Indoor Peeing by Newly Adopted Dog

Question
Hello Charlotte,

We took home a dog last week that is a Katrina stray, up from Louisiana (we live in Minneapolis). Roscoe is a two year old Golden/Bassett mix. We have a 13 year old Golden/Shepherd F he gets along with very well.

He had several accidents the first week due to intestinal worms, since cured by vet. He is very clean and well housebroken otherwise - woke me up at 3AM to go out to pee several nights ago.

Question - last night I heard a peeing sound in our bedroom at 2AM and saw him peeing next to the dresser. This was only 4 hours after a walk. This morning he peed on a leather couch after a walk.

He is a wonderful dog, but has probably led a hard life the past year. Is this dominance behavior? Marking? Nervousness?

I should mention he seems very smart, and my daughter and wife both left the house Sunday for travel. Might this trigger anxiety?

What are our options to treat this?

Best Wishes,

Isaac

Answer
Hi Isaac;
Yes, it could very well be separation anxiety.
He did have a rough time, and dogs are put together mentally very much like we are. There is just not as much dofference between animals and humans as most people think, especially animals we have made a member of our family.
He may be thinking he has lost his people again.
It may have to do with marking territory too.
Who knows, maybe he thinks the family circle has changed, and it is just us guys now, so we need to establish who is alpha of the new order.
Four hours after a walk, especially if he had a drink or slept awhile, he would probably need to pee. does he have access to a doggy door where he can go in and out as he needs to?
If not, he may just have had to pee with the peeing in the bedroom, but i think the couch sounds more like marking territory.
Get some Simple solution, in the formula for dog odors. It is the best stain remover i have found, and I use it for other stains, but it removes the stain and scent of dog urine and feces better than anything i have found. I get it at Petsmart and Petco stores.
This dog has had such upheavel in his life, you may very well have to go through the housebreaking routine just like with a new puppy.
He probably doesn't know the house rules yet, and is a little confused, then your wife and daughter leaving has him more confused.
God bless you for taking this dog.
Our chapter here rescued over 5000 of these animals and chapters of the humane society al,l over the country took in like numbers, but there were so many that didn't get rescued.
We are so very grateful for every family that took in one of these animals.
It will take a little more to get this dog adapted to the new family than a dog that hasn't gone through such trauma, but with patience, understanding and love, you will have a wonderful companion.
He knows what you did for him, make no mistake about that. He understands very well.
when he pees in the housem scold him and take him out and tell him he is to go outside, and praise the dickens out of him when he goes outside. Just like he never knew it before, he may not have. He may have ben an outside dog who didn't have a loving family to begin with.
I would approach it like taking in a new puppy that needs to be trained from scratch.
Charlotte