Why Does My Huntaway Pee in the Lounge Overnight?
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Small Animal Veterinarian
Dr. Karyn is a small animal veterinarian originally from Australia, now based in the UK. She holds degrees in Veterinary Science (2010) and Zoology. When not helping pets, she tends to her 5 cats, 5 dogs, and garden!
The Question
Roo is house-trained and can hold her urine during the day no issues, and at night too, if she is in our bedroom with us, with the door closed. But if we accidentally leave it open, without fail, she will go into our lounge and pee on the floor overnight. Why? Obviously, we are incredibly diligent to keep the door closed, but would love to be able to prevent this in the off chance we forget.
Quick Info about Roo
📹 Vet's Video Reply (scroll down to see text answer)
Hi Nicole, From what you’ve described, it seems pretty clear that this isn’t an incontinence problem, however, it is always sensible to rule out infection or inflammation just in case, either by submitting a sample for analysis at the vet, or you can start by using a urine dipstick at home to look for blood, glucose, and protein. This won’t definitively rule out a urine problem, but their presence would indicate that this is more of a medical issue that needs a vet work-up. However, I do think we are dealing with a behavioral issue, and given Roo’s history of anxiety, this is likely to be playing a significant role. Many dogs, particularly those with a breed history of herding or guarding, feel an instinctive need to protect their territory and their people, and the larger the area, the more they might feel their resources being spread thin. In Roo’s case, I suspect that when the bedroom door is closed, she feels safe, secure, and able to switch off for the night. But when that door is left open, she is more likely to be sleeping ‘with one eye open’, and this might result in her feeling the need to urinate earlier than she otherwise would, or she may be urinating to send a pheromonal message to any would-be intruders that this house is being protected. There are a few things you can do to help her feel more settled; the first obviously being to keep that door closed. You might even want to think about providing a cosy crate in your room so that she feels an extra layer of security when she settles in for the night, but you shouldn’t need to keep the door closed. It would just help her feel like her ‘zone’ is smaller and easier to protect. Make sure you clean up her urine with a powerful enzymatic cleaner, preferably one designed specifically for cleaning up dog pee, as any residual odor will encourage her to come back and ‘top up’ her scent. I would also recommend that you try out some calming pheromones and supplements to help her feel a little less on edge. Anxiety is a really common issue for dogs, and if you’d like to dig a bit further into helping Roo with this, you can book an appointment for a one-on-one consultation with one of the vets at PangoVet.com. I hope this helps! Dr Karyn