Problems with Soiling

1. The dog urinates when visitors arrive.
2. The dog urinates when he is left alone.
3. The dog urinates when he is excited.

The dog defecates in the house.

• Is the problem related to urine, stools, or both?
• When the dog couldn't be watched, was he confined or monitored?
• Do accidents occur often? If so, how many times a week?
• Do you go outside with the dog? When he does his business, are you ready to reinforce good behavior with a treat?
• How many times per day does the dog go outside?
• When the dog was caught eliminating inside the house, did you correct or punish your dog?
• Has the dog always had a cleanliness problem, or has the problem developed suddenly?
• Does your dog eliminate on places which have the same texture, such as the rug, a piece of clothing, ceramic tile, paper, etc.?
• Does the cat of urinating occur only when the dog meets someone, or gets petted, or when you play with him? If so, does the dog roll over on his back, pull his ears backward, crouch down and pull his tail between his legs?
• If the problem is intermittent, could it be attributed to something or someone the dog is afraid of?
• Does the problem occur when you are present, but the dog is not being watched?
• Does the problem occur only when you are not in the house? If so, does it happen every time the dog is alone, or in specific situations, such as, only in the morning?

Many physical ailments can be at the root of this type of behavior, such as: urethral infections, internal parasites, endocrine-based disorder, a foreign body, dysfunction of the anal glands, a neurological problem, an allergy, a change in diet, inappropriate food, and many more. Seeing as habits govern the dog's life, he will take on the habits which you will give him. It is never too late to change a bad habit. Education of a puppy for cleanliness must begin as soon as he enters his new home.

A dog that has a problem with cleanliness is not driven by anger, or the desire to be vengeful towards his master. For example, if he urinates when someone enters the house, or does soon a specific object such as a shoe, he is not unclean because he doesn't like the visitor or someone in the family. These two behavior patterns can be traced to marking, anxiety, fear, or stress. Dogs do not perceive stools the same way humans do. The dog is interested in his stools, and uses urine to communicate. He doesn't consider defecation as disgusting or degrading. To attempt to punish the dog after the fact by showing him the mess and putting his snout in it, all the while shouting and hitting him, is totally useless and will only serve to exacerbate the problem. The dog doesn't recall something he did only minutes before. It is futile to expect a 4-5 month-old puppy to be 100% clean. Indeed, certain dogs will never be 100% clean at any age. If the dog doesn't have ready access to an eliminating area, he will make a mess some of the time. It's up to you to establish a steady schedule to take the dog outside.