Puppy peeing in house

[Glo1988]

Hi

Our cavapoo is 8 months old.

Was 99% house trained up to 6 weeks ago when he started peeing on our hall carpet (so much so we’re having to scrap it, and our duvet which is so upsetting) We both work from home and try to make sure he’s in the office with us - it’s only when he sneaks off he’s doing it. It’s got to the point where it’s every day.

We can tell he knows he’s been naughty when we find it.

We’ve been sure to give him even more regular toilet breaks outside but he’s still doing it.

They’re big wees too, not just a spray of him marking.

At the end of my tether with the constant cleaning. He’s a really good boy otherwise, perfect pet.

Help please!

We could try a long line but I’m not sure how sustainable that is long term?

I've got no advice but that must be awful!

Hopefully someone will be along soon with a suggestion.

Go back to basics and start taking him out every 15/30 mins. Get rid of the carpet and duvet, clean the floor with specialist cleaner.
Has he been castrated ?

Shut all your doors so he can’t get into any rooms.

He doesnt know that he has been naughty he is just reacting to your frustration or telling off.

However what are you doing when you find out he has weed in the wrong place?

If you show displeasure for him weeing he will go and wee where you can not see him as he knows you go weird if he wees (but he has to wee)

You just need to increase the times you take him out. He is still quite little and just needs to wee more often than you give him the opportunities to.

It would be best to keep him in one room where you can see him and then get him outside quickly however that really is unfair on him and he should be given more opportunities to wee outside before he is desperate

Don't let him in any room except kitchen, take out more often and give cue to wee, reward reward reward when he does.

He doesn’t know he’s been naughty: he’s reacting to you with fear. This is also why he sneaks away from you when he needs to pee.

Puppies aren’t born knowing where to pee. It’s not enough to offer regular outside opportunities, if inside is also an opportunity. You need to be taking him out more, ensuring he’s peeing outside, and rewarding big for it. Inside he should be in a crate when unsupervised, so not given the opportunity to go inside.

In short: you’re doing this wrong. Don’t blame your poor dog for this.

Go right back to basics. Pop him out every 15 mins and use the same verbal cue each and every time "wee wees" is the Go household phrase. Slowly extend time between toilet trips.

An enzymatic cleaner is essential and can easily be purchased from a supermarket, pet shop or Amazon. Wash the duvet and add the cleaner to the final rinse. Do the same with the sheets and mattress protector. Same treatment for the carpet. Break the cycle and then replace the carpet.

Lots of positive praise and patience. My leaky girl spaniel turned a real corner post spaying. Good luck.

I would be grabbing a urine test to let the vet check for a UTI

The reason I say this is because if they are big puddles he obv genuinely has a full bladder that he's struggling to hold

Completely echo people saying he’s reacting with fear. Does he get told off for messing in the house? If so there’s your trouble. He’s hiding going to the toilet as that what he thinks is “naughty” not the location.

@Glo1988
has he been vet checked for a UTI?
that’s the first step

Also research is clear. There’s zero evidence that dogs have the emotional capacity for feeling shame/guilt when their behaviour contravenes human ‘rules’ that they do not have the capacity to understand.

if you think We can tell he knows he’s been naughty when we find it. then what you are actually seeing is a fear reaction that he has learned in response to changes in your body language/behaviour.

I hope you’ve not been punishing him, especially if he has an untreated infection

On top of "get him tested for uti and see what else the vet suggests" and "back to basics for toilet training" you can get dog nappies - eg Bad Boy Belly Band - which help change the outcome while you're working on the behaviour!

He doesn't "know he's being naughty" - all he knows is that you're angry or annoyed and he's reacting to that. Dogs aren't daft - they know when our tone of voice changes and what it means.

Firstly he needs to see a vet as toileting inappropriately is one of major signs that a dog has a UTI.

If he gets the all-clear, then you need to manage his environment. It's not uncommon for teenage dogs to regress, so close all doors and keep him supervised all the time. If he can't be supervised, then he needs to be crated or in a room with hard floors so it's easy to clean.

Thanks for the helpful comments xx