when you leave, is he completely alone in the house or does he do this when your husband is still there? i'm not gonna imply for one second that your husband is abusing him in any way, shape or form but could it be that he is putting off some vibes that make the dog nervous and that is why he's peeing?

if that is not the case, he isn't showing "anger", he is showing some separation anxiety. the ONLY way to deal with this is to crate him. however, crating will take some training on your part. get a crate big enough for him to be comfortable in but not big enough that he will be able to move off of his bed to pee. dogs won't normally eliminate where they sleep. once he is used to being in the crate, leave him for longer periods of time. start with just a couple of minutes and work your way up from there.

while you are crate training him, do NOT release him unless he is calm. letting him out when he is whining, barking, etc., will only reinforce the idea in his mind that if he whines/barks, he will get out.

crate training takes time, it doesn't happen overnight. you might also check in to some rescue remedy and give that to him before you leave. if that doesn't keep him calm, you might have to go to a stronger sedative but it really sounds like he's doing this out of fear and/or nerves.

he isn't "angry" at you and he isn't "acting out". that isn't how dogs think.

I agree with ninaearl. He isn't angry, dogs don't act in revenge. They do however continue to do things when we allow them to.

I've always felt it was best for everyone to create an atmosphere of success for my pets. If that means crating when you go out in the evening, simply crate him. If that's when he's prone to misbehave, you need to prevent him from doing it. You may have to always crate him when you go out at night, but doing that vs. coming home to a mess and being angry at him, seems to me an easy solution. You could give him a special chewy or treat that he only gets when he's in his crate when you go out, or a toy, etc. Maybe in your new house you could create an area for him and his crate right off, so he knows his place and role.

I'm sure others will chime in with more tips on crate training for you. One of our current dogs wasn't potty trained when we got her. We'd never had to crate a pet before so it was new to us. Truthfully I wasn't very keen on it at first but with Roxie peeing & pooping all over the house, I warmed up to it quickly. It took a good 2-3 months until she was reliably potty trained. Good luck, I hope you can work this out, at approx. 6 yrs old, he's still pretty young, you could enjoy a lot more years with him if you can get this under control.

I also agree with nina! I would get him crate trained. He is stressing out when you leave him alone. This way is he pees, it will just be in the crate not on the carpet or furniture. Don't think of crating as a punishment. Crate trained dogs like their crates and it's a safe place for them to go. You should not feel like that's some last resort torture...it's a very practical solution!

Take him to the vet and request a course of antibiotics. Virtually every time one of my pets has begun urinating in the house inappropriately over the years, it stemmed from a urinary tract infection. This should be your first course of action. In the meantime, and in your new house, confine him to an area (kitchen with tile or vinyl floor) that is easy to clean when he must be left alone.

easy answers:

crate train, and if you still have problems, try anxiety reducing medicine. Between those two solutions, there is almost always an optimal outcome.

and tell your husband to lighten up.

When crate training make a huge fuss when putting him in the crate Give him a cookie and use the same command all the time. I say Skoot and my dog knows when I go out it's crate time and a cookie. When I go too bed he knows it's bed time and when I say Skoot he runs to his pad beside my bed. After you come home completely ignore him. Take off your jacket shoes what ever check messages and then eventually still ignoring him open his crate and let him out . The big deal is going in not coming out. If you fuss over him as soon as you come home he will be just waiting for that " Oh boy she's here at last. " Just more anxiety

I disagree that dogs dont act in revenge. I have personally seen my dog give "pay back" months after another dog had him trapped in the back of my truck and was barking at my dog, trying to start something. It sounds like you are doing everything right.
So I see you have a couple of options. Get a cable run, put it between two trees outside, put your dog in a harness and have him hang out outside. Build a dog run outside or put your dog in diapers (he may tear them off) but it might be worth a try.

I would never recommend tying a dog outside for many reasons. Mostly because people are going around stealing and torturing dogs they find tied up in people's back yards. Then you have the possibility of another animal attacking and/or eating your dog that's tied and defenseless! There are just too many things that can happen to a dog left outside tied up! Just crate train him and be done with it! Don't try and overthink it...just do it!

Arkansas girl, I have lived in a number of neighborhoods where at least a dozen dogs are on cable runs, most in fenced yards some not...The only time I ever even heard of an issue was with an invisible fence, my friends dog was minding his own when a pack came into the yard, he ran them off, ended up outside the invisible fence and could not get back in without getting zapped (he was probably able to ignore the first zap on his way out since he was focused on the other dogs) The dog was very traumatized to the point of refusing to exit the home after that.

mazer, you are lucky that you don't live in an area that has sick people that abuse poor defenseless dogs! Where I live it happens all the time! Just the other day, a dog was stollen right out of the car while the owners dined in a restaurant.

I agree that tying the dog outdoors is not the answer. Most people who start that find it easier eventually to just leave the dog out all the time (or a family member insists), then you simply have a lonely miserable dog living out his pitiful existence on the end of a rope. What's the point in that?

Have to ask why you think the dog is angry? How do you know he isn't afraid, or upset, or somehow being mistreated while you are away? I highly doubt your dog is messing on the floor as an act of revenge.

Also, why be against crate training? Sure it would be ideal not to have to crate but the fact is that not all dogs are able to be lose at all times. My dog is crated when I am not here, and occasionally when I am if I need to be sure he wont be under foot. He also uses his crate to sleep so even though I too WFH I can often find him snoozing in his crate with the door wide open. Dogs can and will make their crate into their personal secure space so long as it is used properly (not as punishment and not locked up for excessive amounts of time). A normal healthy dog will not usually go potty in the same place it sleeps so if given a properly sized crate you shouldn't need to worry about him going potty in the crate. And if when you open the crate up you have a leash ready to lead him right outdoor so he can immediately relive himself then you can let him in and not worry about a mess.

Research crate training and give it a try. As someone upstream said it is up to you to set your dog up for success.

I tend to have pretty strong feelings about people who make a commitment when they adopt a pet then dump them when they become inconvenient. I don't trust people like that. If they'll go back on their commitment to a pet they will likely do the same in other non-pet situations as well.

I would start off with a visit to the vet to check for a UTI or other medical issue. Dogs really don't get "angry" - separation anxiety yes - heck I think these days it is built in. I would try the crate training - or putting in a room with vinyl flooring. Taking your dog to a shelter after all of these years would just be terrible -and you have to consider the laws that are springing up everywhere re dogs that are Pit or Part Pit - I live in Ontario, Canada and I can tell you that I would not be able to adopt Jack - I wouldn't even be able to cross Ontario in a car with him. So please consider this. Your husband needs to try and bond with Jack - my dogs have always loved my husband but I am their special person and it sounds as if you also fit into that category.