steffunny- Im not sure you understand. There is a differance between what you just said about doing rewards or her thinking "oh if i pee i will get strokes"..that isnt the case here. I am talking about an older dog who has been house trained for over a decade ,doing it all of a sudden. so the whole rewards thing isnt going to work.
And we will always console her whenever that happens in the house. Why?....because the piece of sh*t who had her before would never walk her and then abuse her and starve her whenever she peed in the house. So now,when she does pee in the house, she looks at us,like shes scared.
So needless to say when she does do it in here, we console her so she doesnt think that sort of thing will ever happen to her again.
As sweetpeach says, its not a behaviour problem.
that is so disgusting. People like that should be banned from having pets 
Ink-Spirational, I agree with you. I feel this is past behavior and no amount of discipline would correct it.
My mother fostered an older dog for a couple of months. He started to wee in the house. At first, she scolded him. When she realized he didn't seem to be able to help it (he'd be standing there, and a puddle would form), she took him to a vet. It turns out this dog (found abandoned and nearly dead) had an abdominal tumor that was pressing on his bladder. The vet felt it was cancerous and his chances for surviving surgery were poor. She had Buddy put down.
I also have a cat who was previously severely abused. I have to be very careful about correcting the occasional bad behavior, because it can upset her for days. Even medicating her can have her scared of me for a week. She's also terrified of men, so I have to make sure she's got a safe place to hide if one comes into my home. We have learned to live with each other, and she knows where she's safe and loved.
If Lady has been housetrained for years and is suddenly weeing in the house, it is most likely medical--which no amount of discipline will resolve. I once had a 17-year-old cat who started weeing inappropriately. It turned out that he was suffering from dementia, and no amount of discipline would have fixed the situation.
Ink, if this is a chronic problem for Lady, please seek advice from people who rescue special-needs dogs. They will be able to give you great advice about how to help her live a decent, dignified life. I know a special-needs cat rescuer, and her advice helped my boy and I immeasurably. A vet can pinpoint the problem and help to an extent, but someone who has "been there, done that" on a day-in/day-out basis can really save your sanity.
I've been involved in rescue for over a decade, and every pet I have is a shelter adoption or street rescue I did myself. I've dealt with "normal" and some special needs. Some have had behavior issues (mostly abuse or neglect-related). Others have been orphans or had medical issues. Sometimes things have been set right with a bit of medicine; other times, adjusting to a new reality is necessary. Only a thorough checkup from a vet will determine which will best help Lady. Ink, I wish you, your partner and Lady nothing but the best.
