Hi, wondering if anyone else has been through this and can offer some advice.

I have a almost 4 year old female Chihuahua and is house trained but I have recently bought a new rug and she has taken to weeing on it. I have caught her a few times and told her off ect and it stops for a few days then I will find another puddle. Tonight she actually did it whilst I was in the room and saw her. Normally I'm not in the room and discover it after the incident. I've tried cleaning the rug to remove her smell after googling and that was one idea to help prevent and that hasn't helped. I'm getting really annoyed as I don't want my house to smell of dog wee or to have to take the rug up as I have laminate floors and want the keep the rug down. Any other suggestions please? (She has no symptoms of being ill, she's eating the same, going for number 2's outside as normal, no crying, no behavioural changes its just the weeing on the rug)

For a start don't tell her off, ignore her but remove her from the room while you thoroughly clean it. Take a wee sample to the vet to be absolutely sure that there isn't a problem.
Has it started since its got colder? she's not reluctant to go out is she?
You've not changed her food at all have you? I have heard of a change of food doing this.

I do have as couple of friends whose dogs started to wee inside after they bought new rugs. I wonder if some give off a smell that attracts the dogs and encourages them to wee on them. Can you keep her out of the room unless you are able to watch her? I use baby gates to keep ours out rather than close the door.

If her wee is fine I would suggest going back to house training basics and put her out for a wee after every meal and every hour. You can get a long line and attach her to you and as with a puppy the minute you see her squat on the rug put her outside and tell her to go wee wee or whatever trigger word you want to use. I know its a pain but bad habits aren't easy to break but getting cross with her won't help. Good luck!

Thank you.
Most frustratingly last night, she had been out in the garden, didn't do anything but then as soon as she came in from the garden she came in the room and squatted on the rug!

You need to go out in the garden with her and stay out until she does something. I know its hard when its so cold but it's the only way! Been there, done it, sympathise except her place of choice was the landing carpet and as the stairs are off the living room we couldn't really stop her going up as it's very hard to get a stairgate on safely.

Like a pup use a trigger word then when she's done it praise her masses and maybe give her a treat she really loves and keep them just for outside pees so she associates outside pees with something good and weeing inside with nothing, just ignore her. Even the fuss of leaping up and telling her off is a form of reward. If you say anything just make it a quiet no if you actually catch her mid wee and without any fuss pop her outside.

Am housetraining (or struggling to housetrain) my little 5 month old pup at the moment, and must admit these winter puppies are way harder to housetrain! She is a staffy cross which doesn't help as they hate rain. She is not a fan of snow, ice or wind, either... We're going out with her for ages, only for her to do it the second she gets in... Think I am going to think of the highest value treat possible and start giving her that only when she goes in the garden...

My dogs have been trained given a treat when they go out in the garden, they still get a little treat now (years later) when ever we are on our walks and they do their business.

Having a trigger word or phrase is a great help. Our 10 month CKCS forgot all her house training after a spell in boarding kennels, but she just had to hear the phrase "busy girl" and bingo! she knew exactly what to do. Great for before going out in the car, too.

At 4 it could be marking territory. You can get a spray to remove the odour, and it streets them.

Exactly right. We've always trained our pups to "pee-time" simply by saying it each time they peed. After a month or so (with pups) they will pee on demand and we used to congratulate them but didn't bother with treats. It is extremely convenient especially when travelling with them.

However, we've adopted older dogs more recently - 18 months ago a 9-year old. It only took her a few weeks to grasp the "pee-time" principle but we do give her treats as a reward. She prefers to pee on a walk and it's not always possible to walk her if I'm going out unexpectedly. Pee-time and a treat in my hand ensures willing compliance.

With the chi, I wonder if she's feeling the cold and decided that the rug (which may feel like grass underfoot?) is a more pleasant place to pee? I had one cat who couldn't be allowed near polystyrene ball-filled beds because I think when she walked on them, they sounded crunchy like cat litter... so she peed.

Does she have a dogcoat when she goes out? I've never had a chi so have no idea whether they have good natural coats or whether the colder weather may be affecting her and making her less happy to spend time (and a penny) outside.

How strange - My almost son in laws father recently got a new rug and almost son in law and daughters little dog ( 1 year old lancashire heeler girl) peed on it, my little girl dog (8 year old corgi) peed on it and an ancient border collie girl about 16 years old has peed on it . The only dog to visit the house with the new rug who hasn't peed on it is my little boy dog - 9 year old corgi.

Maybe it's a girl dog thing! All the bitches are healthy for their ages, house trained and don't usually pee indoors!

I can't offer any advice on how to stop your girl using the rug to pee on.

The rug in question is a lovely thick shaggy type rug.

Is your rug on a laminate - or otherwise smooth - floor?

Don't use bleach to clean up any dog wee smells, use a mixture of white vinegar and water, it does work, the vinegar enzymes break down the wee.

My girl will even poo on demand. But it does get a mite embarrassing if you are stood there in the wilds shouting (she's deaf) 'have a poo' and a party of walkers comes up behind ....

Re the rug problem maybe a new rug smells alien and the weeing is a way of marking. You could try putting the rug in the dog bed (if you have one) for a short while. Hopefully she won't pee on her own bed and the rug will get her scent. Worth a try...

The Rug that the little lady, the middle aged lady and the old lady dog have peed on is a new rug placed on a carpet. None of the dogs have peed on the carpet in this room before.

As I said my boy dog hasn't peed on it.

The shaggy type rugs remind them of grass. That's why they do it. In her head it's ok as it's grass. She's probably puzzled that you are cross she pees on grass all the time and it makes you happy!