Dog's Behavior- Help!!

Updated on February 08, 2012
K.S. asks from Littleton, CO
8 answers

Hi mamas. I hope some of you dog whisperers can help me. I've never had a dog before so I'm at a loss. We rescued a 9 year old shih tzu about 6 months ago. She is the sweetest thing ever, no aggression whatsoever and just lovely. Except..... she keeps having accidents in the house. Now she is totally potty trained, and I've seen how much she pees outside.

This is different, I will find a 'squirt' of pee on the carpet, usually in the middle of a room. It's hard to even see sometimes because it is such a little amount. But I'm still horrified and embarrassed. Not having had dogs before, I feel like everyone else has perfect little doggies who never pee inside. What can I do? I do know that she has separation anxiety, we are working on that, she's even on prozac. So I wonder if this has something to do with it BUT I find these even if I haven't left her. Most days she is never left alone, I bring her with to pick up from school, etc., so she is not left very often at all (SAHM). And I've never caught her doing this, so I don't know what to relate it to. Is this totally unusual or has this happened to any one else? She's been medically cleared by the vet, so it's not a medical thing. Please help with suggestions. I don't know how to stop her from doing this even when I'm home!! Thanks!

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K.M.

answers from Chicago on

Ok, you want to confirm the liquid right? Put a doggy diaper on her for a week and see what is going on. Assuming she is spayed, rescue dogs typically are, I agree with incontinence or even a startle and a leak! Little dogs have a tendancy to have accidents in the house more so than large dogs do. I have an 11mo maltese pom mix and he still has issues, it can very well be a "general small dog" issue or something else. I would confirm the liquid first. My dog too licks and licks and licks and it can appear as though a glass of water spilled!

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V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Are you certain it is urine? I only ask this because sometimes my GSD will lick her paws for longer than normal and the floor will get some "collateral damage". LOL It feels like someone spilled something, but really it is just where she happened to be lying when she was licking.

Also, where are you finding the spots? Are they in the same place each time? Are they in places where she might have been when she heard something that frightened her? Dogs often dribble a tiny bit to show submission, so if she feels like she was "caught" doing something wrong, she might dribble a little.

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C.S.

answers from Milwaukee on

My first guess what that with her being 9 it might be incontinence...but sounds like the vet has vetted that out.

It is NOT totally unusual so don't feel badly at all. Was there ever another dog/cat in the house? Maybe she's 'marking' on her rug cuz she can smell the old pets...

It really sounds like she's either marking or she just has some issues holding it-since you don't catch her in the act it's hard to discipline her.

Maybe try doggie diapers and see if she still does it then?

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Our female dog started this at about 9 also. We would find little spots of urine where she would lay. She was medically cleared of anything serious but our vet said as with human women, as female dogs get older, incontinence just happens. Muscles just loosen up. We were given d.e.s. for her that she took twice a week and it worked like magic. Did you actually get down on the floor and smell it? If it doesn't smell like urine, but 10 times worse, it could be anal gland leakage. I know, yuck, but it happens. If your vet agrees, meds may be worth a try to rule out incontinence.

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

I would think she is either marking her territory since it's not a lot of urine or she has a bladder infection the vet didn't get.

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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

I thought my 11 year old dog was peeing on the floor. Come to find out he is an obsessive carpet licker. He will lick the same spot until it's soaking wet. Anyway, your story reminds me of that.
If she is an excitable dog, she may get excited and a little come out. My brother's dog was like this. Not sure there is a whole lot you can do about it other than minimize situations that get her all riled up.
Hope this helps.

J.S.

answers from Jacksonville on

She is an older dog and is probably having some incontinence. My dog will have some of these issues especially if she gets really itchy. We just gave her a new heart worm/flea preventative and it made both the dogs itch like crazy. Sure enough, I've found a spot her or there.

Really you might try and get her out before she lets you know she needs to go. She might just be waiting too long.

K.C.

answers from Washington DC on

We have an older rescue dog, too. Very submissive and very shy / docile. We use a mommy dog pheromone collar and it makes a big difference. Just google pheremone collar ... They're available on-line cheaper than at a pet store. Good luck!

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