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How to Stop Your Dog From Peeing Inside at Night

How to Stop Your Dog From Peeing Inside at Night
Dogs

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One of the most troublesome behavior that a dog can do is urinating where they shouldn't. This situation is usually quite stressful for many companions. However, there are ways to train your dog to stop urinating at home.

In this AnimalWised article we're going to explain why you're dog may be urinating inside and how to stop your dog from peeing inside at night.

You may also be interested in: My Cat Won't Stop Meowing at Night

Why does my dog pee at home at night?

If you wake up to the smell of your dog's urine somewhere in the house, surely you've asked yourself what you can do to stop this behavior. The cause of this problem is most likely one of the following reasons:

Insufficient exercise

One of the main reasons dogs urinate inside at night is because they have no option to do so outside. You may have taken them out in the morning and afternoon, but then they would have to endure their urge to urinate throughout the evening and night, all the way til their morning walk. That's a long time for anyone! It's best to go for a short walk at night so they can relieve themselves and be ready for bed.

Unclear routine

Dogs are animals of habit so they know what their walking hours are and, consequently, when they can urinate outside. They will generally wait until they can urinate outside. In fact, their bodies will even adapt to those schedules. So if we're constantly changing up their routine they may not be able to adapt quick enough and will end up urinating inside the house.

Training and habit

In addition to the above causes, your dog may have learned to pee in a specific place in the house, such as a flower pot. For this reason, they see no problem in doing it in this place, since in a certain way it's their “bathroom”. So, if you notice that your dog pees every night in the same place, this is why.

Issues at night

This reason could be more difficult to detect, as we cannot know what happens at night while we sleep. However, it's possible that during these hours, something happens that generates discomfort or stress in our dog. Some examples can be certain noises, a cold breeze, a light, etc. These things can make your dog be alert of their surroundings.

Staying up at night can also influence them to have the need to urinate, and because they cannot go outside, they will urinate inside the house.

They feel uncomfortable

Another reason they may stay up at night is because they are uncomfortable and/or stressed. This may be due to the fact that they are locked up or alone, something they may not be used to. Some dogs experience separation anxiety if they need to sleep in a different room than their human companion. They may feel abandoned or vulnerable sleeping along. While others may simply be feeling trapped if they are in a cage or small room.

If this is the reason behind their behavior, it's completely understandable. Dogs may also pee themselves if they are frightened or scared.

Health and old age problems

Lastly, the reason your dog may be urinating at home is because they are suffering from a certain pathology or urinary issue due to old age. This will make it difficult for them to control their bladder and go many hours without urinating. If your dog is a senior and experiencing certain symptoms, perhaps it's time to bring them to their veterinarian for a check-up. Learn more on our article about old age dog symptoms.

My puppy pees and poops at home at night

If your dog is still a puppy, it's completely normal that they haven't yet learned how to relieve themselves properly. Each puppy has their own learning rhythm, some may requiere more time than others. It's up to us, the human companions, to be patient and understanding with them.

Puppies will often urinate when they are happy or nervous. This is because they still cannot control their bladder. Many human companions will paper train them until they learn to control their bladder.

With this being said, it's normal for a puppy to urinate and defecate at home until they learn to control their bladder. Premature born puppies will have an even more difficult time. Give them time and patience!

How to Stop Your Dog From Peeing Inside at Night - My puppy pees and poops at home at night

What to do if my dog urinates at home at night?

Once you have determined what the issue is, you should try to solve it with the corresponding solution:

Establish a walking routine

As we have discussed, the lack of a walking routine can be the reason why your dog pees at home at night. It can also be due to the poor distribution of walking hours throughout the day. Although it will vary depending on the breed of your dog, ideally, it would be best to walk your dog at least 3 times a day for at least half an hour per walk.

These walks should be distributed throughout the day, that is, morning, noon and night. This will give them the opportunity to control their needs for only a couple of hours and be able to relieve themselves outside. Another benefit of taking your dog out on a walk at night is that they will come home tired from the walk. This will encourage them to rest and deeply sleep through the night.

You may also be interested in how often you should walk your dog according to their age.

Provide adequate exercise

It's common to see dogs that have behavioral problems due to excess energy. This is because they do not get enough daily exercise that their bodies and minds need. This will then trigger a state of discomfort and stress, which leads to issues such as urinating at night. For this reason, it's important that you provide your dog with enough exercise and mental stimulation. You can do this with longer walks, dog sports or intelligence games.

Clean where they usually urinate

If your dog tends to urinate in a certain place at home, you will need to thoroughly clean that area to erase the smell of their urine. This will help them stop identifying it as their “bathroom”.

Learn more on our article about how to eliminate the smell of your dog's urine.

Create a safe space for them

If your dog urinates indoors at night because they're experiencing separation anxiety or is upset because something is keeping them alert at night, you will need to create a safe space where they can feel comfortable and protected. To do this, you must:

  • Find an area in your home that is quiet.
  • Make sure to leave them anything they may need, such as water, a bed and toys.
  • Leave a garment of yours as your scent will help them feel safe.
  • Slowly introduce this area to your dog. Don't leave them there by themselves from one day to the other, that will scare them.

If your dog presents separation anxiety, the most advisable thing to do is to go to a veterinarian specialized in ethology.

Go to the vet

Lastly, if your dog has suddenly started urinating at home or is getting old, you should take them to the vet as soon as possible. It is likely that urinary incontinence is a consequence of old age or a certain pathology, which may or may not have a solution. This is why it's important to bring your dog to the veterinarian to be properly diagnosed.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Stop Your Dog From Peeing Inside at Night, we recommend you visit our Behavioral problems category.

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Bev
Hi, We have a rescue dog. We have had him for four years. He had had 3 homes before us and we got him when he was 3 or 4. He had not been house trained very well. While we have solved the problem during the day, he still often pees or poops inside at night. We always take him out before bed so he has a chance to go to the loo. He also has a dog door which he uses all the time, but it seems he does not like to use it at night.. Can you suggest anything that may help. He is a little cross breed dog. He doesn't get much exercise as my husband will not walk him and I am in the unflattering situation where he mostly will not go for a walk with me - he has attached to my husband, so does not like to walk just with me, and I also work so more limited time. Any suggestions ....
Berris
What is the answer I have the same problem with my cavoodles
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