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If you’ve ever come home and found that your mature, always-housetrained Pug has just left you a big mess to clean up, you’re not alone. “Whoa!” you might say.

The possible alternative, such as a defrosting refrigerator, leaky water pipes, or a spilled cup of coffee give way to the awful truth; he actually sees the loyal household Pug in the act of soiling inside the house.

It’s typical, after a lot of screaming and disbelief, for the Pug to be quickly banished out-of-doors. But the truth is that such harsh and fast action can actually have a negative impact on a mature Pug dog. That’s because most often it is a medical or psychological cause involved that requires some treatment.

Medical problems are the cause for the majority of problems that we’ve seen with mature Pug dogs having accidents in the house. It’s key that you get to the bottom of the problem before you can move forward with the proper plan to solve the problems, so don’t be too hasty.

Most Pug owners know that the aging process of their Pug will manifest itself in a gradual loss of hearing, followed by diminished vision. Squeezed somewhere in between, signs of arthritis might show up, decreased in appetite, more frequent naps, and other tell-tale signs which may become evident. What is not widely known is that toilet training is one of the first things to go!

Since this is not widely known, it’s understandable that Pug owners think that his Pug has forgotten potty training, is not as smart as previously thought, is lazy, or has turned into a sneaky little dog. The truth is that this behavior is more likely the first sign of the inevitable aging process. In fact, as your Pug gets older, the muscles of the bladder gradually lose their control, much like older human experience.

For male Pugs, aging can also lead to the prostate gland getting bigger, which then leads to an inflammation that will cause him to pee much more often. Also, about 75% of Pugs over the age of 8 suffer from kidney disease. As Pug dogs get older, there is a gradual degeneration of kidney tissue with a weakening of the kidney function, resulting in more bladder control problems.

To combat these kidney problems, an older Pug should drink at least twice the amount of water than a younger Pug since the older Pug’s kidneys will need this to stay healthy. It’s no secret that increased water consumption leads to more potty breaks.

Where the middle-aged Pug would have required being let out in the morning and once at night, the aging process will require more freedom outdoors. In most cases, the older Pug will try to make his needs known to his owner. However, the owner, who is used to a regular routine, just isn’t tuned in to the Pug’s new requirement. Then, the old Pug is left with just one alternative. It’s just as embarrassing to him as it may be to the owner.

Avoid yelling at your Pug or scolding him, as this will lead to a worsening of the situation and further problems.

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