Help! My 11-year-old Maltese keeps peeing indoors. What can I do?

H, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly if she is is going in the house she still isn't fully house trained. All rooms with doors should be closed and she needs to be gated to be kept in your site. Or she needs to be leashed to an adult until this behavior has stopped. The area she is soiling needs to be cleaned with an enzymatic pet cleaner, like Nature's Miracle. She needs to be take out frequently and verbally praised, as well as given treats, when she goes outside. Play with her for 5-10 mins. If she doesn't go outside she is crated or leashed to an adult until you take her out again. This training should go on for 3 months and she can have free reign of the house once there are no accidents for those 3 months. You can have her urine checked for crystals or infection by your Vet and consider having her spayed to see if that helps. I wish you the best!

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach! Sounds like he is having quite fun in the snow! You can try using pee pads in the house or using a product called Fresh Patch ( www.freshpatch.com ). More frequent walks outside may also help stop this inappropriate urination and then rewarding him when he does urinate outside every time will help reinforce him going outside. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello Diane. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You didn't mention if this was a new problem or a lifelong problem. Has she ever been completely housebroken? If this is a relatively new problem, Nikki may have an underlying medical condition - like a urinary tract infection. I suggest you have her examined by your vet and have a urine test done to check for infection or other underlying medical problem. If you can rule out a medical problem then you can assume it is behavioral, in which case, you should consult with a professional, in-home dog trainer. It is very hard to potty train a dog this age without professional help.

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concern. Bo is still quite young and him urinating inside is something that he should eventually grow out with training. Positive reinforcement with treats whenever he urinates outside and defecates outside will help reinforce him going outside. I've had great success with recommending Fresh Patch. This is a patch of grass in a cardboard box with absorbent material underneath the grass and you place this in the house. Bo will use this real grass to go to the bathroom short term. I would recommend starting by placing the grass in the area where he has been urinating and then gradually moving the patch of grass closer and closer to the door to the outside until eventually the grass patch is outside of the house and he is using it there. Fresh Patch is a product that you buy online at their website ( https://www.freshpatch.com/ ) I hope this helps and best of luck with the training! It can be frustrating at times but patience and persistence usually end in success! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend that you do not spank her as dogs respond much better to positive reinforcement. This means that she would probably respond better to you rewarding her positive behavior such as when she does it outside. You can use praise and treats. It is basically focusing on the positive instead of the negative. You will start noticing that she will go outside more and inside less. This works consistently usually. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not an uncommom issue. I recommend that you try the training pad spray that you put on the pad. This would help your pup identify the right place to do her business. You can get this at your local pet store. Given that she learned how to let you guys know when she wants to go outside, she is for sure very smart so I'm sure she will learn this as well. Try to keep the blankets off the flour at least for now while she learns. Remember to praise and reward her when you notice the desired behavior. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It will take time to teach an older dog to go indoors. I would take the pad outside and put it on the ground. See if he will use it outside. If he poops and pees on it, bring it indoors and leave it there soiled for a little bit. So he can see it and smell the elimination. Use praise and treats when he uses the pad outdoors and then when he uses it indoors. Start with the pads close to the door to the outside and then gradually move it to your desired location. Use whatever phrase you use to encourage him to go "do your business," etc. Use a leash to let him sniff the pad. It will take tome to retrain him. Dogs like their routines. Be patient and positive! Good luck!