older dog urinating indoors- please help!!!

I have an older 8yr old lab/pointer mix which was a rescue dog. For 3 months I have been cleaning up urine in my house and really dont know what to do to fix this.

I got the dog when he was 6 he was not housebroken, I did the basic puppy house training with much positive reinforcement, he learned quickly. Never had a problem untill now. I had the vet do some tests, I believe for urinary tract infection and a seinor anyalysis and I was told everything was normal.

He is very loyal to me and about the time this started my wife and I had our first baby. He still gets the same amount of attention, walks etc..., and does not really seem to care about the baby. He is good with other kids. As I thought this through I figure once the baby came his schedule got thrown off quite a bit, which I thought might be the cause of this. I have since reestablished his schedule and stuck to It with rewards and much positive reinforcement for 2 weeks. This has seemed to help a bit but he is still peeing all over my house, at 70lbs this is really bad. I don't ever see him doing this just the small lakes he leaves behind. Ususally when we are not home or upstairs.

He responds excellent to any food. I cannot crate him as he destroys the crate and cannot leave him in it all day while I am at work. He does no damage to my house when not crated. While crated he is very destructive. Winters are cold here so I don't want to make him an outdoor dog. ( he did that for the first 6 yrs of his life). I am at the end of my rope what do I do?

Any help would be appreciated? What am I missing?

Positive reinforcement methods are great, but one extremely important aspect of PR training is management and preventing mistakes. If he's learned to potty in the house when you're out of the room, as it sounds like he has, then you're going to have to go back to never letting him out of your sight. The more chances he has to practice the behavior of pottying in the house, the harder it will be to break that habit. If he's in your sight and you see him about to go potty, you can just quickly run him outside, and the reward when he potties outside.

If you cannot crate him can you keep him in a small room, like a bathroom? (take up any rugs/towels). At least that will limit where he learns to go.

In the mean time, I agree, no more free time, he must be in your sight at all times, you can leash him to you. when you need to do something free from the dog put him away.

Always clean up his messes, or anywhere he has messed if you have not already, with an ENZYMATIC cleaner, that is, one that contains enzymes. These actually chemically destroy urine so even your dog cannot detect it was there.

Make sure he is fed at set times, and start taking him outside more often.

I was going to suggest gating an area off to . I would suggest the kitchen . A bath is too confining . Good luck !! He's not old !

Thanks for the quick replys. I have started to gate him off in the kitchen, tile floor there, he does not mind it there. I just never get to catch him doing it so its hard to correct the problem. I thought I had it figured out with the schedule thing but then last night and again today it happened.

Maybe the cleaner is not powerfull enough, its some green earth friendly stuff. I will look into this more. Although I ususally end up moping the entire floor.

I realize he is not old but everywhere I looked any info was for puppys in this situation. He thinks he is still a pup though. I will keep the schedule thing regular and we will give it some time. Thanks much.

Does he still eliminate in the house even when he is confined to the kitchen? If he doesn't then I would keep doing that and use the kitchen as the 'crate.'

Definitely invest in an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle or Petastic.

When you are home keep him with you. I know it's a PITA but it's the best way to fix it. Tie him to you or whatever you have to do.

Also, make sure he gets special time with just you and no baby. Make him feel like he is still part of the family. An important part. When he sniffs/plays with the baby reward him generously.

Older Dog Urinating Indoors

I have a recommendation. They sell litter systems for dogs that aren't used just for training. Many pet owners get these for these older dogs with incontinence problems. Here are a few affordable options:

Ugodog® Litter Box

Ugodog is an economic system ($39.95) that uses two grates on top of a small base. Your dog pees on the grates, and the urine falls underneath, where you need to place newspaper. (Solid waste sits on top). The best part is you don’t need to buy any litter. The Ugodog box is easy to clean—just lift and wipe down the grates, and dump the urine from the base into your toilet.

WizDog

WizDog isn’t just for puppies. Your adult dog can also use it if you’re running late from work or if the winter weather is too unbearable to brave. Like Ugodog, WizDog contains a durable plastic pan and a fitted grate. You can use newspaper underneath it, or you can purchase litter refill or absorption pads made specifically for the system. WizDog usually costs $49.95, with discounts bringing it down to $39.95.

Puppy Go Potty Training Kit Deluxe

This system works just like a kitty litter box. You get a durable plastic tray, two 10-pound bags of biodegradable litter, a training guide, and free accessories all for $46.99.

There are a few options that are fairly expensive, but they may be a better bet for a larger dog. Check them out here:

I hope this helps!

Littertrain a 70 lb dog? :yikes: If that works I want to see a pic :rofl1: