Dog woes: 4yo male Lab has suddenly started marking in the bedrooms

[sassenach]

This was our world's easiest puppy. The dog hasn't wet in the house since he was 9 weeks old. We can leave him for hours and he doesn't get into trouble. He's always been a very easy dog.

 

So last week when my kids told me that they found pee in the room (and cleaned it themselves, forgetting to tell me until I later smelled it) and they thought it looked like too much to be the chihuahua, who is an occasional pee offender, I dismissed the idea that it could be the lab. Then last night, dd calls me into her room (different room than the first offense) and shows me a large pee spot on her comforter, too high and too much to possibly be the chihuahua.

 

So, at this point I think we can safely finger the lab. I'm just SO surprised!

 

Right now our battle plan is to keep the doors closed as much as possible and keep him outside for much longer lengths of time. The chihuahua only ever pees inside if he can't hold it anymore and we fail to get him outside (he won't ask to go out when it's cold because he's a big wimp). The lab is different. This is definitely not because he just can't hold it; it's marking. How do we correct that?

 

I'm very open to suggestions!

[AK_Mom4]

When peeing problems start in an adult dog (even marking), it's worth a check for UTI. Not necessarily likely here, but it's an easy fix if that's what is happening.

 

Along with that, you probably know you really have to deorderize that spot or his nose will jsut keep bringing him back. I would probably toss the comforter, though sometimes you can use Nature's Miracle or another enzyme cleaner and get it clean enough. Maybe. Keep him out of the bedrooms for a while so he doesn't associate marking there as a regular behavior. If marking doesn't become a habit and is just a reaction to some event going on in the house or in the neighborhood, then the behavior should go away when the opportunity does.

[ktgrok]

He needs his urine checked. A dog that is housebroken all of a sudden peeing in the house means a medical problem. could be anything from a simple UTI to bladder stones to an enlarged prostate to diabetes. Please please please take him in, or at least a urine sample.

[Pawz4me]

Definitely a vet check. Try to get a urine sample to take with you. It's always the very first thing you should do when a previously reliable pet starts peeing inappropriately.

 

And I'm not clear on what you mean by keeping him outside for much longer lengths of time. Do you mean by himself? IMO the best thing to do (assuming no medical issue is detected) is to go outside with him frequently to make sure he's regularly taking care of his business while out there.