Housebroken For 1.5 Yrs Now Peeing In The House

[Guest jlpriebe]

Help! Our 5.5 y.o. has started peeing in the house after being housebroken for a year and a half. He has been checked out by the vet w/no medical issues. He doesn't ever lift his leg when we're with him, but he seems to do it the minute we leave the house (even if we're just in the garage or yard). We know that the problem must be separation anxiety and we are working on that... but I find it so odd that he is lifting his leg after a year and a half of being totally housebroken. We have not had any lifestyle changes. Has this happened to anyone else? Any thoughts?

[greysmom]

Have the vet check/recheck for a UTI or kidney infection. Also with male dogs a prostate check is in order.

 

If he is really medically clear, then you move on to behavioral issues. Do you have new neighbors making different noises? New yard workers nearby? Construction or remodelling? What's new inside the house - new furniture, new schedule, new visitors? For some dogs *any* interruption in an established schedule can mean a temporary increase in anxiety and acting out.

 

In any case, the results are the same - DAP diffusers and collars, do concientious Alone Training, get him on a firm schedule, leave him something to occupy his mind - a puzzle toy or frozen Kong, leave the TV/radio on. If he starts being destructive, or if doing all these things doesn't help, you may need a short course of anti anxiety meds to get his brain into the right chemical balance to accept the counter conditioning training.

 

Lots of info on SA if you search here - like, thousands of threads - so there's a lot to go through, but they will likely all say much the same.