Many dog owners have the problem of their dogs urinating in certain areas within their house. While this can be a major annoyance, what’s worse is that this type of behavior is often caused by some anxiety or stress that your dog is feeling at the time.
This happens mainly with male dogs but could also happen with females in heat. They do it as a way to communicate with other dogs whether by declaring ownership of the territory or interest in mating.
Let’s take a closer look at 12 surefire ways to stop your dog from urine marking. These include using indoor pee pads, belly bands, and spaying. With all these tips, you should have things under control in no time.
12. Spaying Or Neutering
This is arguably the most effective way to prevent your dog from urine marking around your home.
Spaying or neutering reduces their level of testosterone and estrogen. This change in hormones will help to reduce the desire and compulsion to urine mark, making it less likely that they are going to randomly urinate on objects around your house or yard.
Urine marking is often considered a form of territorial behavior in dogs, so by reducing their levels of testosterone and estrogen, you can take away some of the motivation for them to engage in this behavior.
11. Pee Pads
Most dog owners prefer having their pups go outdoors for their potty breaks. While this helps minimize odors and any necessary clean-up, it may pose a major challenge if you are trying to get your dog to stop marking with urine.
Pee pads go a long way towards offering the perfect compromise. You get a convenient indoor alternative while the dog has a spot in the home that smells familiar, thus eliminating their need to leave their scent elsewhere.
10. Try Crate Training
Crate training offers a lot of benefits when it comes to teaching a dog poop and pee etiquette. They are highly unlikely to have potty accidents in these spaces as they are considered sacred and personal.
It therefore could help you in your journey to stopping dog urine marking around the home. The crate also helps a lot by limiting their access to different parts of the home that could be marked.
9. Address Any Psychological Issues
Urine marking has been associated with psychological issues. These mainly include phobias, social anxiety, and separation anxiety. As a result, you have to factor in their general mental health while figuring out how to stop the marking problem.
There are many solutions in this case including using calming essential oils like lavender and chamomile. Crate training with cover pieces also helps create a sense of security for the scared furry friend.
8. Establish Yourself As The Alpha In The Home
As earlier suggested, dogs mainly mark houses and furniture with urine as a way to mark their territory. This is a sign of dominance warning any other animal or human who comes around that the space is spoken for.
Consequently, you will have to establish yourself firmly as the alpha in the home if you want to truly avoid these issues in which case obedience training is the best way to go.
7. Thoroughly Clean Marked Areas
Dogs tend to go back to spots they have already marked to repeat the urine marking process. It is, therefore, best to thoroughly clean any spot you suspect has been urinated on.
It is not enough to only use soap and water. Enzymatic cleaners have to be a part of the mix. They are the best at getting rid of the urine, its odor, and any bacteria that made a home from the marked patches.
6. Socialize Your Dog Early
Most dog breeds are very suspicious of strangers and of other pets in and around the home. This often triggers them to start marking behavior as a way to ward off anyone or anything threatening their personal space.
With this psychology in mind, socialization can play a major role in helping you deal with the issue of urine marking in your home. This means more time outdoors to expose your pooch and get them comfortable with unfamiliar people and pets.
5. Try Synthetic Hormones
Synthetic hormones have a lot to offer you as you try to stop your dog from urinating all over your home. These hormones have calming effects that come in handy if the problem is a result of anxiety issues.
They also help mildly reduce aggressive behavior while tempering the alpha behavior that is partly responsible.
The best part is that you have a variety of options including diffuser systems, infused collars, and sprays.
4. Restrict Their Movement Around The Home
Your dog cannot spray pee on parts that they cannot reach. As such, it helps a lot to restrict their movement around the home. This also helps you keep an eye on their marking hotspots so you can regularly clean them to stop the habit.
By restricting movement, you also essentially create a big crate vibe which makes the dog less likely to start urine marking again as they associate the space with food and their resting spots.
3. Belly Bands
Belly bands are diaper-like contraptions designed to go around the lower waist area of your dog for the purpose of soaking up urine. They may not necessarily stop the dog from urine marking but they will prevent the urine from reaching surfaces in your home whether it is a wall or a piece of furniture.
The important thing with these bands is to ensure that you check and change them on a regular basis. If you leave it on for too long with all the urine, you may end up causing a lot of harm to the dog’s skin in that area.
2. Rule Out Urinary Incontinence
Sometimes, it could be that your dog is suffering from urinary incontinence and not actual urine marking behavior. As such, it is necessary to rule out the condition before you proceed with any other steps.
One of the most important symptoms, in this case, would be puddles or drops of urine on spots where your dog likes to hang out. If you are not sure, simply call your vet and get some professional advice.
1. Potty Train Your Dog
While urine marking can occur both with potty-trained dogs and those that are not yet trained, it happens a lot more in the latter group. Getting your dog used to a peeing routine and a specific spot could therefore go a long way towards helping you deal with the issue.
It is also very important to lean in heavy with the treats and praise to make them more motivated to hold it till the appropriate time and place.
Related Questions
Do Dogs Ever Stop Marking?
Dogs start urine marking at 3 months and rarely stop without outside intervention. However, you could eliminate or at least reduce the frequency of the habit through spaying. Other hacks like using pee pads, belly bands, as well as general potty training could also help you deal with the problem more effectively.
How Do I Know If My Dog Is Marking Or Peeing?
The most obvious sign that a dog is urine marking is the smell. You will notice the pungent stench of urine all over spots in the house that the dog has access to. You may also notice pee stains on vertical items like wall corners and furniture stands which are their preferred marking sites.
Why Is My Dog Marking Inside?
Your dog may be marking indoors to assert its dominance over the territory they consider theirs. This happens a lot when the dog is exposed to unfamiliar people or other pets as it may make them feel threatened. It could also happen with new furniture in the home that the dog recognizes as unfamiliar in scent and therefore in need of marking.
