Going Back To The Wild!

[sebanelli]

I'm the proud owner of five gorgeous cockers (2 worker and 3 show), the oldest is 14 and the youngest just 7 months. Overnight, we allow the dogs to sleep where they wish - either on our bed or downstairs - but, just recently, there have been nightly accidents of both the liquid and solid kind for us to clean up on the kitchen floor the following morning. It also happens whilst they are left alone in the mornings and afternoons whilst we are at work - never more than 4 hours at a time. I can understand the younger dogs doing this (Ollie is just a year old) but it seems the older ones are the main culprits. Indeed, both Seb and Jack (14 and 9 years old respectively) have started leaving puddles in the the living room too! Things are getting beyond a joke now and I can't understand why they seem to have reverted to doing things they should have all long-since grown out of. Amber, the only girl, doesn't seem to be following suit so I'm wondering if this could be a male terretorial thing ie 'marking' stuff? The accidents always seem to be in the same particular places. They are always let out in the garden to do their business in the mornings, at lunchtime and last thing at night (aswell as frequently in the evenings) so its not as if they are being forced to cross their legs for any great lngth of time!

Any help, advice, suggestions etc would be most welcome!!
I'm also wondering if the change over to dry food from meat chubs for all except the youngest dog some months ago might be a contributory factor as they do seem to be drinking more water than before

[starboy]

I'm no expert but is it possible that your 14 year old can no longer hold himself for long any more. It may be worth getting him checked out at the vets. The younger one may just be copying or marking the same spot. I know you probably do this any how but make sure that when you clean up after them that every last trace of a smell has been removed or they may see this as an invitation to use that spot again.
Hope that you manage to get the problem sorted.

[bluegirl]

I'd agree 14 is old so most likely he may not beable to hold and the younger male may just be marking over older ones scent?

[Jane S]

I agree with the others. It's not really fair to expect an elderly dog to have the same level of control over his bladder as as youngster - we have a 13 year old boy who sometimes gets a little confused and forgets to ask to go outside; he also can't hold it for as long as he used to but that's a small price to pay for all the years he's given us If it is your old boy who is having these mistakes (and the other male is perhaps pee-ing over the top), you might want to take him for a check up at the vet just to rule out any health problem (other than old age) and if all is ok, then it's just a matter of extra vigilance and letting them out even more often than you are doing now (and staying outside to make sure they are "going" as our boy sometimes goes out and forgets what he's out there for!). Also clean up where they go with biological soap detergent rather than a normal household disinfectant or use something like Petfresh Urine Off (expensive but very effective).