Why does your dog start to have accidents in the house after you have already housetrained him? This is a problem some dog owners have to deal with, and if you are one of them, you may be feeling frustrated and angry. But, instead of punishing your dog, try to find out what is the cause of the problem so that you can deal with it appropriately.
He may be too old
Aging is a fact of life. As your dog gets older, he may not be able to control his bladder as well.
He could be having a medical condition
Incontinence could be due to a medical problem. If you suspect that your dog may be unwell, take him to the vet for a checkup just to be sure.
He could be marking his territory
Male dogs are especially prone to this type of behavior. It is called urine marking. This behavior is meant to deter rival males from entering the property.
He is feeling uncertain or stressed
If there is a sudden change in routine or in the structure of the family, it can cause stress in a dog. This could result in a regression in his housetraining.
He could be overly excited
Sometimes too much of an excitement can cause dogs to excrete a small amount of urine. This could happen when your dog is very happy, as well as when he is stressed or scared.
He was not let out often enough
The accidents may not be his fault at all. If you do not give him plenty of opportunities to go outside to ease himself, especially after meals, you cannot blame him for having an accident.
Medication could be the cause
Incontinence is a possible side effect of some medications. If your dog is on medications, find out from your vet whether that could be the cause of the problem.
The housetraining was not adequate
If your dog was not properly housetrained previously, he may, at some point, revert back to his previous untrained state and start to soil the house again.
Remain calm and avoid being frustrated
Dogs do not like feeling out-of-control any more than humans do. If your dog suddenly starts having accidents in the house, it may be outside his control. Getting frustrated at him will not solve the problem.
Do housetraining again
If your dog’s behavior does not seem to be due to a medical problem or the side effects of medications, you may simply need to retrain him.
When your dog starts to have accidents in the house, it is vital that you spend some time determining the cause of the behavior before you react. If you punish your dog, it could worsen the problem. Try to find out what is going on before deciding on a solution.
