why does my dog pee on my kids?

Question

I have a 1 year old male heeler and he has peed on my daughter and now my son...Why is he doing that? And how do i make him STOP

Answer 1

peeing on other members of the pack is the ultimate sign of dominance, bordering on aggression. just as we think it's distasteful and vulgar, so do dogs, which is why it is a sign of extreme disrespect. they know very well the difference between peeing on a person and peeing on an object. how is your dog's behavior with your kids other than this? does he play nicely with them and allow them to walk him without pulling them everywhere? if this is not the case, and you're seeing him play tug of war with their possessions, nipping at them, growling at them, or anything else that he does not do to you, it is because he considers them beneath him on the pack hierarchy. you need to help the kids to learn what is proper leadership and not to let the dog get away with these innappropriate behaviors. be present during interactions between your dog and the children so that you can discipline the dog when he tries to assert himself over your kids, to let him know that they are YOUR possessions, not his, and that they are ranked higher than him. and just in case you were wondering, this does not require physical punishment. just try to imagine how alpha males deal with insubordination in a pack. it is not tolerated, but corrected with swift, stern, but gentle actions.

HOWEVER, if by peeing on them, you mean that when he sees your kids and is jumping up and down and smiling and wagging his tail and just absolutely is thrilled to be with them, then what you are dealing with is what i call "joy pee." this is very different from the typical lifting a leg and pointedly directing a stream of urine onto another person or dog or object. joy pee is not the dog's fault and if you are punishing him, you may be aggravating the problem, because it is a sign of submission and happiness in a dog, and if you being scolding him, he will try to appease you and let you know what a nice submissive dog he is by peeing more. the solution to this is very simple, teach your kids to greet the dog in a calm way, without getting overly excited. practice leaving and entering the house quietly, as if there was nothing going on. this will help the dog to learn that it's not big deal when people come and go and that it's okay to be calm and happy to see them at the same time.

hopefully this gives you a better idea on how to deal with this situation. if you need help with the specifics on how to do this, email me, and i'd be glad to answer any more questions.

Answer 2

Are you serious - any "tricks or something you will have to deal with?"??? I would not recommend for health reasons, to continue to let the kid sleep in a pee soaked bed. Pour some white vinegar on the spots & air it out to dry. Did you not do research on housebreaking and training BEFORE you got him? Is he neutered?? To begin with - you need to take his leash and WALK him outside - at least 30 mins, twice a day to expose him to new territory that will encourage him to pee himself out. Secondly, he should NOT be sleeping with the kids until he IS housebroken. You need to back up, start from scratch. Invest in a crate and crate train him. You don't say how old he is but a puppy needs taken out EVERY TWO HOURS. He should not be loose in the house unless he is closely monitored. If he is an adult, you can put the crate in the kids' bedroom - just make sure it is a solid fiberglass crate and not wire or he may lift his leg and pee out of it. But then every time he stirs or whines, GET HIM OUTSIDE. He is just showing jealousy of the kids. Just like when you introduce a new baby, you need to put extra time into paying attention to the first baby also so he doesn't feel left out. It's the same with dogs. Just because the kid came along, that doesn't release you of the responsiblities to the dog. A child's relationship with his dog doesn't provide a phschologically balanced routine for a dog. That is the responsiblity of the adult. And it is very very sad that the adults usually don't want to step up to the plate and keep their life long committment to their dogs - hundreds of them end up on Craig's List or wherever - their reason for getting rid of the dog? "We had a baby and just don't have the time for him anymore"... You know why I never had kids? Because I loved dogs so much - I realized I could never manage both. The best decision I ever made in my life.

Answer 3

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that when he pees on them, they probably freak out. And chances are good that you go running for a towel, and there's a lot of yelling and activity, right?

That is so incredibly fun for dogs. Everyone's jumping, and barking, and he gets to join in.

It may not be easy, but when he pees on someone, they need to respond with a quick, firm, "No!" then stay calm, and ignore the dog. Remove him to another room, and clean up quietly. This makes the behavior much less rewarding.

If it's any consolation, I did exactly the same freak-out thing when one of mine managed to pee on my face. Eeek.

Answer 4

Eeek! He thinks he is your kids' superior in the family "pack". That's not good. You should be the boss. When he understands that, your kids can feed him his meals kibble by kibble, until he understands where his bread comes from. The boss dishes the goods. The boss(es) controls who gets the food, who gets the toys, who gets petted, who follows whom, why and when. Your dog needs tons of walking, exercise, and training. He sits before eating, being pet, and going through doors behind you. If he's young, you can make an indelible influence on him now, and enjoy his ability to understand your language. Give him consistant vocabulary. Best of luck!

Answer 5

Dogs can be vindictive. Make sure your kids are being nice to the dog. Just one reason maybe why.

Answer 6

He apparantly thinks that he is in charge of your household. If he is intact- neuter him immediately. Then, enroll in obedience classes for the two of you.

Answer 7

Because he doesnt like kids, or its jealous of the attention they get, and wants more attention

Answer 8

try using a doll....and make him slowly bring him outside....and take the doll out...and perhaps burn it lol ...got the idea from the movie bruce almighty.....where he used the sofa

Answer 9

LOL IDK BUT THATS REALLY FUNNY...gee sux 4 tha kids mayB he feels as if they r HIS like marking them or male dogz tend 2 pee on upright thing trees..plants...posts..kids..

Answer 10

he is marking them as his terrtory. not a clue how to stop it .