We all know dogs use scent marking as a form of communication. However, what if a dog that has always been house-trained begins to urinate indoors in a new place? This issue can happen when you move to a new place, buy new furniture, or do some kind of renovation in a house. Suddenly, you have to clean up after your dog, even though there weren’t any issues prior to this change. It has something to do with the change, right? Well, yes. But there are a few other reasons we have to take into consideration.

Common Reasons Dogs Urinate in New Environments

1. Territorial Scent Marking in a New Place

The first and most obvious reason is scent-marking. This is the biggest reason why dogs urinate in a new place. Think about it like this: the new place is full of unknown smells for your dog waiting to be “signed”. By signed, I mean peed on.

It’s not just about claiming the territory as theirs. Dogs do it to say “hello” or “I was here.” Your dog is simply leaving information for other dogs. Remember, your dog didn’t know you were moving to this place, so he sees it as exploration.

2. Stress or Anxiety in a New Environment

Another very common reason is stress. A new place can sometimes make some dogs anxious. Everything is new, including smells, which is the most important sense for dogs. So to feel better, to help themselves, dogs urinate in a new place. 

That’s how they make the new place feel safer and more familiar. As long as they can sense their own smell, it makes them feel better. Think of it as a “self-soothing” method.

Anything new can make dogs feel this way, not just moving to a new place. This can happen if you take your dog to a hotel, you buy new furniture, or even if a new person stays with you at your home for a few days.

3. Excitement Urination in Unfamiliar Places

Just as stress can lead to urinating in a new place to self-soothe, excitement can lead to the same issue. It’s actually quite intertwined, and dogs can feel both anxious and excited at the same time. 

This kind of feeling is often present in puppies or young dogs. They are still learning the social cues and developing as dogs. Unfamiliar sounds, smells, and other outside factors can cause urination brought on by excitement.

4. Routine Disruption and Changes in Potty Habits

Routine is how we help dogs stay stress-free and happy. Just like cats, dogs are also creatures of habit, and any kind of disruption of that habit can lead to odd behavior. Here, we find it odd that they are urinating where they shouldn’t be.

Some dogs are not anxious or insecure about their new home, but simply don’t know when it is “potty time”. Moving to a new place, even if it’s just for a few days during the holidays, can completely disrupt their familiar potty schedule. 

When this happens, a dog simply doesn’t know when to urinate, and it does so when it thinks it is the right time. This, combined with the unfamiliar smells and new surfaces, heightens the routine disruption. 

5. Other Animal Scents in the New Environment

Even if we cannot smell anything, dogs can smell that another animal is around. Maybe it wasn’t a dog, but a cat. It doesn’t matter; a dog will want to cover the scent with its own. And the best way to do that is to urinate.

This is more common in intact males and females, but any dog can have the “urge” to urinate and claim the territory as their own or to simply “sign the post”, telling other animals they were there.

6. Underlying Medical Reasons

Even though it is less common, sometimes a medical issue can cause sudden urination. However, these things happen regardless of the place – it can be a new place or the same. 

Medical issues that can lead to sudden urination:

• Urinary tract infection
• Bladder inflammation
• Increased water drinking caused by other health issues
• Incontinence 

If you think your dog might have health issues, take him to the vet. Changes in diet are often the first indicator that something’s not right. If a dog shows signs like loss of appetite, increased water consumption, or reduced activity, it likely has a health problem and should see a veterinarian.

What to do when your dog pees in a new home?

The first thing is to make sure there aren’t any medical issues that might cause the behavioral problem. Even if you consult a dog behaviorist right away, if they know what they are doing, they will ask if the dog is healthy or not. 

When the vet rules out any medical issues, we can approach understanding the misbehavior. Anxious or stressed dogs act differently than dogs that scent other animals or want to urinate to mark their territory. Those who are anxious act scared or nervous. They are pacing around, hiding, whining, or showing other signs of a lack of confidence. 

Once you figure out what is causing the issue, you can start working on a problem. Bottom line, it’s like going back in time and teaching your dog when and where to urinate all over again. The good thing is that it won’t take as long as the first time.

One easy way to solve most of the mentioned issues is to leave your old shirt somewhere where your dog can smell it or lie on it. Your scent will make them feel safe and ‌at home. You can also use their old blankets, toys, or anything that has a smell from the previous home.

Cover photo by Peyton Clough