Perhaps the single most common reason for inappropriate urination in the dog is a urinary bladder infection, so our first step is to perform a urinalysis to rule out this possibility.

  If the urinalysis shows no signs of bladder infection, it is possible that the condition is due in whole or in part to a behavioral problem.  Blood tests should be performed to rule out other diseases as the cause of the urination, however if no other origin is found, a behavioral problem should be suspected and treated.  In this case, treatment consists of determining when and why your pet began urinating inappropriately and correct the problem.  Although there are certain drugs that can help with the treatment of some forms of inappropriate elimination, far and away the best treatment is a CONSISTENT, TIMELY and CLEAR system of rewarding appropriate behavior while appropriately punishing and redirecting unacceptable behavior.

  The best way to do this is to watch your dog and learn the signals that indicate he or she is looking for “somewhere to go” (usually by walking around & sniffing & wagging the tail).  This allows you to catch your dog as it is looking for a spot to urinate and send it outside thus showing it where it should be urinating and allowing you to reward the appropriate behavior.

  If you catch your dog “in the act,” start by reprimanding her verbally.  A loud “NO!” is usually sufficient to let the dog know it has misbehaved (IMPORTANT NOTE: if your dog urinates when being told “No,” this is NOT an act of defiance or misbehavior.  This is known as submissive urination and is your dog’s way of acknowledging your superiority.  Punishing submissive urination will make the problem WORSE.  Simply ignore this and continue as if the submissive urination had not happened.).  Take you dog outside and leave it there until it urinates.  When it does, give it huge amounts of praise. Do not punish an accident that has already happened.  If you cannot react within 3 seconds (some sources say within 1 second), a dog will not connect the punishment with the act and will not understand why it is being punished.  For instance, rubbing a dog’s nose in a 3-hour-old accident doesn’t tell it what it did wrong or why it is being punished.  However, catching a dog that is looking for a place to urinate, sending it outside, and praising it when it urinates in the grass is very effective.

  Second, keeping your dog away from his or her “favorite spots” in the house until there have been no accidents for several weeks is usually very effective, too.  This would force it to find new spots to urinate and would complement your redirection efforts nicely. 

  Remember: REWARD THE POSITIVE and CATCH AND REDIRECT THE NEGATIVE in a fashion that is CONSISTENT and CLEAR to your dog.  Otherwise, this can be a very confusing and frustrating process for everyone.

  Please call the Council Bluffs Veterinary Clinic if you have any questions or concerns.  Clinic hours are 8-6 Monday – Friday and 8-3 on Saturdays.  Our phone number is 323-2147