Older adopted dog peeing on the carpet

[NettieA]

We have recently adopted a 9 year old miniature foxy. In her previous home she was an outside dog, we would love to have her inside but can't stop her peeing on the carpet. She sleeps in the laundry and never pees in there and she is in there all night. She hasn't done it on any other hard floors in the house. We had the carpet cleaned to remove any smells that may have been in it but she still peed on it! Any suggestions would be welcome, we love her and would love her to be a house dog but the carpet seems to be a problem for her and us. 

[Rebanne]

google toilet training the older dog, you will get lots of ideas. You need to go back to basics with her and teach her like a puppy. As she can hold it all night I doubt she has a bladder infection but it wouldn't hurt to take a urine sample to your vet and tick that box off. Well done to you for adopting a senior.

[persephone]

Also - a dog feels for a  surface on which to pee- and carpet 'feels' like grass... so , her body reacts accordingly - it may not even be entirely  a conscious decision...

[_PL_]

Recently? Google 'The Rule Of Three'. 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months. 

Like Rebanne says, we advise people to go all the way back to positive reinforcement puppy training (no old school shouting or rubbing of noses in pee). It's effort but it works. I'll skip over the bit about females marking territory like boys do, because she's a new addition and puppy training is what you need to learn right now.   

Congrats on your senior dog adoption. 
 

[NettieA]

Thank you for your responses. I will give it a try. We've compromised she sits with us when we are watching TV but as soon as she gets down we take her out. The other odd thing is she let's us know in the morning when she wants to go out by scratching on the laundry door.

Edited August 16, 2021 by NettieA

[jemappelle]

Do you praise and treat her when she goes outside?  Praise needs to be over the top and high pitched so she knows you are excited by her wee on the grass!

[Loving my Oldies]

1 hour ago, persephone said:

Also - a dog feels for a  surface on which to pee- and carpet 'feels' like grass... so , her body reacts accordingly - it may not even be entirely  a conscious decision...

This. ^^^
 

I have one little dog who is generally pretty good, but a lot of the time considers the deck outside.  She will go out, run around the deck and head straight for the mat the water bowl sits on and squat.  
 

ETA.  She only wees on the mat. Has never done #2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Loving my Oldies

[Dogsfevr]

If the dog has never been inside the overwhelming amount off space suddenly given and not knowing how to get outside or what cues to give are foreign.

carpet often feels like grass or the outdoor mat .

Look at getting a puppy pen and limiting the space when can’t be watched and to restabish a toilet routine 

[NettieA]

Thank you