Question from Yorkie Owner Who Has a Dog Who Pees in the House When Left Home Alone:
HI,
I AM KAY, DOG IS "VINNY", 7YRS OLD, MALE.
HE HAS HAD EYE OPERATIONS, AND IS IN GREAT HEALTH.
OUR LITTLE PROBLEM IS THE FOLLOWING----
VINNY IS VERY CLOSE TO US, HE WALKS REGULARLY WITH ME. WE RUN A RESORT THEREFORE HE IS WITH US 24/7.
WHEN WE GO OUT ON TO DINNER OR PLACES WE CANNOT TAKE HIM HE PEES ON THE FLOOR,
HE IS TAKEN TO THE TOILET BEFORE WE GO, BUT HE SEEMS TO DO THIS AS A PROTEST----
AS HE HANGS ON OK THROUGH THE NIGHT FROM AROUND 8.00PM--- 7.00AM ---CAN YOU SUGGEST WHAT WE CAN DO TO BREAK THIS LITTLE HABIT
THANKS
Our Answer!
Hello Kay,
As you explain this, it sounds like your dog is peeing in the house when left home alone due to a Separation Anxiety issue. You spend so much time together, that it may be an issue of him needing to learn that it IS okay to be home alone for a short amount of time. There are several things that you can do, that when done, should come together to help/
First, he must learn that it is okay to be alone. It will be best if you choose 1 room for him to stay in when you are not home with him. This will limit the area in which he can ruin carpeting and furniture with urine. Perhaps a room that is tiled.
Set up a nice area for him....Have doggie toys (that he only is allowed to play with when in that area), blankets to cuddle in, a soft doggie bed, chews, snacks (best if hidden inside toys that make a dog "work" for the snack, water (best if in a dispenser bottle and not a bowl) etc. It is often best to have a radio or TV playing in the background so that it is not completely silent.
Then, put him in this area for a very short amount of time when you are home. Start with 5 minutes. He will be so busy checking out the new items that he may not want to leave! But, do take him out. Then the next day, work up to 10 minutes...then 15, then 20 and so on.
End with the time that you would usually be away from home when going out for dinner, etc.
Before putting him in there, do as you do now by having him pee in what ever designated area you use.
Having him spend some alone time in that area while you are home but not paying attention to him, will slowly allow Vinny to get used to this being "his" area and it will allow Vinny to get used to entertaining himself without constant company.
Then, it will be "test" time. It will be time to actually leave the house while Vinny is in his new spot. It is best if you put him in there but do NOT say "good bye". He will be used to being there while you are home... So once he is settled in, leave without saying a word and leave quietly. If he is engrossed with new toys or trying to work a snack out of a toy, he will not be listening for you to leave.
You see, when an owner says "goodbye" and kisses and hugs the dog, it can make a dog feel as if it is a "final goodbye" ...they have NO idea that the owner is coming back and anxiety sets in as they can think that they are all on their own with no end in sight.
Come back home after 20 minutes or so. Do NOT make a big deal about coming home. Do some other activities such as checking mail, listening to voice mail, cleaning up in the kitchen, etc BEFORE you calmly greet Vinny and let him out of his area.
If all goes well, increase the time to say, 30 to 40 minutes. Remember to follow all of the same rules about not saying "good bye" , etc.
Then, as time goes by, you should be able to go out to dinner while he calmly entertains himself in his area.
Please keep us updated about how this works for you!
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