Hey there! Living with a poorly housetrained dog can be quite a challenge, especially when you find out that your furry friend has been peeing in the garage. Yikes, that pungent odor can be quite unpleasant, right?
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Before we dive into the nitty-gritty details, here’s the short answer to your problem.
There could be several reasons why your dog is peeing in the garage, including lack of house training, marking behavior, separation anxiety, previous accidents, or health issues. But don’t fret, there are ways to solve this issue, such as positive reinforcement, cleaning with an enzyme cleaner, providing enough mental and physical exercises, and consulting a veterinarian.
The key to addressing this issue is to observe the exact cause so we can work on the solutions accordingly. We understand that it can be frustrating to deal with a poorly housetrained dog, but with a little bit of patience and effort, you can help your furry friend overcome this issue and live a happier, healthier life. So let’s get started!
Why does your dog pee in the garage?
First of all, let’s figure out the common reasons why does your dog urinates in the garage.
1. Lack of house training.
I know this seems obvious. But, the very first thing you wanna confirm is whether your dog is completely housetrained.
This can happen due to not involving a perfect hosuetraining during the dog’s early stage, or rushing through the process.
2. Behavioral issue
If your dog friend is always peeing in the garage, this can also be considered as a behavioral issue or specifically “marking behavior” which is a very common behavioral issue among canines.
Check if the dog pees just a whit and leave its scent in handful of places in the garage. Dogs often do this in order to cover another dog’s or cat’s scent with its own scent.
This can be expected in houses with multi pets. If another pet use the garage as its territory or its sleeping area, this marking behavior can be expected from your dog.
3. Seperation anxiety.
If your dog always pee in the garage, it seems compounded with a separation anxiety issue. Check if he does this whenever you are away from the home.
Poor dogs with low self-confidence and insecurity are likely to become nervous when no one is at the home resulting in, manifesting inappropriate toileting.
Here are some of the signs of a dog suffering from separation anxiety.
- Howling.
- Barking.
- Destructive chewing.
- Pacing.
- Digging.
- Inappropriate toileting.
4. Previous accidents in the garage.
Dogs have a high tendency to urinate where they or another dog has previously urinated. So, in any case, if your dog had an accident in the garage, he will urinate again and again in the same spot.
5. The smell of the floor.
There are certain textures that influence dogs to urinate. Here are some of them.
- Grassy smell
- The smell of certain woods.
- The smell of tires
- When the floor is cleaned with ammonia-contained liquid.
- Urine smell.
6. Health issues
Dogs prefer to sleep in dark places so there is no wonder if your dog prefers to take a nap in the garage. But, in the meantime, what if your dog is suffering from a health issue that causes accidents?
Here’re some of the health concerns that cause accidents in the house or garage.
- Lack of control over the bladder. (Common among senior dogs)
- Urinary tract infections or simply UTI.
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Bladder stones.
- Bladder tumors.
- Prostate
- Cushing’s disease
- Diabetes.
7. It’s just an accident!
Sometimes you are just exaggerating your dog’s peeing behavior. It can be just an accident. Who knows?
However, once the urine odor has left inside the garage, the dog will attempt to pee there again and again just because the odor. So, if you found a puddle in the garage, cleaning it up with an enzyme cleaner is the best thing you can do.
Suggested reading: Why do some dogs pee in the house after daycare?
How to keep the dog from urinating in the garage?
There you go. We have discussed the most prominent reasons for this behavior. Therefore, it’s time for to explore the possible solutions.
1. Positive reinforcement.
You just have to convince him that the garage is not the place to do its business. Positive reinforcement is the nicest way to address this issue.
However, someone in the family has to take responsibility and watch the dog all the time. This would be easier if you can guess the times you know he might go to the garage.
I guess this will take several attempts to catch the dog when he is about to pee in the garage, but, it worth doing. Because then you can stop him and guide him to an acceptable place.
You can do this through positive reinforcement.
- When he was about to do this, say “No” with a firm voice.
- Then immediately give a yummy treat and appreciate its positive behavior.
- After that, take him with you to a suitable place.
- Then command him to pee.
- After peeing is done, provide a lot of treats and cuddle him for its positve behavior.
- I need you to repeat this for another few more attempts. May be another 5-6 attempts would be sufficient in order to convince the dog.
Note: Just be aware that this won’t work without a consistent. Keep doing this until he gets used to it. Don’t miss any day by any chance. Because it requires a continuous effort to make it happen.
By the way, if you don’t know how to make your dog urinate on your command, consider watching the 3-minute video below.
2. Use a enzyme cleaner.
As we discussed earlier, dogs tend to urinate on the same spot where they have peed earlier. Suppose your dog had an accident in the garage.
So, the best thing to do here is to clean this spot entirely. But, using just water and mild dish detergents is not sufficient in order to remove the odor. Of course, You may no longer feel the odor. But, remember, dogs have a keen sense of smell.
3. Address separation anxiety issues.
As discussed earlier, separation anxiety is a major reason your dog urinates in the garage. So, addressing psychological issues like separation anxiety and stress are solutions for many behavioral issues.
Here’re some of the suggestions that you can try out.
- Provide adequate excercise.
- Give chewy toys.
- Don’t leave along for too long.
- Provide sufficient mental stimulation.
- Play games like fetching, hide the treat.
- Cuddle the dog.
- Give attention and spend some quality time together.
4. Take the dog out at the right time.
Other than to above solutions, you gotta work on its accident prevention. To do that, taking the dog outside every 2-3 hours is so vital. In the meantime, you will be able to figure out its peeing schedule which is super helpful in addressing this issue.
However, strict supervision indoors is a must. Whenever the dog exhibits pre-potty behaviors, take him out right away.
Here are several pre-potty behaviors.
- Circling.
- Sniffing the floor.
- Heading toward the garage. (only in this case)
- Fidgeting.
- Whining.
Remember that every dog is different, even two dogs in the same litter can be different in personality and temperament. But, lemme give you a handful of suggestions.
- Take them out as the first thing in the morning.
- After every meal.
- Prior to sleeping.
- In the evening.
5. Block the access.
If your dog always pee in the garage, the very first thing you should do is block the access to enter the garage.
Even though this solution is temporary, at least this can buy some time until you find control over this unwanted behavior.
6. Meet the vet.
If this seems due to a physical health issue, consider consulting your veterinarian right away. He/she will be able to diagnosis issue and treat.
7. Consult a dog behaviorist.
If your dog is fully healthy and addressing this issue is seems beyond your control, consider consulting a dog behaviorist.
It’s so worth it because they are well-experienced experts in this domain. In fact, there is a huge risk of developing this behavior, maybe what if the dog starts to pee not only in the garage but throughout the whole house.
So, consider consulting a well-experienced dog behaviorist.
By the way, here is why do some dogs pee everywhere after a new baby?
Things to be aware of.
Now you seem to know exactly why your dog is doing this. However, there are a few more things to be aware of.
Pee pads: Even though I didn’t mention earlier, pee pads also an great solution to this issue. Basically what a pee pad does is it spreads odors that influence dogs to urinate on it.
Be patience: Please understand that you cannot expect an overnight success. Rushing through this process is not possible. Being consistent and patient is extremely important in order to solve a issue like this.
Do not punish: Yeah, I admit it. Your dog pee in the garage and it’s very unpleasant. However, they are not intelligent like you. Give some time and put some effort to address it.
Seek help: Doing all of these things just by yourself is not possible so ask your family members to help you.
Conclusion.
Many dog owners are desperate to find out why their dogs pee in their garage. So, in this article, we’ve discussed the main reasons for this issue along with most effective solutions. Hope you found this helpful.
