Don't punish your puppy for eliminating in the house. If you find a soiled area, just clean it up. Rubbing your puppy's nose in it, taking them to the spot and scolding them or any other punishment will only make them afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence. Punishment will do more harm than good.
The problem with punishing a dog for urinating in the house is that it doesn't help to solve the problem, it may make your dog fearful, and it can even make the problem worse. If there might be a medical issue, it's important to see a vet first.
Instead, increase your distance from the thing or person that is scaring your pup. Eliminate odors wherever your dog submissively urinates, especially if they aren't completely house-trained. Don't punish or scold them for submissive urination. This will only make the problem worse.
Take your dog outside to help them make a connection with this being the place to pee. If you're returning home, give your dog a treat to distract them and give them something productive to do with their excited energy. Keep your greetings modest and calm so your dog doesn't interpret them as acts of dominance.
The reason puppies hold on outside and then pee immediately once they get back in is that the house is their happy place and the yard is not. As soon as they come inside, their parasympathetic tone increases and only then do they feel the urge to urinate. Your job is simple in theory: make outside a happy place too.
The top 3 best potty training sprays we reviewed:
Bodhi Dog Potty Training Spray – Best Attractant For Pee Pads. Gold Medal Pets Housebreaking Aid – Best Attractant For Outdoors. PoochPad Potty Training Attractant – Best Attractant For Grass Pads.
Punishing your dog by rubbing their nose in urine is an ineffective and outdated method that can cause more harm than good. Dogs are much more likely to learn and respond to positive reinforcement, rather than punishment.
You should not punish a dog for pooping in the house, aside from a firm “no” if you actually catch your dog in the act. Dogs can't understand the concept of punishment in the same way that humans do. Yelling, hitting, or physically punishing a dog can cause fear, anxiety, and even aggression.
Kidney and liver damage, fatigue, fever, vomiting, skin burns, and diarrhea are just a few of the problems caused by the harmful pathogens present in your furbaby's pee. If your skin comes in contact with your dog's pee while cleaning, simply wash the area right away with running water and soap.
Your Pup Still Doesn't Have Full Bladder Control
If your puppy will only pee inside the house, you need to remember that young pups don't have complete control over their bladder. Most puppies aren't able to hold it until they are about 4-6 months old, and this is the time most accidents happen.
Many (but not all) dogs hate the smell of citrus, so using citrus smells like citronella, lemongrass, lemon, and even bergamot can repel some dogs from an area. You can use these smells in scented candles or sprays to see if it keeps your dog away from an area where you don't want them peeing.
Vinegar. Vinegar tops any list that talks about what smell do dogs hate. A relatively safe and non-toxic household ingredient, the strong, acidic smell of vinegar isn't pleasurable even to most humans.
Your puppy will start to sniff the floor to search for an area to pee or poop. Sniffing may happen inside the house if your puppy has previously soiled in a given area. With a powerful sniffer, dogs can find previously soiled areas, which inform them where the "bathroom area" is located.
If you have an unsealed floor, dog urine can penetrate deeper into the wood and leave a persistent and unpleasant odor. If the odor isn't completely eliminated and the area becomes a regular piddle spot, the constant exposure to urine may ultimately cause the wood to warp.
Urinary tract infections, cystitis (bladder inflammation), bladder stones, kidney disease, or arthritis or age-related incontinence could all be causes of house soiling in dogs. In addition, pets with diarrhea or other intestinal illnesses may not be able to make it outside fast enough.
If your dog is still a young puppy in the process of potty training, try another outside "business trip" after waiting 10 to 15 minutes; if they still don't go after 1 to 2 minutes, go back inside, and wait another 10 to 15 minutes before trying again.
Sometimes dogs use urine to mark objects, including your bed. Studies have shown dogs don't mark to claim territory, it's more like graffiti that says, “I was here.” So, they aren't telling you the bed belongs to them but are more likely adding their scent to a communal space.
Schedule. First, you need to put your dog on a schedule. This means feeding them, walking them, and giving them bathroom breaks at the same time each day. Dogs are creatures of habit, so if you have them on a schedule, it will help avoid accidents.
But, regularly letting your dog hold their pee for too long increases the risk of certain issues including: Urinary tract infections. Peeing flushes bacteria and toxins that are accumulated in the kidney, bladder, and urethra. When your dog holds their pee, the bacteria can spread throughout the urinary tract.
It is very normal for puppies to do this; they naturally prefer to eliminate on something absorbent — like grass, for example. Your puppy is too young to know that it's not okay to use the rug, and the fact that he is making an effort to get to an absorbent surface is actually a good sign.
A dab of Vicks VapoRub will stop a dog returning to a spot — and stop it chewing rugs, chair legs and curtains.
That's where odor eliminators come in, and specifically, vinegar. Acetic acid is vinegar's major ingredient. Dogs detest this smell, thus you can use vinegar as a deterrent. Your dog will stop peeing in the same place if they detect a scent they don't like.
Many pups will have an accident in their crate when they can not hold it any longer but what about the dog that actually goes to the bathroom in the crate even when they can hold it for a longer period of time? That dog is not offended by peeing or pooping in its area. That is called Dirty Dog Syndrome!