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We have a 3 1/2 year old Male Chow. He is housebroken and has always had a good temperament. We recently moved from Southern California where our dog was mostly inside. In California, we usually left him outside when we left the house (unless is was very hot..we left him in with the a/c) and he slept in the house every night. He was completely housebroken and never had any accidents. About 6 weeks ago we moved to Lake Havasu City, AZ where June/July/August temperatures are 103-123. We cannot leave him out for more than 10-15 minutes for bathroom breaks. Ever since we moved into this home (which was built 5 years ago), he has decided to use a section of the living room (near the french doors leading to the backyard) and a section of the den near the same area as his potty. He urinates at least once a day on the carpet. He usually does it when we leave to go run errands. He has started doing it during the night as well. He has also pooped in the same area a handful of times. We make sure to control his feedings/water intake and I walk with him in the backyard to make sure he is urinating/pooping several times a day. We know the previous owners had two dogs so we are assuming that they had marked that area and he needed to mark it with his scent. We have now had the carpets cleaned professionally 3 times. We have tried locking him in a large room with tile when we leave (he freaks out and we come home to chewed baseboard (he had never destroyed anything in the past) or a cut paw and blood drops everywhere! We purchased a large dog kennel/cage and came back to find he had escaped and again cut his paw and dropped blood everywhere. The carpet cleaner mentioned sprinkling white pepper on the carpet to detract him but it hasn't seemed to help! We don't know what to do!! We love our Dog but we can't live with him using our new carpet (it was replaced by the previous owners and is approx. 2 years old) as a toilet. What can we do? It should cool off in Sept. so he can spend more time outside but we need a solution now!
Thanks for your advice!

A few months ago I moved with Gracie to WI. She had been use to a fenced in yard and her playmate Princess.Even in the hot weather she liked to be outside. I had a kiddie pool I filled and she'd sit in it when she was hot. She would come in to cool off and take a nap then be ready to return outside. Then when we moved we ended up in a small apartment. It took a few weeks for her to totally stop being stressed out over her new settings. I discovered when I had to leave to work, she would sit at the door and cry. That broke my heart to know she was so scared when I left. I gave her a lot of extra attention. Lots of walks.

In the meantime Princess and my husband moved into a apartment. Princess was going thru the same thing and picked a spot in the livingroom to do her duties. She was walked often but just wouldnt go outside. When Gracie and I returned and moved into the apartment, first thing Gracie did was pee on the carpet! She never does this. Even when we was living in WI she never had a accident. So access to the livingroom was cut off unless we are in the room with them. They are taken out, given plenty of time to do their duties, then we will go to the livingroom. When we have to leave without them, they are kept in the kitchen with all their toys. Both the girls are doing great now, but I still dont allow them total run of the place, not until I know for certain. I really think someone had pets here before also and the smell is in the carpet.

Can you allow your Chow extra time outside in the mornings and in the evenings? I've never tried one but people talk about Kongs that you can fill with peanutbutter.

Re: "The carpet cleaner mentioned sprinkling white pepper on the carpet to detract him but it hasn't seemed to help! We don't know what to do!!"
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It could be that the previous dogs' urine odor is soaked into the floor itself, and carpet cleaning doesn't reach it. Dogs have a powerful sense of smell, and if your dog can still smell the other dogs' scent, he might think they are still around, so he keeps covering their scent(?) You might consider untacking the carpet in that corner, replacing the underpadding in that section, and pouring odor neutralizer on the floor itself and on both sides of the peeled-up carpet, then blot and dry.

I'm not sure if your dog and previous dogs were neutered and squatting, or aiming on the wall...you'd have to soak the wall area, and behind baseboard with the neutralizer too.

We just had the carpet pulled up and there are numerous spots of urine that were not from our chow. So we are replacing the padding and having the carpets cleaned, again, on both sides. Well let you all know if it works.

Aside from the carpet ideas, would it be practical to put a doggie door in the area of the french doors so he can get out to the back yard as needed?

It sounds like he is getting as close to the outside as possible now. Benny comes and goes in the Texas heat with no problems so far. Chows are smart enough to stay cool if they have the option. Benny goes outside, takes care of business then either comes back to the A/C or finds a favorite cool spot in the yard to relax.

Hi Cory: How is everything now?

I'm late on noticing this post. My chows know that I get very displeased with them when they go in the house, but I do have a tarp with a towel on top over the area where my two chows can go if they get too excited while playing and I can't make it to the door on time to let them out or Sheena gets an unexpected UTI. Just a thought. It doesn't appear to have taken them away from their being housebroken since they rarely use it.

Hope your problem is all solved.