Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Peeing in the House [Solutions]

Zack Keithy, our author, is a certified veterinarian technician (UC Blue Ash) for over 6 years (contact him here). The articles written here are based on his expertise and experience, combined with a review by our expert vet reviewers including Dr M. Tarantino. Learn more about us here.

When it comes to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, there’s no denying that this is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world.

Not only are they beautiful and adorable, but they’re also incredibly loyal and friendly. But what about their unique behavioral traits?

One of those things that might frustrate a dog owner is your Cavalier King Charles peeing in the house.

What causes it and how can you prevent it from happening again?

Let’s take a deep dive and learn the solution.

Have You Housetrained Your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?

Without knowing anything about your dog, it’s critical to assess whether he has been adequately housebroken, which necessitates finishing the training process rather than just starting it.

Poorly taught puppies will relieve themselves anywhere they like, but well-trained puppies are considerably more likely to discharge themselves in the proper location.

The worse thing for me is my dog stepping in its own pee!

If your doggy has been successfully housebroken but has started to urinate again at random, think about how the following ideas apply to your dog.

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Reasons Why Your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is Peeing in the House

Forgotten its training

Potty training requires patience, and even if you believe the training has been effective, your dog may still regress.

This is frequently caused by a poor understanding or misinterpretation of the rules that were taught.

Did you relocate its bathroom? Has anything changed in the home that your dog might find confusing?

All of these things can cause your Cavalier King Charles to forget what they were taught.

You, as the dog owner, will still need to frequently reinforce and recall your pet even after it has received adequate training.

When this occurs, you may want to start over with the fundamental training techniques to teach your pet what it should do and to reinforce the message with tasty rewards.

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Behavioral problems

Your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel may accidentally or purposefully urinate due to internal or environmental circumstances.

Male dogs, especially those that have not been neutered, frequently mark their territory with pee.

Although this can be changed, transformation takes time.

On the other side, external things like anxiety, stress, or even enthusiasm can also make your dog urinate randomly around the house.

Consider whether there were any loud noises that were not expected, such as thunder, fireworks, or a door slamming.

Did you observe any negative interactions with strangers?

Has your family just welcomed a new member, such as a baby or a dog?

Puppies are prone to become excessively excited and unintentionally urinating, a behavior they will soon outgrow.

Potential medical issues

There are times when we cannot see a problem right away but will notice it when we pay closer attention.

If you notice your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel peeing everywhere, it could be due to a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), which affects up to 27% of all dogs in their lifetime.

Frequent urination, straining to urinate, crying or whining when urinating, and possibly having blood in their pee are all symptoms.

Needless to say, a trip to the vet must be scheduled right away.

There are also genetic conditions that might cause frequent urination such as Hyperuricosuria and Cystinuria, so it will be good for you to have this knowledge.

A DNA test can reveal all these to you.

Your spaniel is getting on in years

Older dogs are more prone to forget their training.

In addition, as dogs get older, their bodies degenerate and they lose some bladder control.

Your dog’s tendency to urinate throughout the house may be caused by other aging-related conditions including dementia.

In addition, individuals could develop renal and bladder conditions, which are not usually visible.

If your older dog exhibits any signs of decline, a trip to the vet will benefit you both.

Urinary incontinence

Although older dogs are more likely to have this illness, younger canines are not completely excluded.

Sadly, your dog has little control over this, so you will notice small puddles of urine throughout the house when this happens.

Fortunately, there are drugs that can assist your dog in this situation, so see your veterinarian.

Remember that huge puddles do not necessarily indicate urine incontinence.

Doggy recommends you to read this too: Why Do Cavaliers Sleep on Your Head? Is This Real Love?

How Long Does It Take to Housetrain a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?

The short answer is that it will take some time for your dog to become housebroken.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are renowned for their trainability and enthusiasm for learning, but they can also be independent and headstrong, just like their owners!

Because of this, it’s critical for you as the owner to prepare your dog for success.

They won’t understand all the rules overnight, so you can’t expect them to, and you shouldn’t punish them for mistakes they’re still learning how to avoid.

Instead, concentrate on rewarding positive actions and providing plenty of chances for kids to practice appropriate ones.

To thoroughly housetrain it, it should typically get constant training for 4 to 6 months.

Difference Between Inappropriate Urination and Territorial Marking

Sometimes, we might unknowingly ‘blame’ our dog for not peeing in the right place and get frustrated having to clean up accidents.

But how do we know that it is purely an accident and not a natural instinct instead?

Both male and female dogs will mark their territory, and there are some telltale signs when this is happening.

How to Tell if Your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is Just Marking?

It pees on upright objects

One of the most typical indications that your dog is marking their territory is action.

They frequently urinate on furniture legs or even the tires of your vehicle to mark their territory.

If you recently moved into a new house or apartment, this can be even more common where your dog wants to claim its territory.

Additionally, you could notice urine stains that are higher off the ground than usual and appear to have been sprayed there on purpose.

A small amount of urine

Dogs will also mark their territory in this manner.

They might urinate in small amounts, or even only once or twice, on the same area repeatedly.

Instead of the typical puddle that indicates accidental urination, you will only notice a small patch that occasionally goes undetected.

Only peeing, no passing of motion

Another indication that your dog may just be marking is if it only urinates and does not pass motion.

That indicates that it is probably seeking to mark its territory rather than having a compelling need to move its bowels.

Peeing at doorways/entrances

Your spaniel may occasionally have an “accident” only at entrances or even close to your bedroom door.

They are aware that the house belongs to them and their owner, and they are therefore bound to defend it.

They merely use marking as a means of communication with other dogs.

Different way of peeing

This mainly applies to female dogs only.

When marking, a female dog may alter the way she urinates.

A female dog may lift one of its legs and spray a small amount of urine, similar to how male dogs do.

When a female Cavalier King Charles is in heat, this behavior becomes more noticeable.

How Do I Stop My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel From Peeing in the House?

Now it’s time to think about what to do when your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel pees inside.

You should start a good training regimen as soon as you get your dog home.

Providing good training is equally important if you’ve owned your dog for a time now and see it’s regressing.

The following techniques are helpful whether your dog is accidentally peeing or is just marking.

Thorough cleaning after accidents

You don’t need to reprimand your dog if it has an accident.

Instead, don’t give it any attention right now and clean up the mess right away.

To clean up the spill, use an enzyme cleaner instead of just a paper towel or wet wipes.

Because they are so good at getting rid of odors and stains, your puppy won’t be as inclined to mark that spot again.

Getting your dog spayed or neutered

This issue can be hotly contested, with parties on both sides of the table highlighting advantages and disadvantages.

Although it is totally up to you, we think that carrying out the procedure is the better choice if you do not plan to breed your Cavalier King Charles in the future.

Numerous studies have revealed that sterilized dogs exhibit significantly fewer undesirable behaviors, including humping, and are less prone to mark.

Controlling the places it can access

A dog needs discipline, but if you allow it to roam around the house without supervision, it will misbehave.

If there is no one at home to look after it, all the more you will need to curtail its area of exposure, and this can be done easily with the use of either playpens, crates, or installing baby gates.

Establishing hierarchy

Your dog will probably continue to mark wherever it goes if it does not know who is in charge.

One great way to improve your relationship with your dog and lessen the likelihood that it will mark is to show them you are the leader.

Here’s a quick review on dog pack hierarchy in case you forgot: The eldest, largest male in the pack is always the alpha.

In fact, male dogs tend to mark more often than female dogs because they unconsciously attempt to establish their dominance.

On a similar note, you should decide which dog in your home is the alpha dog if you have numerous dogs.

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Hiring a professional

If all else fails, the solution might be to engage either a dog trainer or behaviorist.

These two occupations are distinct, so don’t make the mistake that one can replace the other.

A couple of sessions with one would most certainly help you in the right direction.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

In Conclusion: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Peeing in the House

There is really no need to start panicking or get upset if your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel pees in the house.

This behavior can be corrected quite easily, and the most effective way is to start a training program for it as soon as you can and ensure completion.

Check out other interesting dog behaviors such as why do dogs sleep with their tongues out, dog dragging other dogs by the collar, potty training regression after spaying, and many more on our site!