Tucker has started peeing more and more in my home and I am at a loss for what to do. Here's the deal:
I adopted him about 3 months ago. He's 4 years old and the original owners said that he typically could only hold it 5/6 hours. He's home pretty much exactly 6 hours in the morning (then a walker comes to take him out for half an hour) and 6 hours in the evening (when I get home). I figured that, like just about ANY dog, he could manage another hour or two. Initially, he peed a few times on my sofa over a couple of weeks and I managed to let it go. My action, since I can't be home when he does it, was to expose him to the spot he peed on and repeat "No!" many times, then take him out. He's been tested for Fanconi within 4-5 months, so I'm thinking that this is not his problem.
So a couple of days ago I came home to a fresh batch of pee on my carpet and, since I had left the door open to my room, he peed on my duvet and comforter. TWICE in one day! Furthermore, he seems to be ashamed and shreds whatever he pees on. He pulled some of the carpet up and shredded my duvet. He never shredded the sofa when he peed there… Normally, I keep my door closed. He pees on 'soft things'. I got a scat mat for the sofa, so he stopped peeing there. I got a doggie door for my balcony and he has a pillow and blanket there, which he also pees on randomly, but I never know how much. Now that I've taken the sofa away from him, he pees on the carpet (rather than the hardwood floor).
I'm at a loss for what to do next. The original owner basically told me "well, we DID tell you that he couldn't hold it more than 5/6 hours". So I guess I'm just missing his peeing in the afternoons as this is when he seems to do it most (based on the 'freshness' of the spots when I get home).
I implore anyone to help with any ideas on this. I am almost at the point of putting him back up for adoption based on his newfound apparent joy of peeing all over the place. It's becoming more and more frequent.
A few things to not:
Tucker sleeps with me. I take him out anytime between 8pm and 11-12 at night and then again at about 6am. That's up to 10 hours. Granted, he's sleeping and that may be the difference??
I already pay a walker to come once a day and it's costing me about $260/month for 5 days a week. I simply cannot afford another visit.
I do not want to crate him for 12 hours a day as he's never been a 'crate dog', although he has one and is only mildly averse to going in it (with treats as bait).
I can't lock him on the balcony all day since winter is coming and he'll freeze (and that a crappy life also as I have a pretty small balcony).
I can't afford professional training.
Do pee pads work? Should I try this? If so, how does he know to use that rather than the carpet or somewhere else? Do I fence him in the kitchen and plan on cleaning his mess up everyday? Help!