For last few weeks, he started to pee on my mom's clothes in the closet and the couch. He knows he is not supposed to pee inside, but what make him do this? He was housebroken for last 12 years and this has started recently. I suspect that he thought he could run away with it? I don't think he has any issues with urine bladder problem, but maybe? How do we stop the problem? We rubbed his nose on his marked place. Is he pissed off at my mom? I have been taking him out for walk, but it seems like he forgot we do have a dog door that takes him outside. I have four dogs and three of them know better not to do that. Please do give some good tips, he is not a puppy. I'm not sure if he forgot or try to challenage us for authority.

Lindsay, I would take the dog to the vet. If the vet determines the dog does not have any health issues, then perhaps there are some changes in his environment? Rubbing a dogs' nose in his waste is not a good method EVER! It is just plain wrong. If even a few seconds have passed from the time the dog eliminated & you rub his nose in it, the dog does not make the connection that he is being punished for peeing. Please stop doing that.

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We rubbed his nose on his marked place.......

No no no! I know people used to think this was a good method, but it's not. Everything Susan said is correct. If you can't catch him IN THE ACT, then you can't do anything meaningful; you ignore it and clean it up.

After the vet visit (rule out UTI), then you can start over with training. At that age, though, I'd definitely check him out with the vet.

Please don't rub his nose in it. It's not productive, no matter what someone may have told you.

When he has been given a clean bill of health, then you can start with house-training just as if he was a puppy. It won't take long, and it will be much easier than when he was a puppy.

It sounds weird, but I have known one and owned one who seemed to lose their housetraining as seniors. Both regained it with a little patience and re-training. I have no idea why it happened.

Meanwhile, if he is tethered to a human when he is in the house, he will not be able to make "mistakes." The minute he starts to show signs, he can be scooped outside to go and then praised for it, just like a puppy.

JMO! Good luck with the vet visit.

Did your mom just move in? Is there a new person in the house? My dog peed in the kitchen when I brought a new puppy into the house, just a dominant behavior... he also tried to pee on the puppies crate with her still in it <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> If nothing has changed in the household, and it's not a medical issue, then it's probably what Connie said about seniors losing their housebreaking somehow, but if there's been any change in the household, someone moved in, someone moved out, a guest that stayed there a long time left, a guest just came to stay with you etc, then that's probably it.

I too would be getting this dog to the vet.

IMHO, at your dog's age, it is good to check blood levels.
Kidney disease can and will increase dogs' need to urinate. There are meds for incontinence. Good luck with your ol' boy.

PS. I 2nd, 3rd, 4th, the NO no no no on the rubbing your dog's nose in it thing. If your dog was house trained before...golly geez!!! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> Rule out any health issue FIRST, and then work on proper re-training if required.

Just like people older dogs can also develop dementia that will cause them to do weird things. A trip to the vet can at least help you rule some things out.

Regards,
Debbie