My dog has accidents indoors only when I'm home, not when alone. Why?

The most common cause of housetraining accidents like this that only occur when you're not home is separation anxiety - so I suspect that your dog may be quite stressed and anxious when you're gone. If you're unsure, you can set up a video camera to record him the next time you go out - it's usually quite easy to tell based on the video if this is an anxiety-related problem or not. I would suggest leaving a special long-lasting treat of some kind for him every time you leave the house, such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter. This will help to keep him busy and encourage him to settle, and over time will help to decrease his anxiety by giving him something to look forward to when you leave. You can also try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure. If these things don't help, I would recommend taking your dog to the vet for a check-up to make sure that there is not an underlying medical issue contributing to the problem. You can also discuss the possibility of prescription anti-anxiety medication for him if needed.

With sudden accidents, it is always best to schedule a vet checkup first to rule out any underlying issues such as infection, GI upset, neurological or muscular issues, etc. if she checks out healthy, it may be that something has startled or upset her, especially if this was the same time last year that she had accidents last, causing her to have accidents inside instead of going out. You may need to temporarily revert to a "puppy" style of potty training again, just to get her back into the routine of going outside until she is more comfortable with whatever caused the accidents to start. Using enzymatic cleaners on any accidents can help discourage her from going there again, and making sure to offer some exciting treats and praise when she does go outside may help speed up the process.

Poor LittleBit! When a dog who was previously house trained suddenly starts having accidents in the home, it is usually a sign of a medical illness such as a UTI or bladder bladder stones. She could also be drinking more due to a medical illness like diabetes or kidney disease, also leading her to have to urinate more. I would take LittleBit into the vet in the morning for a physical exam, routine blood tests, and a urinalysis to diagnose what is causing her to have accidents in the home. Once a cause is diagnosed, the vet can prescribe a treatment.

Hi there! If Chubbs has not been previously housetrained, you would teach him just like a new puppy. See our article on housetraining here for more information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining/ If he was housetrained in the past and just recently started having accidents in the house, then it's likely that he has a medical problem of some kind causing this - possibly a urinary tract infection, bladder stones, a bladder or prostate tumor, or a systemic illness like diabetes or Cushing's disease. In that case, I would recommend taking him to the vet for a check-up. He/she can do blood work and a urinalysis to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate treatment.

She may have a urinary infection that causes her to have accidents due to not being able to hold it as Kong. She may be doing this out of stress or anxiety or something has changed in her environment or routine. Depending on where she is in her heat cycle it may be due to marking and territorial problems influenced by hormones The best place to start is gave your vet check for infection with the urine then look in to getting her fixed. From there you can look into repeating house training or behavioral medicines

Sudden changes in behavior can sometimes signal a health issue, and accidents in an elderly dog can be caused by a number of things. Bladder infections can cause sudden accidents in the house, while changes to the muscles and nerves around the bladder may lead to incontinence-type accidents with dribbling or small puddles happening. Cognitive changes in elderly dogs (similar to human dementia) can also sometimes cause a pet to "forget" their training such as potty training, leading to accidents. It is a good idea to schedule a veterinary exam to see if any of these could be a possible cause and to find a treatment plan that helps.

Poor Riley (and you!)! Riley could be urinating in the house because of a medical issue, such as a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine or bladder stones. Behavioral stressors, such as a change in her normal routine, can trigger inappropriate urination in some pets. As a first step, Riley should be seen by her vet and have a urinalysis performed to check for the presence of infection and crystals. A urinary tract infection requires antibiotics and crystals may require a diet change. If medical issues are ruled out, consider using a calming pheromone diffuser or collar (Adaptil is one example).