dog started to pee in the house??

pamelab21

Hi all

I have a 7 year old Lhasa Apso who was house trained from a young pup really. Never had any accidents in the house and we always make sure she gets a walk every night and she gets access to an enclosed garden (she would sit out there all day of we let her!).
We have been on a 3 week holiday abroad and have now been home for about 3 weeks. She stayed with my parents in that time and has the same sort of walks and garden access at theirs, however while we were away she pee'd on their kitchen floor once and their hall carpet once. She had just been her walk on both occasions. They thought it was out of character but let it go.
When we came back from hols she pee'd on our bathroom floor despite having been out the back garden about an hour previously.....it has not happened again until we visited my parents last night and she did it again in their kitchen (2.5 weeks after the last incident????)
I cannot make sense of this....has anyone had this issue?
There are no other dogs in either homes and I now feel I have to watch over her all the time as I can't trust her??

supermezzo

I think the key to this may be your parents reaction to it - Do you know if they ignored it or commented on it at the time, either to each other or the dog? Did they tell her off for it or make an exclamation about it or something of that ilk? If she got any sort of reaction to it then she'll keep doing it. My guess is that it was seperation anxiety which caused her to mess in the first place and then she got some sort of reaction and has remembered it.
But first of course, she perhaps need checking over for signs of a water infection/something wrong but if it is so intermittent, I suspect its behaviour rather than medical but I'm not a vet so thats just my opinion.
If it is just behaviour, then as ever, its back to basics and out every half hour and pretending shes actually producing £20 notes every time she goes. Lovely in the pleasant climate - aint they special sometimes?

elsien

I'd agree with supermezzo about having any physical causes ruled out first - weeing on the floor is one of the first signs of my mutt getting a water infection, (along with a sort of ammonia smell.)
It may well be something behavioural, but best to rule out the obvious first.

Mely

Also if there was any trace of a smell where she had previously been. She will smell it and go there again.

Errata

Providing there are no health problems - Lhasas can be very territorial. She may have been claiming, and reclaiming, ownership of her territory.

pamelab21

thanks for all your replys. I know my Mum screamed as she stood in it :mad: the first time she did it at theirs but she didn't give the dog into trouble I don't think, the second time she called the dog and she came and as soon as my mum said her name and pointed to the floor the ears went down and she hid under the table. She knew what she did was wrong.
When she did it in our house I gave her into trouble and she knew what she had done and has not done it in the house again.
I would have taken her to the vet had she done it again but with such a long gap between it happening I do not believe its medical.....if it does happen again though maybe I will take her to the vets just to rule that out.