My older dog is relieving himself on our deck rather than in the yard, how can we correct this behavior?

He never used to do this but now he only goes the bathroom in our deck. Is there a way to train him tongs back down the deck steps to releive himself?

Asked by trish
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Dr Audrey Harvey BVSc (Hons)
Answered by Dr Audrey Harvey BVSc (Hons), Veterinarian
Trish, the first thing to evaluate is whether there are any physical causes of this behavior. You mention stairs down to the yard; perhaps his elderly joints are uncomfortable when walking up or down stairs. He may have arthritis and would benefit from treatment for that. Another option is that his vision is fading and he’s just feeling insecure because he can’t quite see where to place his feet safely. Perhaps too he has a condition that makes him need to go to the toilet more frequently so he has to urinate more frequently.

Make an appointment with your vet to have him examined, and if you can, take a sample of urine for analysis. From there, any physical problems can be managed and hopefully the problem will be resolved. Another possible issue may be canine cognitive dysfunction which can have similar characteristics to dementia. Again your vet will be able to offer advice. | 10.28.16 @ 01:30
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$commenter.renderDisplayableName() — {comment} | 01.16.19 @ 19:10
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Answered by trish
Great advice! Thank you so much. Will definitely follow up with our vet | 10.28.16 @ 14:17
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$commenter.renderDisplayableName() — {comment} | 01.16.19 @ 19:10
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Dr Audrey Harvey BVSc (Hons)
Dr Audrey Harvey BVSc (Hons), Veterinarian

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