I have 3 dogs who live indoors (all above the age of 9). We recently moved into a new house and one of the dogs, (I believe I know who it is) has started peeing on the carpet. This behavior is not normal for this dog. I have tried everything to get her to stop. It is going to cost me a fortune to replace my carpet. The basement door is kept open at all times, she knows that it leads to a dog door that leads to a large back yard, but she insists on getting up in the middle of the night and going down one flight of stairs to pee on my light colored carpet. I've tried spraying the carpet with odor ban (supposedly it gets rid of any urine smell), I've tried spraying the carpet with "Hartz Help! Stay off training Aid" and that has just about killed me, you have to leave the house when you spray it. If you have any natural ways of keeping the dog off the carpet ie: a mixture I can spray on the carpet that won't kill us, please advise.
- Anonymous

Because of the age of these dogs, I first think you should eliminate any possibility of physical problems. Have a vet examine her to make sure. Next, check to see if the stairs are dark or the dog's vision is not as good as it was. Maybe a fall along the way in the night, uncomfortable feelings about the doggy door, or the yard at night has caused her to be unsure and scared. This is a new house; she may be having a hard time adjusting to her new surroundings. You could make sure she has no water within an hour before bed time. Try walking her through the whole procedure of going out just as she sees it (in the dark?) and see where she refuses to pass. This may point out a problem. As for sprays - there are plenty of mixtures on the market that work well, or if you prefer to make one at home, use citronella, cayenne pepper, or bitter apple as the active ingredient. You'll want to test them first to see if they stain the light-colored carpet.

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