My 2 yr old dog (been adopted for 6 months) pees in the house when Im away on business and my husband is home alone.

I think this is less a case of misbehaving and more a case of owner-styles being different.

One possibility is that your dog is probably not doing much of anything differently, but perhaps your husband is not as mindful or conscientious about watching the dog as you are? It's possible the dog is waiting longer periods of time to be taken out than when you are around and the schedule is causing avoidable accidents.

Another possibility is that your dog is upset at your absence and is engaging in some type of marking behavior.

Or, both situations can be going on at once. Or something else even.

But if it's happening only while you're away, the only way to address it is to make sure your husband is on the same page with you and start housetraining again from scratch.

I'd recommend the booklet (cheap, easy to find) called How to Housetrain a Dog in 7 Days. It's short, easy and WORKS if you follow directions and are consistent.

Jack answered on 10/20/09. Helpful? / 0

I agree with Jack. It sounds a lot like you and your husband have different ways of attending to your pooch's needs. Perhaps your hubby isn't paying attention to the dog when he asks to go out, or simply doesn't recognize his signals.

This happened to us when I left for two weeks and papa stayed with Boo. Her schedule got all out of whack and she had a couple accidents during my absence. Boo's not a big barker at all and her signals often mimick a need to play instead. If she's ignored, she'll let go by the door.

Both you and your husband need to be mindful of your pup's signals and both work with the dog to keep him on schedule for potty breaks. Using the same routine between the both of you will help your pet train his bladder to the schedule that works for everyone. Good luck.

Boo answered on 10/23/09. Helpful? / 0