My scotty is a 10 year old male, fixed and is an indoor/outdoor dog. Recently he has begun to potty in the house every day. We can never catch him. We put him out several times a day- he doesn't even have to ask - my husband is the door monitor. What to do! My husband is sampooing the carpet every day. Nothing has changed, so we are mystified.

I have that problem with my 9 year old shih tzu mix... only it's gone on for several years off and on. She will pee on the dog beds, laundry if it's on the floor, etc. and we've yet to figure out why or actually catch her in the act. Have you had him checked for a urinary tract infection or talked to your vet about incontinence? If it's purely behavioral, you should try a belly band. You can find one in your local pet store, possibly. Or if you're handy, could make your own. I would suggest having 2 or 3 so you can toss them in the laundry but still have one for use. (Hint: use disposable maxipads in them.) These will save carpet cleaning time if nothing else.

If I were you, consult your vet about any possible health issues and use a belly band. Also, make sure he's actually going while outside.

Best of luck!

Irivera makes a good point about possible bladder infection. You should definitely get that ruled out.

I do have to disagree that it's behavioral. He's an older dog, this happens. I wouldn't use a belly band. This is part of having an older dog. You'll likely never catch him doing it. Our 14 year old lab potty's in the house all the time now, it's strictly age related. They're a lot like people that way.

Enjoy the time you have with him and try to remember that he's not doing it on purpose.

Good luck.

You could try the doggy diapers, if it isn't a bladder infection.

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Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

You could try the doggy diapers, if it isn't a bladder infection.

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That is an option, but I find that most dogs don't take to them well. I tried them with my lab and he had a fit, even though we tried to introduce them slowly, it just didn't feel natural to him and he was miserable.

Thankfully I have mainly laminate floors so clean up isn't that big a deal, still, it would be nice not to have any clean up at all. That's part of having an older dog though. I love him enough to clean up after him and care for him in his old age. :)

My older dog never did urinate in the house. My other dog, however, 10 years, did. We found out it was an infection. So please have him checked out, could be a simple solution:)

I have never had to use those diapers, or belly bands myself. Hopfully it's a minor infection that can easily be cleared up with anti-biotics. Have you noticed your dog drinking more water then usual?
If it's just plain incontinence, there is a herb I believe is called corn silk which is supposed to help with that issue.
We eliminated grains from out shih tzu's diet, which seemed to help for a while. And of course there are medical treatments that are avalible as well.
You could check out this site for some ideas on natural remedies, if an infection is ruled out by your vet.
Natural Treatments to Relieve Urinary Incontinence in Cats and Dogs

Don't give up!