How to Stop a Bichon Frise from Peeing in the House

Does your bichon pooch have peeing accidents or is it still not fully potty-trained?

There are many reasons why your bichon may pee in the house. Until a specific age, it is normal to have such accidents, until your puppy learns when and where to go potty. Below, we’ll discuss when your bichon should stop peeing in the house, why it may still have accidents, and what you can do to prevent this behavior.

Beyond What Age Is It Not Acceptable for a Bichon Frise to Pee in the House?

Bichon frise puppies do not have full bladder control until 4-6 months of age. Until then, it is normal to have some accidents during the day or night.

You should take your bichon pup out regularly several times per day and even during the night in the beginning. It’s important to establish and maintain a routine around your pup’s activities during the day. For instance, you may want to take the pooch out for potty training first thing in the morning, before sleeping at night, after meals, and even after each nap during the day.

7 Potential Reasons Why Your Bichon Frise Is Peeing in the House

If your bichon is older than 4 to 6 months and is still peeing in the house, there may be several reasons for it.

1. Medical Problems

There are many situations in which sick dogs start peeing in the house, such as urinary tract infections, bladder inflammation, kidney problems, arthritis, or age-related incontinence. If your bichon is healthy, but still peeing in the house, the problem may be related to behavior.

2. Anxiety and Fear

Some dogs that experience anxiety or fear may urinate inside the house.

For instance, if you leave your bichon frise alone for a long time, and such accidents happen, this may be a reason for the behavior. Dogs may also get scared for various reasons, such as fireworks, or experiencing fear when meeting new people or pets.

For some dogs, there may be no apparent reason for anxiety or fear. However, to identify this as a cause, you should pay attention to your pup. An anxious or scared pup is restless, pants more than usual, and appetite is different.

3. Weather

A healthy, young dog may not want to go potty outside if the weather is severe, such as thunderstorms (that scare them), heavy rain, or too hot or too cold.

4. Changes in the Pack

If your household has gone through a minor or major change lately, this may be the cause of the potty accidents. There are many changes that may cause urinary accidents, some major like having a new baby or someone else moving in, while other minor ones (such as a changed daily routine due to a new job) may also be the cause of urinary accidents.

5. Overexcitement

This is commonly known as “happy peeing” and may affect both puppies and adult dogs. Simply put, your bichon pooch is so happy to see you or someone else that they have a urinary accident.

Your pup may also pee accidentally when expecting a treat, receiving a new toy, or being overstimulated by the environment. Fortunately, for most dogs, this problem is temporary.

6. You Don’t Clean Properly

When an accident happens, you need to clean the scene of the crime very thoroughly. Even if you don’t feel it, your dog may catch lingering odors, which act as an invitation to repeat the deed!

7. Not Being Spayed or Neutered

Some dogs pee indoors to mark their territory. Spaying or neutering your bichon frise will help to reduce or even completely eliminate this behavior. Not to mention, there are many other health benefits of this intervention, such as avoiding unwanted pregnancy, uterine infections and breast cancer in female dogs, and testicular cancer in male dogs, among others.

3 Things to Do If Your Bichon Frise Is Peeing in the House

If your bichon frise keeps peeing inside the house, below are some of the solutions.

1. Go to the Vet

The first thing you need to rule out is the possibility of having a medical condition. The easiest way to do this is to schedule a visit to your vet. They can do tests and investigate the possibility of having urinary accidents due to underlying conditions if any.

2. Retrain Your Bichon Frise

If your dog is still a puppy, you may just need to provide them with more training to stop them from peeing inside the house. Bichons frises may be quite difficult to housebreak.

Even some adult dogs may need retraining sometimes to refresh the rules and proper behaviors. It’s important to be consistent and maintain a routine, even if your bichon frise is an adult. This may also be required if your household has gone through some changes lately.

3. Eliminate Overexcitement, Anxiety, or Fear Causes

If your dog has urinary accidents as a result of its environment, you need to pay more attention to see when and why your dog behaves in such a way. If it’s possible, it’s best to eliminate the cause altogether.

For instance, if your dog pees inside the house when left alone, you need to make sure someone is with them all the time or limit the time spent alone. Bichons frises are very likely to experience separation anxiety, so this may be the cause of their peeing accidents.

In cases when cause elimination may not work, such as reacting to loud noises (like fireworks), or being around other people and pets, you can try to introduce your dog to such people or situations slowly, so they can get used to it. It may also be a good idea to try to limit fear- or anxiety-inducing events.

If bad weather is the case, then you may need to find out what scares your pup and find a way to solve it. For instance, some dogs don’t want to go out when it’s raining because they don’t want to get wet. In this case, you may want to buy a jacket for them to keep them dry, or clothing to keep them warm if it’s too cold outside.

Summary

Overall, there may be many reasons why your bichon frise pup is peeing in the house.

To find the right solution, you need to know what the cause is. It’s always best to start with a thorough medical examination to rule out the possibility of an illness. If your pup is healthy, additional training or limiting exposure to certain events may help you eliminate peeing accidents.