It just keeps happening. You let your dog out back to pee, and instead of using the grass, your dog pees at the back door! Why in the world are they doing this? Why does your dog pee at the back door? What scents deter dogs from peeing at your back door? And what if it’s other dogs doing it? Why do strays pee at your back door?

Worry and wonder no longer, because today we’re going to answer every question you have about this problem. And, of course, we’ll answer the one most on your mind: how to stop your dog from peeing at the back door. Soon, this will all be a thing of the past. Keep reading below for our article “How to Stop Dog Peeing at Back Door!”

How to Stop Your Dog Peeing at Back Door

To stop your dog peeing at back door:

1. Make a 50/50 mixture of distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
2. Apply this around your back door, making sure to keep it away from plants as the vinegar can kill them.
3. The smell will be gone in an hour for you, but your dog will still smell it and will continue to be deterred.
4. The mixture is safe for nearly all surfaces including concrete, wood, laminate, tile, and composite.
5. It has the added bonus of removing any buildup, so it should actually make your back doorstep less slippery.
6. The next time your dog needs to go to the bathroom, take them out on their leash along with some dog treats.
7. Bring them out to the grass or wherever you’d like them to go.
8. Wait and be patient for them to go potty in an appropriate spot.
9. Once they do, reward them with positive praise and a treat right away.
10. They should quickly then go right past the spot they used to mark at the back door thanks to the vinegar mixture smell and the positive reinforcement.
11. Once they’re consistently going somewhere correct like the grass, keep going out with them to give rewards but the leash will no longer be necessary.
12. It won’t be long before you can put them out alone and they won’t pee at the back door, and will instead go where they should without needing any rewards.

These steps will get your dog to stop peeing at the back door, but it’s important to remember that the underlying behavioral issues (anxiety and territorial dominance) that were causing all of this to begin with will still be present. And until you address that, any positive changes you see are only going to be temporary.

“So, how do I make these changes last then?”

By getting your dog to truly choose to follow your direction, that’s how. I tried many times to write out how you can do that before deciding it made more sense to just link you to the free video series that explains it better than I’d ever be able to.

The series is by a man named Dan who is one of the world’s leading dog obedience trainers. In it, he teaches you how to put an end to things like when your dog pees at the back door and all other misbehavior using his fast and easy-to-follow methods.

In the first video, Dan will reveal to you why the two most common methods of dog training only doom you to failure. You can watch the video now by clicking here. Follow the proven system he’ll show you in his series and you’ll never have to spend another second worrying about your dog peeing at the back door ever again!

Why Does My Dog Pee at the Back Door?

Your dog pees at the door because they’re marking their territory. It’s also possible that they’re having trouble holding it in, and couldn’t make it any further. This would be true whether they’re peeing on the inside or the outside of the back door.

Your dog not being able to hold it in is a possible sign of a medical issue such as cystitis (bladder inflammation), kidney disease, urinary tract infections, bladder stones, or incontinence related to age. If your dog is already house trained and has started peeing at the back door all of a sudden, you should go to the vet for a check-up.

But if this has been going on for a while or your dog is waiting and then peeing outside but just choosing to go by the back door, then it’s very likely they’re doing so to mark territory. Male and female dogs both engage in marking with their urine, even when they’ve been neutered or spayed.

Most of the time when dogs mark the amounts will be very little but if they’re leaving a large volume, then it’s likely they’re also feeling anxious. This can be because they’ve had something stressful happen recently, or they’re feeling worried because someone they feel the need to protect (or to be protected by) isn’t at home.

You need to address your dog’s territorial marking behavior as soon as possible, as they’re almost certainly going to be marking in other unwanted spots too. You’ll probably also see that your dog is peeing on the doorstep, peeing on the furniture, or peeing on the outside furniture.

To learn how to stop your dog peeing at the back door by getting down to what’s really causing them to feel territorial and possibly anxious, go back to the first section now where we’ll teach you exactly what you need to be doing.

What Scents Deter Dogs From Peeing at My Back Door?

Vinegar is a scent that deters dogs from peeing at your back door. Make a 50/50 solution of distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Go to your back door and then spray it on the ground where your dog has been marking. The smell will be gone in an hour for you, but your dog will still be able to smell it and will be repelled.

This water/vinegar mixture is safe for nearly all surfaces, including concrete, wood, composite, tile, and laminate. It will also have the added bonus of making your back doorstep less slippery by removing any buildup that’s there. Just be sure that you keep it away from plants while you’re spraying as it can kill them.

Why Do Strays Pee at My Back Door?

Strays pee at your back door to mark territory, the same way that your own dog might. To stop stray dogs from marking at your back door or anywhere else you’ve noticed, you can deter them with a 50/50 mix of water and distilled white vinegar. It’s also a good idea to fence things off, if possible, as strays looking to mark territory could attempt to fight your own dogs.

The smell will go away once the mixture has dried in about an hour but will remain detectable to any strays that have been wandering by and marking there. They won’t like this smell at all, and should then choose somewhere else to mark instead. This is safe for nearly all surfaces including concrete, wood, and composite, but you should keep it away from plants as it can kill them.

I’m sure you’re looking forward to being able to put your dog out without worrying about them peeing at the back door, so I’ll let you get started on things now. Best wishes, and thank you for reading our article “How to Stop Dog Peeing at Back Door.”