I have an 18 month old neutered male dog that keeps peeing on our couches and our bed (usually on my husband's pillows) We have two other dogs that are housebroken just fine. I think he is marking either because of dominance or insecurity issues. I don't know what to do to get him to stop. Soon I will have no choice but to give him up and I will feel horrible about it.
2006-11-06 16:47:08 · 6 answers · asked by rdhdchk 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
It would seem the simple choice would be to train him to stay off the couch, and keep him out of your bedroom..
Marking on the bed and couch is certainly an insecurity issue, not ever a dominance,,females do it the same as males..
Just as human toddlers and children, dogs go through developmental phases..
That (just under 2 years) is about the age a dog becomes aware of his vulnerability, and begins to pee where the scent of his or her pee is covered by the master's, his protector.. they sense that the unknown 'boogieman' can find them by their scent, so disguise it by peeing on the bed or couch where the protector's scent is the strongest..He know your husband is pack leader, so does it on his side, for all the more protection..
It will happen most after any stress, such as being scolded, left alone, or even after a nightmare..
they do tend to outgrow the behavior as they mature, and gain more self confidence and security.
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the best preventative is to keep the area blocked from him, and to always walk him UNTIL HE DOES IT outside...in a secluded area..
they will usually like a small pile of sand in a corner...You can get a bag of sand at any garden center..
Scolding will never work for this behavior, as it only reinforces his insecurities,
He can sense your frustration with him, and this adds to his insecurity...He does notice that you may be 'getting rid of him' which only enhances his feeling of being unloved..Dogs sense a lot more than you might think..
You know the plastic that you get to cover new carpeting? You can get it at any carpet store, to put down your walkway..It is prickly on the underside, to make it hug the carpeting..Get a piece of that to keep on your couch, and just roll it back when you want to sit there.. It will teach critters to stay off quickly..You can also put a strip of it in your bedroom doorway, and no dogs will step on it..
You can help his self confidence, and give him a feeling of being valued by teaching him..anything..Teach basic obedience, or tricks, it doesn't matter..He will bond all the more and feel important if you are teaching him, with a positive re-enforcement method..No scolding..this isn't the time for discipline..
2006-11-06 16:53:12 · answer #1 · answered by Chetco 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not sure if I can help but I am dealing with this problem with our 11 yr old male non-neutered (he's getting fixed in 4 days!! I can't wait) large dog we recently took back from my in-laws' home. (We moved to another state and couldn't take him for 2 yrs-never had this problem before.) So far we have two weeks without any incidences. He was urinating on our couches, beds and dirty laundry. What is working is that I decided to treat him like a toddler and take him potty every hour (I'm hoping to eventually start adding more time between potty breaks but not now). We take him out on a leash and tell him to go potty, right after he pees we give him a tiny piece of snack and give him lots of praise. We always stay with him to make sure he urinates and gets his snack. He doesn't get a snack if he doesn't pee. I keep a large back of snacks where we take him out to go to the bathroom so he associates urinating outside with getting a snack. We keep him blocked off from most of the house and we put him in his kennel while we are at work or when we leave to go anywhere. I don't worry about the amount of snacks since I break up one small bone into about 10 pieces so basically he gets one bone a day. We never deviate from the schedule even though it is a huge hassle. I considered giving him back to my in-laws because he has ruined carpet and furniture and drove me crazy. So far this is working, so I'm going to keep him. It's really important to find something that works and remain consistent no matter how inconvenient it is. Good luck.
2006-11-09 08:35:58 · answer #2 · answered by Sherry G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just close your door...
Also, there are some sprays that repel dogs who want to mark. Spray your furniture. My dog was marking the balcony and I sprayed and he stopped. Also, perhaps he was recently neutered? The effect of neutering starts after 6 months from the operation.
2006-11-06 16:57:05 · answer #3 · answered by cpinatsi 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be the pack leader and don't let him on the bed, this is a sign of dominance. He needs training. The Dog Whisperer is a great place to start. He is on the discovery channel or animal planet.
2006-11-06 23:07:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
he's a dirty dog.. keep your bedroom door closed.. have a spray bottle of water and spray him at the same time telling him no, when you catch him doing that.. bummer eh
2006-11-06 16:58:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
put a cork in its pee hole
2006-11-06 16:54:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋