Suddenly, dog isn’t housebroken anymore

Q: ZZ is a 3-year-old dog we adopted when he was 6 weeks old. He has suddenly started urinating in the house. I take him out often, but if we leave the house for any reason, he urinates. After three years, what could have triggered this sudden behavior? He knows he’s been naughty and hides when I get home. I don’t spank or yell but do tell him he’s a bad dog and show him the pee.

A: There could be a few reasons why ZZ is suddenly urinating in the house. It could be confusion, anxiety or even marking behavior. In addition, some dogs — particularly small dogs — don’t like to go out in inclement weather, or become fearful of the yard if a varmint has gotten into it. No matter what, when you tell ZZ he’s bad and show him the potty spot, it’s likely to confuse him. Unless you catch a dog in the act of eliminating, it’s difficult for him to understand what he’s being punished for. To him, your behavior is scary and unpredictable. And, of course, you don’t know when he had the accident — it may have been hours ago, in which case he probably can’t remember what he did.

Clean up the spots carefully with an enzymatic cleaner, and then try to associate different activities with those areas. Perhaps feed him there for a few days, or play games with him there. Dogs often choose isolated areas that aren’t part of their “den” to eliminate in.

You need to be very clear about what good behavior is and set ZZ up for success. When you leave, put him upstairs if he hasn’t had any accidents there, or in a crate if he’s crate trained. When you take him out, praise him as though he were a puppy again. And be patient. He’s likely to improve quickly if you can eliminate the accidents.