2 of dogs are peeing non-stop in the house

Question
Our 2nd Golden Retriever (mix) joined our family at the age of 4 months after we rescued her from an over-crowded "foster home".  She is easy going, friendly, and loving - but is a bit "needy" for attention and startles easily.  She is 4.5 years old.  She was crate trained until she was 1.2 years old and was completely potty trained.  Beginning in 2007, she would go to the bsmt. of our home during the middle of the night and pee - sometimes poop as well.  When we started shutting the door to the basement, she began peeing in the corners of rooms on the first floor (dining room, living room ....always rooms with carpet).  We moved from August 2007 to October 2008 to a temporary home while we built on 20 acres.  We moved in to our new home last October, 2008.  After only 4 months of living here, we are replacing the carpet in the office next week because it is completely saturated with urine.  Initially we were unaware she was doing this during the night because we are such heavy sleepers.  After noticing a urine smell from that room, it became apparent the carpet was absolutely FILLED with pee spots.  Worse, however, is that our 3rd rescue dog (Begian Tervuren mix, 14 months old) has also begun peeing and pooping in the office.  When I put the black light in the dining room, there were over 30 circles of urine!  

We have three dogs total:  a 6 year old Golden Retriever, the 4.5 year old Golden mix, and the 14 month old Belgian Terv. mix.

Over the past two weeks, I have realized they are peeing and pooping in those two rooms while I am home!!!  Often times the back door is open for them to go in and out.  I can stand outside and watch them pee and poop -- and then not an hour later, I find a pee circle and poop in the office or dining room.

They are fed each morning (Purina Dog Chow) and they have access to fresh water all day / night.

They are all spayed females and get along great together.  The Golden mix and the Belg. Terv. mix absolutely love each other and play non-stop.  

The Belgian Terv. is in a crate when we are gone.  She pees as soon as I take them outside.  The Golden mix and the older Golden just "hang in the house" when I run errands.

I am a nurse and work only a few days a month, so for the most part I am home during the day.  I take them out frequently and watch them pee and poop -- but then they come in and sneak to those two rooms and do it again.

We are pulling up the carpet next Tuesday and using Clorox on the sub-floor, then painting 2-3 layers of Latex paint to eliminate the odor in the sub-floor before having the new pad and carpet installed.

Yesterday I bought two wire crates that I plan to start putting them both into at night.

We have had both checked fully by our long-time trusted vet and there were no medical problems that he could find.

Obviously, I'm at wit's end.  Yesterday afternoon while in my daughter's room, one of them went into my son's room and pee'd right in the middle of his floor.  They never indicated they needed to go outside (they bark and "take me to the door" when they do need / want to go outside) and had just come in from being outside in the yard not 15 minutes before we had gone upstairs to her room.

Replacing the carpet eliminates the odor -- but until the dogs realize they need to pee / poop only outside, the problem could easily just "move" to a different room -- and quite frankly, replacing carpet after only 4 months is costly and not desirable.

Any help / advice you can give me would be most appreciated.

Christa

Answer
It may be that the Terv mix began marking over the Golden's urine as a pack related behavior (this is not uncommon.)  The Golden mix may have begun this marking because of anxiety (as she has a "soft" temperament according to your report.)  The older dog may be firmly established at the top of your pack and, being more confident and in this position, does not need to mark over.  This is my best guess without being able to ask extensive questions and evaluate all three dogs.

Don't use clorox!  It's the worst choice you can make since the odor is very close to that of urine (to the dog).  Instead, purchase an enzyme product that removes urine stains and scent (it really does) and I can tell you from personal experience that THIS ONE WORKS:
http://www.scoe10x.com

With two dogs it's a bit more difficult to extinguish this behavior but I suggest you start with the Golden mix (as she appears to be making the statement); first, reinforce house training by going out with the dogs, reward and praise appropriate elimination every time, for about a month.  Second, put the Golden mix on a very long, lightweight house leash so you can control her movements around the house.  This is cumbersome at first but as short a time as one week might do the trick (get her out of the habit of marking AND demote her psychologically.)  The Terv mix is more likely the more dominant of the two in temperament and that may be the reason the Golden mix began marking: establishing and/or maintaining rank.  Third, if anxiety is a factor in her behavior (the Terv mix is approaching adulthood and may be giving clear signals of rank to the Golden mix, who is most likely next in line behind the older Golden but whose temperament may not support this rank position), you should do some investigation.  Read Turid Rugaas' book, "On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals" and observe your dogs body language and communication among one another.  See what's going on here (and you will, once you learn how to interpret their body signals.)  This will help you determine whose rank SHOULD be higher than the others, at which time you can then influence that by greeting the dogs in order of their natural rank, feeding them in order, allowing them both IN AND OUT in order of their rank, petting them in order, etc.  BE CAREFUL to promote the right dog (but in this case, I'm pretty sure it would be older Golden, Terv mix, Golden mix.)  

Use the next three weeks to address this situation as stated above.  Close ALL DOORS to ALL ROOMS that are not occupied.  IF the Terv persists in marking after two weeks time, you will have to institute a more serious protocol to psychologically demote all three dogs so none feels the proprietary need to mark your home, while at the same time establishing rank among them.  At that time, if necessary, repost.  Please remind me of the situation as I answer dozens of questions each week.  

One last thing: I'm sure you love your dogs and are doing the best for all of them, but I think you might reconsider your choice of dog food.  A higher quality dog food will form much smaller stool because much more nutrition is being absorbed by it.  Inadequate nutrition can cause all sorts of behavior problems. Also, a dog should be fed twice daily; feeding once creates a blood sugar deficiency and this can drive anxiety and other unwanted behaviors, plus lower cognition.