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The most common reason your formerly housebroken dog may start peeing in the house is due to a medical condition such as diabetes, kidney disease, or bladder issues. You should also consider if there has been a change in the dog’s routine, such as being left alone at different times of day or for longer periods of time. It’s also possible that your dog may need a housetraining refresher course.

It’s Frustrating, But Don’t Punish Your Dog For Peeing In The House 

You know what’s worse than having to clean up dog urine in your house? Smelling urine and being unable to find it. That’s what you may be faced with if you punish your dog urinating in the house, because next time he’ll try to hide it.

Instead, you need to determine the cause or, in some cases, start again with potty training.

Medical Conditions

If your housebroken dog starts peeing in the house, there is a good chance it’s due to a medical condition. That’s why any sudden changes to your dog’s bathroom habits should be reported to the vet as soon as possible. The good news is that once the problem has been addressed, the dog will usually return to his proper bathroom habits.

An exception to that would be if the problem has caused long-term incontinence. In that case, you’ll need to consider installing a doggy door or having your pet wear diapers while in the house. 

Changes In Routine

If your dog is left alone more than usual or at different times (i.e. you changed shifts or started working overtime), it can be difficult for his body to adjust to the new routine. One possible solution is hiring a dog walker or having a neighbor come over to let him out. 

Aging

As is the case with humans, some dogs start to lose control of their bladder as they get older. If this is determined to be the problem, more frequent trips outside is often the simplest solution. If that isn’t enough, consider restricting the pet’s access indoors to rooms that you can easily clean up, or some dogs do not mind wearing a dog belly bands or diapers.  

When a dog suddenly starts peeing in the house, don’t ignore it. Even if you suspect it’s due to aging, it’s best to visit your vet just to be on the safe side. 

A combination of denying access, proper training, and decreasing your dog’s desire to leave are how to keep your dog from running away. There’s lots of fun stuff to see and do outside of your yard, so you need to make being home as fun as possible. Of course, you also need to make escape impossible in order to keep your dog safe and to protect yourself from any legal consequences.

Training 

Proper training is a must. If your dog obeys even the most basic commands, you’ll be able to stop him from running away—even if the stimulus is hugely tempting. Of course, this only works when you’re with your dog, so you also need to consider how to stop your dog from running away when you’re not there.

Preventing Escape 

Search your fences and gates for weak spots and shore them up. If your dog digs, you’ll also want to bury chicken wire or rocks to stop him from getting out from under the fence.

Make Home More Appealing

The reasons your dog runs away could be boredom, loneliness, or lack of exercise—and those are all things you can easily fix. Take your dogs on two or three good walks a day, spend more time playing and interacting with him, consider a dog playmate, and provide lots of interactive toys.

If your dog spends most of him time outside, consider bringing him inside. You could work on crate training for the times that you’re away. Another option is doggy day care rather than leaving him outside alone all day.

Finally, if your dog is not spayed or neutered, doing so will reduce his or her urge to roam.

If all your attempts fail, talk to an animal behaviorist who can help you develop a plan to keep your dog safe and prevent him from running. 

You can stop your indoor cat from escaping by distracting him before you leave or by adding barriers that make it hard for him to dash. It is also good to get yourself in the habit of always knowing where your cat is before you open a door so he can’t surprise you and dart out. Taking these steps will help your cat stay safely indoors without escaping.

Create A Barrier 

There are many different ways to create a barrier that will disable your cat from escaping. The right solution for you depends on your home. Here are some things you could try:

• Blocking the front door entrance: If there is a door you can close to keep your cat away from the door you will be exiting, this is an easy solution. Some homes simply do not have this option.
• Create a barricade: Choose something that your cat can not easily jump over or slip through. You can do this with 36″ or higher folding metal/wire dog exercise pens or extra-tall baby gates or playpens, like the walk through kind designed for stairs.
• Create a “kitty lock” door: If you’re lucky, your home may already have a hallway or entrance with doors you can keep closed, but you can also build one. If you have a front porch, you could build a second door around that. You could also install a secondary interior door. This may be a more expensive option, but it works 100% of the time as long as one door is closed before opening another. 

Allow For Safe Outdoor Time 

• A small investment in an outdoor enclosure gives your cat a safe space where he can enjoy fresh air and sunlight. Enclosures are available in many sizes and configurations, so it’s easy to find one that is perfect for your pet. Check out this article from one of our staff members who built her foster cats a “catio”!
• If you can’t take your cat outside, giving them a wall-mounted shelf by a window can be similarly effective. If you go this route, just make sure that you have secure screens – if you can push on a screen and pop it out, so can your cat. 

Distract and Dash 

• Try keeping treats by the door for when you are about to leave. Get your cat’s attention and throw the treats as far away from the door as possible. Then, slip out the door as quickly as possible.
• If your cat tries to escape when you are entering the house, you can also leave treats right outside of your door to give your cat as you are coming in. 

Keeping your cat safe is the first priority, which is why all cats should be microchipped and registered with up-to-date information. That way, should your cat escape, he’ll have the best chance of being reunited with you.  

How to stop your dog from whining at night depends on the age of the dog and whether this is a sudden behavior. When you first bring a puppy home, expect whining at night. He’s in a new place and hasn’t yet to figure out if it’s safe. Usually, a puppy will stop whining at night once he becomes comfortable in your home. For older dogs, you may have to change some things about the environment or the dog’s routine. Also consider a possible medical issue if the whining started suddenly.

Puppies! 

New puppies are a welcome addition. They are so cute and cuddly that nighttime whining seems a small price to pay—until you have to go to work with dark circles under your eyes. As mentioned above, most puppies will stop whining once they get used to you and to living in your home, but there are some tips that can help him feel more comfortable. Most of these tips will help with older dogs as well.

• Give your puppy or dog plenty of exercise before bed.
• Limit food and water starting about an hour before bedtime.
• Play soft, calming music.
• Work on proper crate training so he’ll view the crate as his safe place. Learn more about crate training here.
• Allow your dog to be in the same room as you. 

Sudden Changes In Behavior 

If your normally quiet dog started whining a lot, make an appointment with your vet. As with any sudden change in how your dog acts, sudden whining could be a sign of a medical condition. Since your dog can’t tell you when he’s not feeling well, it’s important to pick up on signals that something could be wrong.

No pet owner wants to hear their dog whine, but by implementing these tips, you can help them enjoy a peaceful night. 

The first step to calm an aggressive dog is understanding what triggers the aggression. It could be anything from pain to frustration or fear to redirected aggression. Just like some humans are more aggressive than others, the same is true for dogs—but one thing is true for all: No matter the size of the dog or the level of aggression, you must find effective ways to stop the behavior in order to protect your dog and the people and animals around him. While you work on finding a solution, keep your dog physically separated from any aggression triggers, other pets, children, and people until the issue can be addressed.

Reasons Dogs Are Aggressive 

In the wild, aggression is necessary for dogs’ survival. An aggressive dog isn’t bad, but that behavior does need to be modified. If you can figure out the reason for your dog’s aggression, you’ll be better able to find a resolution. Some of the reasons for dog aggression include:

• Protecting Himself or His Pack – Some dogs are extremely protective of the other animals and humans in their pack. While this is good in some circumstances, some dogs become aggressive if anyone even approaches their humans.
• Protecting His Den – Does your dog run along the fence line barking at passerby in a menacing way? Does the barking stop once the person is past your fence? That is your dog protecting his den. He’s not interested at all in the person—as long as that person moves along.
• Protecting His Food or Toys – Food aggression is common in dogs who didn’t get enough to eat at some point in their lives. A food-aggressive dog who is normally docile will turn into Cujo if anyone approaches him when he’s eating. This same type of possession aggression can also apply to favorite toys or beds.
• Redirected Aggression – If a dog can’t reach the target of his aggression, for example a strange dog being walked on a leash, he may turn on whatever dog or human he can reach. This type of aggression often comes as a shock as the dog may attack a dog he has lived with peacefully for years.
  Other reasons for redirected aggression include fear, predatory reasons, and sexual frustration. Another thing to keep in mind is that a normally docile dog who suddenly becomes aggressive could be in pain due to an undetected medical condition, so get your dog to the vet as soon as possible.

Once you figure out the reason for the aggression, you can begin to work with your vet or an animal behaviorist. It is important to note that if your dog displays low levels of aggression, like growling for example, correcting the behavior may lead to more aggressive behavior next time. This is because your dog realized he was punished for growling and could escalate to a more aggressive behavior in the future. Training can still be very helpful to work on mild aggression, but punishment may not be the solution.

Aggression is one of the top reasons pet owners rehome their dogs, but with the right intervention, you can put a stop to this behavior and keep your pet in your home. 

You can live with a cat if you are allergic, unless you have severe allergies. In fact, thousands of people with allergies do live with their feline friends. Some who only have mild symptoms just put up with the symptoms or treat them with over-the-counter medicine. Those with moderate symptoms often seek help from a doctor who may prescribe prescription medications.

Does A Cat Allergy Mean I’ll Be Allergic To All Cats? 

If you love cats and have allergies, you might be hoping you can find a cat to which you’re not allergic. So, is that possible? Not technically. Cat allergies are caused by pet dander and saliva, so if you’re allergic to cats, then you’re probably allergic to all cats.

But there is some good news.

Some breeds of cats produce less dander, which means they may only trigger very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. While no cat is 100% hypoallergenic, the following breeds are among those that make a good choice for people with allergies.*

• Sphynx
• Cornish Rex
• Oriental
• Devon Rex
• Russian Blue
• Siberian
• Bengal 

If you suspect you have a cat allergy, confirm it with an allergist. It’s possible to mistake a cat allergy for other types of allergies since the symptoms are so similar. Whatever the results are, don’t panic. In many cases, it’s possible to continue living with your feline family member.

*If you’re allergic and are considering adopting one of the cats listed above, it’s important to spend time around them first. This will avoid having to rehome a pet if it turns out they give you a worse-than-expected reaction. 

You cannot leave money to an animal in your will, but you can set up a trust to ensure they are taken care of after your death. The reason you can’t leave them money is because they are considered property, and you can’t leave property to other property. The good news is that the trust option allows you to make plans for your pet in which you can specify exactly how they are to be cared for.

Basics Of A Pet Trust 

In order to set up a trust for your pet, you’ll need to:

• Specify a dollar amount to be set aside for their care
• Write specific instructions for their care
• Choose a caretaker who will take custody of the pets upon your death 

The Money

To figure out how much to leave in the trust, you’ll need to estimate how much their annual care costs and multiply by the number of years they are likely to live. It’s better to overestimate here as you can also specify where any leftover money goes upon the pets’ deaths.

The Instructions

When it comes to writing instructions, you’ll want to be specific to ensure your pets get the same type of care you’re giving him now. This should include what type of food they get, how far to go with medical interventions, types of play and exercise they should get, etc…

The Caretaker

The most important decision is your choice of caretaker. This is the person the pets will live with, and they will access the money in the trust for the pet’s care. Choose someone you know you can trust and depend on to be kind to your pets for the rest of their lives. 

While you can’t make your pets rich by leaving them your money, you can at least ensure they are cared for in the manner you’d like.