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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on February 29, 2016 at 7:29am

Out of curiosity, have you had him examined by his veterinarian recently?  If this behavior started "out of the blue" and without any obvious trigger that you can see, then I would wonder if perhaps there is a medical issue.  Maybe he has a bladder issue, or a UTI, and it's causing incontinence.  If it were me, I'd get him in for an exam and then move on from there.  But, until then, don't make a big deal about the peeing indoors.  Because if it's something he can't control, then he'll just be further stressed every time he  gets into trouble for it.

If there isn't a medical root to the issue, then obviously something happened to cause him to begin to urinate submissively.  Either something happened while you weren't there or something you/your family did scared him (I'm not pointing fingers here, but it's possible that something that happened - an argument, an emergency, even a very loud and unfamiliar noise - could unintentionally have scared him.)  Do you scold him for the "accidents" in the house?  If so, that will most likely make the problem worse.  Are you consistent with your training?  Is he able to just sit with you, getting belly rubs or pets or whatever it is that he enjoys, or is he tense?

As always, I'm no expert and am just making suggestions based upon what I would do with my own dogs if such behavior were to start without an obvious cause.

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on February 29, 2016 at 10:11am

Very good point about having him checked out for a UTI or other physical problems. Wynn just recently was being kind of crabby and about a week later I noticed him scratching his ears...his ears are dirty and although he had to play Mr. Tough Guy...I can see the difference since I've started cleaning them again.

Does he have a kennel or crate that he can go in to be alone? Mine love their little Corgi Caves and this gives them a chance to be alone. I have 3 in my house and many times they each have a Corgi in. My thought is if it's been awhile since he's gone potty maybe he gets crated till he does go out and go. If he's never been crated then you would have to slowly introduce him to this.

Does he get out on a regular basis to relieve himself?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Reid on February 29, 2016 at 12:03pm

Dexter's room is our master closet haha. He has a large bed in there and that is where he sleeps or goes when he is feeling anxious or nervous. As a puppy he was kenneled, but growing up, he was never a chewer and never got into things, so he was able to roam free. Like I said, he got him at 8 weeks from a pet store, and I do not feel like they would "know" they were puppy milled that early, but I have a feeling it is in his blood which is why he has behavior issues. Carter, his offspring, is a completely different dog than Dexter and has no issues. Obviously each dog is different but you can certainly tell a difference between the two of them. Fingers crossed for the vet! He is going in on Thursday!

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Permalink Reply by Mike Reid on February 29, 2016 at 11:59am

Thank you for your reply! I havent had him examined, but I did just make and appointment this morning. The only thing that I can think of is that if he does have a UTI, that he is unwillingly peeing, and then getting scared because he knows not to pee in the house, which makes him appear to be scared or anxious. It's so frustrating to not know what is going on with him; why can't dogs talk! Haha.

He is very well trained and knows commands, though he can be bossy at times. He loves belly rubs and attention, but gets frustrated when Carter, his offspring, gets attention too.

Fingers crossed the vet can provide more insight to what might be going on. 

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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on February 29, 2016 at 5:16pm

I hope the veterinarian is able to help!  Even if there isn't a medical issue, your veterinarian should be able to give you advice on what to do next.  :) 

And I agree, I wish they could talk!  Just before Thanksgiving my Ellie got a little too into her game of fetch and started limping.  I didn't think much of it after that, since she still wanted to run and play and have a good time.  Turned out she had completely torn her ligament!  One surgery and 4 months later she's almost as good as new, but I sure wish she could've told me what happened the day she hurt herself.

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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on February 29, 2016 at 10:40pm

Good move. As soon as I saw Yukie & Ellie's suggestion I thought, "Yup!"

People here at MyCorgi.com sent me the same advice when Ruby the Corgi (former) Puppy seemed not to be getting the idea about house-training. When I took her to the vets, they decided she did indeed have an infection. It took more than one course of antibiotics, but eventually the bug cleared and Ruby has not had an accident in the house since.

On the background...who knows what happened to him before he ended up at the pet store? And how would you like to be ripped away from your mother and dumped in a glass box with all sorts of weird strangers  peering at you and uttering bizarre noises? At best, he's had a traumatic experience. At worst...???

Might want to ask the vet for a referral to a behavioral trainer.      

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