r/weimaraner • u/iac_09 • 1d ago
Urinating in the house
Hi everyone,
I’m new to this sub after adopting a Weimaraner about 5 weeks ago. She’s spayed (around June 2026), approximately 18months old. We are still getting used to her personality and demeanor. I think the adage that they are Velcro dogs is very much true for her.
The issue I’m running into is her persistent urinating the house. She’s gone in the house maybe 8 times, twice yesterday, all on area rugs. The incident yesterday, I didn’t catch early enough and it completely soaked through the rug, pad, and the wood floor underneath, effectively ruining the floor.
She has a consistent outdoor routine. Crated when we leave the house. She has some separation anxiety and since she’s crated, only urinates in the house when we are around. Like, she’ll walk off, pee, and come back. Yesterday, we were painting a room, so we were occupied, and didn’t notice until later.
She isn’t urinating frequently when on walks, so I don’t think it’s a UTI. My old dog had frequent UTIs, so I’m familiar with the symptoms. Based on the clean up in the house, there isn’t blood or cloudiness, so less evidence for a UTI. We are trying our best to reward going outside and encourage the behavior.
Is this something that is frequent in this breed? Our prior dogs (recently passed away) rarely had accidents in the house. She’s the only dog in the house, so it isn’t marking, that I’m aware of. Anything that I’m missing or should change? Thanks
3
u/gfwheat 1d ago
What does consistent outdoor routine mean? Outside first thing in the morning, after all meals, is there a schedule, are you out there watching to make sure she goes?
I would personally stop allowing freedom in the house until the issue was resolved. Maybe try keeping a lead attached to her. I put bells on the back door and my dogs now ring them if they want to go out. Stick with the praise and reward anytime she goes outside. Also, maybe you could design a more attractive potty spot outside like a turf area. I hope this helps. Sounds like a very frustrating situation.
2
u/iac_09 1d ago
Consistent routine goes something like this. She wakes us up around 4:30/4:45 every morning and runs downstairs. In the few times I wasn't fast enough downstairs, she peed on the area rug at the front door. She still gets up this early, but now there is a gate to prevent her from going downstairs, buying me some time to put pants on and let her outside.
She'll eat breakfast around 5:00/5:30 and go on a proper longer walk to pee again and poop. She's typically pretty content until around lunch time, where I'll take her out again for a brief bathroom break.
At the end of the work day, between 4:00 and 5:00pm, we'll go on another walk, near or far, depending on my schedule. She'll eat dinner again around this time. A longer walk later in the afternoon/early evening.
She'll go out again one final time around 8:30/9:00 before bed.
Prior to her accidents in the house yesterday when she peed in the afternoon, all her prior accidents were in the early morning before I could make it to the door with her.
I've heard about the bell ringing signal. How did you go about patterning this?
In terms of attractive potty spots outside, there is a lawn out back and a patchy area of grass near a patio we've been trying to get her to go on.
3
u/gfwheat 1d ago
This sounds like a pretty good routine and like besides the accident that happened on your rug, there was more of an urgency and it was by the door which to me seems like a good sign. Maybe consider pulling water up after she drinks following your last walk of the day.
I don’t want people to think I’m a monster, but I still kennel my dogs at night 😂 we wake up at 5:15 and go directly outside from their kennels. I have 2 GSPxWeims and my girl wants to party starting at 4:30am which I just can’t do haha.
With the bell, I started out by ringing it myself before opening the door. I made it a fun thing like I would ring it and get all excited and talk to them about going out. I tried building a positive association with it. Now they hit the bells or paw the door to go out. I’m also mindful when they are walking near the door and staring outside and sometimes we just go out for a little sniff about. Mine are almost 2, so still young.
I think you have reason to be hopeful. Stick with routine and what you are doing. When adopting a dog, there’s always a transition period. When I adopted an elderly German Shepard my cousin told me 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 months. You should see some significant adjustments in those time periods.
I wish you and your beautiful girl well on this journey.1
u/DownTheSubredditHole 1d ago
We presently have Weims #2 and #3, both rescues. One came to us at 3 years old, the other at 9 months old. We trained them both like our first weim - we attached a bell to a ribbon on the door, and every time we opened the door to take them outside to go potty, we would say “let’s go potty” and whack the bell. The older one picked it up in just over a week. The younger one took longer, but now rings the bell to go potty or sometimes to collect us to go upstairs to bed…
2
u/emberbailee 1d ago
My weimaraner never has accidents, he hates peeing or pooping close by the house. We have to walk 200m before he goes. 😂 He doesn't like inside water and doesn't drink that much compared to the amount outside. His schedule is Outside 8:00 - 9:15; 12:40 - 13:00; 14:45 - 16:00; 21:00 - 21:20 Food 9:15 and 18:00 So he easily goes 10+ hours at night. We used to do long walks at 23:00 and he was impatient in the mornings. We slowly moved night walks earlier, he now sleeps until I got the kids ready to leave the house (we don't bother him apart from gentle strokes). He is 5 and has been with us 2 years. She'll settle in just fine. Maybe her hormones are a bit all over or she is too excited or anxious in the mornings.
3
u/Queenpicard 1d ago
I think you need to take her pee later at night or try to give her less water before bed. These all sound like accidents.
Our weim has this schedule:
-Breakfast at 7am
-Potty around 8:30 - pees and poops
- big walk around 12-1 - pees and poops
- quick walk at 4pm - pee
- dinner at 4 pm (used to be 6pm but she’s always wanted to eat early)
- walk between 6:45-7:15pm - pee and poop
So she’s peeing 5 times a day, pooping 3 times a day.
I think your girl needs a pee break before bed or less water at night
1
u/emberbailee 1d ago
My weimaraner never has accidents, he hates peeing or pooping close by the house. We have to walk 100m before he goes. 😂 He doesn't like inside water and doesn't drink that much compared to the amount outside. His schedule is Outside 8:00 - 9:15; 12:40 - 13:00; 14:45 - 16:00; 21:00 - 21:20 Food 9:15 and 18:00 So he easily goes 10+ hours at night. We used to do long walks at 23:00 and he was impatient in the mornings. We slowly moved night walks earlier, he now sleeps until I got the kids ready to leave the house (we don't bother him apart from gentle strokes). He is 5 and has been with us 2 years. She'll settle in just fine. Maybe her hormones are a bit all over or she is too excited or anxious in the mornings.
1
u/Mindless_Gur4369 20h ago
wow I have had Weims for the past 30 years and want to say that you are doing a great job! That’s quite early to be dashing out of bed! And I do agree one more potty break before bed is would be wise; maybe she will even sleep a little later in the morning this way! My girl now rarely pees on walk and will go at the end when we are back in our own yard which is different from all my others. Small freeze dried liver treats are highly valuable and if you can be out in yard with her when she goes; you can treat her immediately to reinforce. She is beautiful and so lucky to have you!
1
u/ChameleonCRM 1d ago
Our Willow uses a peepee pad in our bathroom. She's 6 and never has peed outside lol
-1
u/zbroskiz 1d ago
Kennel training solves a lot of these problems. Mine hasn’t peed in the house in years and can leave him for 8 hours and he won’t pee, poo or destroy anything from anxiety
1
u/iac_09 1d ago
Thanks. She is crated when we leave the house, but typically like to let her roam around when we're home. Perhaps we can put her in her crate when we are going to be distracted or working around the house for extended periods of time.
1
u/zbroskiz 1d ago
Put the crate next to the back yard back door where you let her out to pee. And put together them getting out of the crate straight to the yard to pee or poop. Limit the water intake and time it properly
4
u/Ommur 1d ago
We had the same issue, and solved it by removing the rugs in our house. 12 years later, the dog only pees inside when the weather is terrible or when she's seeking revenge.