German Shorthaired Pointer Peeing in the House [What to do]

Is your German shorthaired pointer peeing in the house? You may be wondering why they’re doing it and what to do about it.

There can be several reasons why your GSP might start peeing in the house, and this is generally down to them either marking their territory or just accidental urination.

The good news?

There are several things you can do to correct this behavior.

Let’s find out how.

First, is Your German Shorthaired Pointer Housetrained?

Without knowing anything about your dog, it is important to determine if he has been properly housetrained, and that means completing its training rather than in the middle of it.

A poorly trained puppy will relieve itself wherever it wants, but a well-trained one is much more likely to go in the right spot.

What I really dislike is figuring out how to stop my dog from stepping in its pee. That’s frustrating!

If your GSP has been housetrained successfully and begun peeing randomly again, consider the following points and how they relate to your dog.

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Forgot its training

Potty training takes time, and even when you think that the training is successful, your GSP can still potentially regress.

This is often due to a weak understanding or confusion of the rules it was taught.

Did you move its pee area? Were there changes made in the house that might confuse your dog?

All of these can lead to your GSP forgetting its training.

Even after good training has been given, you as a dog owner will still need to constantly reinforce and remind your pet.

When this happens, you might want to restart the basic training steps to remind your GSP what it should do and make use of yummy treats to bring the point home.

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Behavioral problems

Internal and external factors can both cause your German shorthaired pointer to urinate inadvertently or on purpose.

Marking their territory with pee is normal behavior in male dogs, especially those who have not been neutered.

This can be corrected, but it takes time to change.

External factors such as stress, anxiety, or even excitement, on the other hand, can also cause your GSP to pee.

Think about it, were there any unexpectedly loud sounds, such as thunder, fireworks, or a door slamming shut?

Were your dog’s interactions with strangers unsupervised?

Is there a new addition to your family, such as a newborn or a puppy?

Puppies can easily become overly excited and inadvertently urinate, which they will eventually grow out of.

Ruling out any 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 GSP 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.

Dog getting older

A dog that is getting older is also more likely to forget its training.

Not only that, but as dogs age, their bodies deteriorate and they lose some of their bladder control.

Other age-related issues, such as dementia, can undoubtedly contribute to your dog urinating all over the house.

Aside from that, they may develop kidney and bladder diseases, which are not always easily detected.

A trip to the vet should help you both if you notice any signs of deterioration in your senior dog.

Urinary incontinence

This condition is more common in senior dogs, but it does not rule out younger dogs.

When this occurs, you will notice your dog leaving small puddles of urine around the house; unfortunately, your dog has no control over this.

Fortunately, there are medications that can help your GSP here, so talk to your vet about it.

Keep in mind that large puddles are not indicative of urinary incontinence.

How Long Does It Take to Housetrain a German Shorthaired Pointer?

When it comes to housetraining a German Shorthaired Pointer, the answer is: it’s going to take some time.

German Shorthaired Pointers are well-known for their ability to be trained and their love of learning new things, but they can also be stubborn and independent—just like their owners!

That’s why it’s important for you as an owner to set your dog up for success.

You can’t expect them to pick up all the rules overnight, and you certainly shouldn’t punish them for mistakes that they’re just learning how not to make.

Instead, you should focus on rewarding good behaviors and giving them plenty of opportunities to practice appropriate ones.

In general, it should take between 4 to 6 months of consistent training to get it fully housetrained.

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 GSP is Marking?

Peeing on upright objects

This is one of the most common signs that your dog has marked their territory.

They will often pee on things like a sofa leg or even your car tires to claim their territory,

This is especially true if you have recently moved into a new home or apartment.

You may also see urine marks that are higher off the ground than usual and they’ll look like they were sprayed up there deliberately by someone.

Peeing a small amount

This is another way that dogs will mark their territory.

They might pee in small amounts on the same spot over and over again, or even just once or twice.

Instead of the regular puddle that signifies normal peeing, you will find just a small patch that can sometimes go undetected.

Only peeing, no passing of motion

Another sign that your GSP might just be marking is that it only pees in the house but is emptying its bowels in its potty.

That tells you that most likely, it is trying to mark its territory rather than a natural need to go.

Peeing at doorways/entrances

In some cases, your pointer may have ‘accidents’ only near doorways or even near your bedroom door.

They understand that the house is theirs and their owner’s, and they feel compelled to protect it.

Marking is simply a way for them to communicate with other dogs.

Change in the way it pees

A female dog might change the way it pees when it is marking.

Similar to how male dogs pee, a female dog might lift one of its legs up and spray a small amount.

This behavior is more apparent when a female GSP is in heat.

How Do I Stop My GSP From Peeing in the House?

From the moment you bring your dog home, you should establish a proper training regimen.

Similarly, if you’ve had your dog for a while and notice it’s regressing, there are some tricks you can try.

These methods are useful whether your dog is peeing unintentionally or simply marking.

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Controlling the areas 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.

Cleaning up after accidents

If your dog has an accident, there is no need to punish it.

You should use an enzyme cleanser to clean up the spill.

They are very effective at removing stains and scents, so your puppy will be less likely to return to that area to mark it again.

Getting your GSP spayed or neutered

This point is highly debatable, with parties on both sides of the table touting their benefits and drawbacks.

It is entirely up to you, but if you do not intend to breed your GSP in the future, we believe that going ahead with the operation is the better option.

A number of studies have shown that sterilized dogs are less likely to mark and that other behaviors such as humping are greatly reduced.

Establishing hierarchy

If your GSP does not know who is in charge, it will most likely continue to mark wherever it goes.

If you want to strengthen your bond with your dog and reduce the likelihood of it marking, the best way is to establish yourself as the alpha.

If you’re not familiar with dog pack hierarchy, here’s a quick refresher: The pack’s leader is always the biggest, strongest, and oldest male.

In fact, male dogs tend to mark more frequently than females; they subconsciously want to show everyone that they are in charge.

In a similar vein, if you have multiple dogs, you should help determine who is the top dog in your household.

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: GSP Peeing in the House

While it can be frustrating to have your dog peeing all over the house, especially if it was trained previously, don’t despair!

In most cases, our dogs just need a bit of patience and friendly reminders for them to do their business in the right place.

Also, if you are able to reduce or eliminate errant behavior early, the chances of it happening again are very low.

Wanna learn more about dog behavior? Continue on our site with these articles:

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