What does inappropriate urination or incontinence look like?

Inappropriate urination inside or around the house is often due to urinary incontinence, a medical term referring to the involuntary leakage or urine. As the name implies, your dog is not aware that they are urinating. 

It is typically seen as urinary accidents when a dog is sleeping and completely unaware (a wet patch found repeatedly in your dog’s bedding for example), but could be seen as passive dribbling when your dog is awake and walking around. 

Sometimes it is seen with other abnormalities or signs including:

  • Increased thirst and/or urine volume
  • Weight loss
  • More frequent and/or urgent urination episodes when on walks
  • Abnormal color or smell of urine
 
 

While your dog is not being malicious, some owners may find it hard not to take things personally as managing a dog’s urinary accidents can be both challenging and frustrating.

You may even start to feel upset or angry at your dog. Many of the causes of inappropriate urination stem from an underlying medical issue and it is not your dog’s fault.