Dog randomly peeing indoors

pmb

Hey guys,

Our 3 year old Schnauzer has started, completely randomly, peeing in the kitchen over night (always in the same spot).

I toilet trained him very young and he was always a fantastic puppy. Recently his behaviour has changed a bit. He has started to cry and wail at the back door if he is put out and we are in the house (if even only out for a minute or two) and at night he sleeps in the kitchen where he has started to consistently pee in the same spot. Each Night.

It's not a medical issue because we have brought him up to sleep in our bedroom and he has been in there for 12-14hours without a peep! However, even 6/7 hours in the kitchen alone he pees.... it makes no sense.

I have tried cleaning the floor with non-ammonia substances. I have put vinegar down, I have used positive re-enforcement when I see him peeing on walks/outside and I have tried negative by scolding him if I catch him in the act....however he still does it.

Any ideas what it could be?

DBB

Can you clarify... Have you brought him upstairs to sleep in your room since his night-time peeing started?
Is he peeing up against something, or is it a pool in the middle of the floor?
Have you managed to establish around about when the peeing tends to happen? The early, middle, or latter part of the night? You've punished him when you've caught him in the act, but perhaps this also means you know what time of the night he's inclined to pee at?
Does he make noise at night when left alone?
Does he follow you around the house a lot?
Is he clingy?
Does he become agitated or more clingy before you go to bed?

pmb

Hi Dbb,

Thanks for the response!

In relation to sleeping upstairs, he has often slept between upstairs and downstairs. There has never been any association there. He is peeing in the middle of the floor (in the same place every time) but I have treated this with dog odour cleaner and vinegar....

Yes, he is peeing in the early morning about 5am, I have caught him just walking away from 'warm' pee and punished him accordingly. However, even when I don't catch him, if he has pee'd he cowls in his bed almost knowing he did something wrong.
He makes no noise at night when left alone but he will if he is put in the garden.

Yes - he follows me EVERYWHERE. He is like my shadow, and does become quite clingy sometimes. There is no difference in him in the afternoon compared to when he gets to bed.

We have done some home improvements lately which I thought I should mention which includes a new kitchen..... would this effect anything?

Thanks for all your help!

DBB

Hi,
I'll address this bit by bit, if I may...

pmb wrote: »

Hi Dbb,
In relation to sleeping upstairs, he has often slept between upstairs and downstairs. There has never been any association there.

This is almost certainly contributing to the problem. From what you describe, your dog is suffering from separation-related issues, including anxiety. In other words, he does not like being left on his own. If he has a history of sometimes being let upstairs, and sometimes not, the irregularity of this (having company at night sometimes, and sometimes not) can be very distressing for a dog that is anxious about being left alone.

Yes, he is peeing in the early morning about 5am, I have caught him just walking away from 'warm' pee and punished him accordingly.

This is NOT "catching him in the act". Unless you actually catch him with the pee coming out of his body, it is too late to make an issue of it. If you give out to him after the fact, then as far as he is concerned, you randomly appear downstairs in the middle of the night and punish him. There is no better way to make an already-worried dog more anxious.
The fact that he is peeing when he hears you coming is also significant... it is possible that he is peeing with anxiety when he hears you coming, because you randomly punish him, and randomly put him out the back for no particularly salient reason, as far as he;s concerned.

However, even when I don't catch him, if he has pee'd he cowls in his bed almost knowing he did something wrong.

This behaviour is all related to the above. He does not know he has done wrong, dogs are not capable of making such an association. What he is actually doing is displaying "calming signals", which are signals a dog gives out in an attempt to dissipate anger from their owner (or other dogs). They include signals like lying down, making themselves small, licking the lips, averting the gaze, wagging the tip of the tail, possibly rolling over onto the back. These are all too often misinterpreted as guilt, but that's what this is, a misinterpretation. And when an owner thinks their dog is feeling guilt over some perceived misdemeanour, they're more likely to punish the dog. And the cycle of punishment, fear, anxiety, and punishment keeps going.

He makes no noise at night when left alone but he will if he is put in the garden.

Why are you putting him in the garden? I'm not sure what you think this will achieve?
There's a strong chance, given what you've said, that your dog makes noise to try to establish contact with you, because he's worried about being left alone. Anxiety-induced barking must be dealt with at an emotional level, not punished, otherwise the cycle continues and the behaviour worsens. As I said above, putting him outside in the garden is quite possibly contributing to him peeing inside, and the "guilty" look he's giving you.

Yes - he follows me EVERYWHERE. He is like my shadow, and does become quite clingy sometimes. There is no difference in him in the afternoon compared to when he gets to bed.

A classic symptom of separation-related anxiety. Dogs who don't like being left alone will tend not to let their owners out of their sight if they can avoid it.

We have done some home improvements lately which I thought I should mention which includes a new kitchen..... would this effect anything?

For a dog who's worried about things in life, anything different that's happening in the house can compound behavioural problems.

I'll be totally honest with you OP, there are quite a lot of potential issues at play here: this problem is substanitally bigger than your dog peeing on the floor at night, which is merely a symptom. Separation anxiety is one of the most difficult behavioural problems to deal with, particularly over an internet forum. I'd strongly advise that you seek the help of a good, qualified behaviourist to help you with this, because there needs to be a holistic approach whereby you fully understand why your dog is doing what he's doing, and how your behaviour affects him and his behaviour. Every case is different, which is why advising any further via this medium would be unwise.
There are many self-titled cowboys out there calling themselves behaviourists. Please be careful to choose someone who is appropriately qualified, and who can, if necessary, work in conjunction with your vet to help your dog. If you tell us where you are, hopefully we can recommend someone suitable.

pmb

Hi DBB,

THanks for all of this - just to address this. The dog has ONLY ever been punished if caught in the act which would include, standing up and 'stepping off' his urine. I would never ever punish him for anything else.

If he is in the garden, I mean randomly throughout the day. He has the freedom to run through the house and out into the garden. We play with him in the garden and he pee's in the garden between walks. However, even in the middle of a sunny day he will approach the back door and cry if he is left alone in the garden.

Have you any recommendations on dog behaviouralists we should visit? All of this is really helpful

DBB

Hi again,
I'd still argue that punishing him when moving out of the peeing position is too late. You're punishing him finishing peeing, not not to pee, if you see what I mean! Dogs are seriously "here and now" in the way they learn, so you can see that timing is critical!
Where are you based, so we could perhaps recommend someone for you?