there could be medical (including diabetes, kidney disease) or behavioral reasons that we’ve covered in this article.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many reasons why your dog may be suddenly peeing in the house. It could be due to a variety of health or behavioral issues.
If you are worried about your dog peeing in the house, the best thing you can do is consult your vet for more advice. They will be able to diagnose the issue and provide medication, supplements, or advice as needed.