If your dog pees after coming inside, you are likely frustrated by this problem and wondering what you can do about it. You may be wondering whether your dog is doing this out of spite or whether you may be simply dealing with a marking behavior. There may be several reasons why a dog pees after coming inside. Finding the underlying culprit is important so to address the issue correctly. Punishing your dog for peeing after coming inside will only lead to more problems and therefore this approach is not recommended.
A Potential Medical Problem
If your dog has a history of perfectly housebroken and this problem just started out of the blue, a veterinarian visit is recommended, just to rule out any medical conditions known to cause elimination problems. Examples of possible medical problems in dogs which may lead to accidents in the home include urinary tract infections and presence of bladder stones.
In both these cases, urination may be painful causing some dogs to urinate in small quantities and in different locations. Sometimes, because the act of urinating may be burn, the dog may stop the flow while outside only to finish up later somewhere else.
A good place to start is to catch a fresh urine sample and have it analyzed by a veterinarian. Dogs with urinary tract infections often require a course of antibiotics, while dogs with bladder stones may require a special diet, and possibly, surgery depending on the types of stones and whether there is a possibility that they can be dissolved.
A Matter of Stress 
After ruling out elimination problems potentially due to health, there are good chances that a dog who pees when coming inside is displaying some type of behavioral issue. Any type of stress can lead to elimination problems. Examples include a new baby, a new dog, a recent move, a visitor in the home, noises etc.
If your dog is stressed or feels threatened due to the presence of another dog in the apartment or a new dog your neighbor just got, he may feel compelled to cover this other dog’s smells with his own urine or simply claim his home as his own to make a statement.
Marking is often, but not always, distinguished from regular urination by the fact that it is a little dribble often over vertical surfaces. A dog who marks tends to do it on several surfaces and generally sniffs the area before engaging in the act.
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Too Many Distractions
On the other hand, if your dog pees after coming outside may simply be too distracted or scared when he is outdoors. This may happen when dogs are overwhelmed with stimuli and all they want to do once outside is to sniff and explore. Some dogs may mark while outside but they fail to fully empty their bladders. Once back inside, life becomes dull again and the dog may only remember then that he has to go potty.
On the other hand are dogs who frightened by outdoos stimuli. Perhaps, the dog is scared of noises or maybe there is a dog who barks a lot and the dog feels intimidated. These dogs don’t feel comfortable enough to urinate outside although their bladders are very full. Once back inside where they feel comfortable again, they will therefore urinate readily.
What to Do If Your Dog Pees After Coming Inside
There are several solutions for this behavior. Punishing is out of question since we do not know if this is due to stress and punishment only confuses the dog. If you punish and your dog is stressed, this may further exacerbate the stress and the dog may feel more compelled to mark.
On the other hand, since you know exactly when this behavior takes place and you can anticipate it, keep the door open when coming back inside and promptly escort your dog back outside so that he can eliminate there. This gives your dog a chance to succeed by showing him you want him to go outdoors, whether it is for marking purposes or simply a house-training problem. Make sure you lavishly praise and reward when he eliminates outdoors.
If your dog is very quick in marking once back inside, it may help to keep a leash on him so that you can be there to catch him before he urine marks when he comes back inside.
To break the marking cycle, you will also need to be a bit obsessive in cleaning the areas marked inside. Use a good product that contains enzymes which neutralizes odors (Nature’s Miracle comes to mind). Investing in a urine black light that detects urine marks on your carpet helps ensure you are cleaning all areas.
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