Puppy Peeing on Carpet
Our little Casey (Yorkie) is 10 yrs. old. Her sister Erin 10 1/2 yrs. old. Casey & Erin are paper trained. Their paper is located in the laundry room. They have to pass through a carpeted room & that is where sometimes Casey pees on the carpet. We put an extra piece of carpet down, a runner, & she pees on it. She has done this off & on for about the last 2 years. We take her to the papers at night & she pees. We also take away their water at between 8 & 9 pm. She doesn’t pee on the carpet every day. Please don’t tell me to take them outside as my husband & I are older & the puppies do go on the paper. I have caught Casey peeing on the rug, so I know it’s her. We take her to the spot & tell her NO! She is very intelligent. Is she just marking her territory? Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Casey’s Mom
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Casey is getting older, so her bladder control may not be as strong as it once was. She may be on the way to her papers but not quite make it before her bladder contracts. That’s not her fault, but it may be correctable medically if you take her to your vet. Also, the vet can test her for a low grade urinary tract infection. Such infections can come and go. When they are present, they are often the cause of uncontrollable, inappropriate urination. UTIs are treatable with antibiotics. Telling Casey “NO” if she has an underlying medical problem won’t do anything but leave her confused and fearful.
It is, however, possible that Casey has simply identified the carpet as a proper place to urinate because of the odor. Regular household cleaners may remove enough of the urine odor to be undetectable to our human noses, but canine noses are far more sensitive. You need to use enzymatic cleaners specifically designed to remove pet odors. Two such cleaners that have worked well for me are Outright and Simple Solution. They can be purchased at pet supply stores.
I wish you all the best with Casey. Sometimes we just have to accept and accommodate the aging process as it affects our loyal companions.
Tempest
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Thanks Tempest. I will try Outright & Simple Solution. I have taken Casey to the Vet & she is OK. Thanks for you response.
CaseyErin
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Yorkies (as all small breeds) are very long-lived dogs so ten is not really old for them and if your vet said she’s fine, I am pretty sure the problem is not medical but behavioral. Your best bet is to replace the carpet and start from scratch but, if you cannot do that, do clean the spot with the products that Tempest recommended (white vinegar in water works well in a pinch) and put paper towels soaked with citronella oil on the spot (dogs hate the smell and will stay away from any place that smells like that). You might want to put the towels on top of a plastic sheet if you are afraid it might stain the carpet. Also, watch her like a hawk and only scold her when you catch her in the act, never after -dogs do not have that kind of long term memory so it does not do any good to scold them after the fact even if they are smelling their own urine. If all else fails, try putting a wee-wee pad right on the spot (it’s easier than cleaning the carpet).
Good luck!
Bibi
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Thanks BiBi. We just replaced the carpet 2 months ago. This is an extra piece of carpet we put on top of the new carpet, like a runner, that she pees on. I got the Simple Solution & we are going to apply it today. Casey has not peed on the carpet for the last couple of days. Thanks for all your help. We will keep trying.
Casey’s Mom