House Soiling (Canine)
| PrintWhen dogs urinate or defecate indoors, whether on furniture or floors, they are considered to have a house soiling problem.
Common names: Incomplete house-training, Marking, Submissive urination.
Scientific names: Canine inappropriate urination, Canine inappropriate defecation, Incontinence.
Diagnosis
Signalment
House soiling may be seen in any age, gender or other category of pet dog, although, in the absence of disease or parasitic infestation, it is most commonly seen in young, untrained puppies, intact males, intact females during estrus (in heat), dogs who have never been trained to live indoors, dogs who show active submission around people or pets, dogs who have undergone major upheaval in routine, and in geriatric dogs. Extreme anxiety, fear and submission may also result in inappropriate urination. House soiling can also be a side effect of certain medications or a sign of illness such as a parasitic infestation or a urinary tract infection.
Incidence/prevalence
House soiling is the number-one, most common complaint for which dog owners seek assistance. In addition, 20 percent of dogs exhibit urinary incontinence at some point in their lives.
Geographic distribution
House soiling is a common problem wherever dogs are housed indoors during the average workday. Areas of the country where it is common for dogs to be kept outdoors or where dog doors are used report fewer complaints of house soiling.
Clinical signs (primary, most to least frequent, scientific term, synonyms)
Urine found on floors, rugs, furniture, Feces in house, Odor related to urine.
Causes (scientific, common term)
Immaturity, Incomplete training, Estrus, Marking, Stress, Change in routine, Submissive responding, Age-related or other physical changes.
Organ systems affected (most to least affected)
Digestive system.
Diagnostic tests
Fecal exam, Urinalysis.
Differential Diagnosis
Urinary tract disease, Gastrointestinal parasitic infestation (worms), Side effects of medication, Urinary incontinence.
Overview
By 9 weeks of age, a puppy will leave his nest area to eliminate in a specific location and develop substrate preference (grass, concrete, paper or carpeting). This innate desire to keep the home area clean is at the core of house-training.
As the dog matures, elimination also serves to communicate sexual availability, mark territory, and signal anxiety and submission. A puddle left on the floor by a 4-month-old puppy likely means he was left too long between elimination outings, while a pool of urine near the door made by a female in heat is likely an advertisement for intact males. A squirt of urine on a new boyfriend's shoes during greeting is likely a submissive reaction, while a squirt on the sofa next to the new boyfriend may be a sign of territorial marking. Dogs can also become incontinent when extremely anxious or frightened.
Treatment
Home care
House-training is indicated in situations where the dog is very young or has not been taught to restrict eliminations to outside the house. Behavior modification is accomplished by reinforcing elimination outdoors while preventing elimination indoors and requires consistent routine, cleanup with commercial odor neutralizers, and confinement to a crate or small gated area when the dog cannot be supervised.
During training the dog should be taken to a preferred elimination area after each nap, meal and play/training session. Elimination should be accompanied by verbal encouragement and followed immediately by a food reward. Constant supervision is required throughout the training period. When in the house, the dog should be kept on a leash or put in his confinement area.
Submissive urination is not a house-training problem and cannot be treated by house-training methods. Scolding can exacerbate submissive urination, and treatment must focus on reducing stress during interactions between the dog and people.
Urine marking is also not a house-training problem. Urine marking is predominately directed toward vertical surfaces and is usually accompanied by a raised leg in both bitches and dogs. Unlike incomplete house-training, small volumes are voided during marking episodes.
House soiling only in the owner's absence may be a sign of separation anxiety. In general, separation anxiety can be differentially diagnosed when accompanied by other clinical signs such as destruction of property, reports of excessive barking and self-injury. Such behaviors are generally predicted by panting, pacing, salivation and other signs of anxiety during the owner's preparation for departure.
Professional care
Innapropriate elimination can signal urinary tract disease, parasitic infestation and other diseases. House-trained dogs that spontaneously begin soiling should be taken to a veterinarian to rule out medical causes. Behavior modification and training cannot resolve a disease-based problem. For marking, if the dog is intact, ask your veterinarian if spaying or neutering would help resolve the situation.
Once diagnosed, incontinence resulting from disease conditions may be treated medically or through surgical intervention. Some house-training problems have extensive conditioning histories and may require the services of a certified applied animal behaviorist, a board certified veterinary behaviorist or a certified pet dog trainer.
Action
The first step in treating house soiling is to determine the cause. Once cause has been established, an appropriate treatment plan can be implemented. It is important to keep in mind that all nondisease-based house soiling problems must be considered as reflecting inappropriate or incomplete conditioning or management, and that resolution will require time, patience and dedication on the part of the pet parent.
Outcome
With treatment most house soiling problems can be eliminated or significantly reduced.
References/Additional Readings
Beaver, BV. DVM, MS, Dipl ACVB. Canine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1999; pp. 267-273.
Landsberg, GM. DVM Dip ACVB. Hunthausen, W. DVM. Ackerman, L. DVM. PhD. Dip ACVD. Handbook of Behaviour Problems of the Dog and Cat. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1997; pp. 79-86.
Author
Jacque Lynn Schultz, MA, CPDT
Consulting Author
Jennifer Sobie, PhD
Editor
Steven Hansen, DVM, MS, MBA, DABVT, DABT
© 2007. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Please note that PetVet should only be used as a guide and in no way should be substituted for licensed veterinary care.
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