My 4 dogs won't stop marking territory in the house. They are fixed and are taken outside often. HELP!!?

Question

I recently moved in with my Mother after my Father's death. She had two dogs, and I had two. Only two of them a miniature poodle and Pomeranian are territorial and keep tagging our house for territory. We keep them outside more often to keep them from marking as often. And they even sleep in seperate bathrooms to keep them from marking through out the house overnight. We have exhausted any means and are desperate to get some balance back. We are too attached to give them away. And we just need to know where we are going wrong. We have tried treating them when they do good, keeping them outside more often to go potty, limiting there water so they don't stay loaded, and even spanking them when they do it. We know it's not because they need to go potty but because they are purely territorial. they have always been like this since puppies. And all four dogs were trained the same. The other two are no problem. Why are the other two dogs still marking our house. What do we do??

Answer 1

Can they be crated? I would try for treating them as unhousebroken puppies. keep an eye on them at all times thry are loose & when they start preparing to mark rush them outside. If you get caught off guard & they pee rush then out anyway (and take note of what cue you missed). Crate them when you cant watch them.

IF all else fails DR foster & smith pet suppiles (mail order)www.drsfostersmith.com sell a cumberbund type wrap ment to diaper a incontenent dog that could help. (look under housetraining)

Answer 2

I have partial custody of my 2 dogs and they pee on the carpet at the old house with my ex, but have done nothing for weeks in my new house.

First, the dogs need to be integrated into the new home and with each other, keeping them seperated is only giving them more reason to think they need to keep marking thier territory.

Next you need to show them YOU are the leader of the pack, not any of them. And take them for walks, making them walk next to you or even behind you until they get it that you are in control. The dogs will work out their issues, but you cannot be afraid to show them who's boss. That doesn't mean yelling, it just means body language and being stern.

Last, you definitely need to get some carpet cleaner with enzymes, the other gal was right, they can still smell it in the carpet no matter what else you use. I think thats the reason my dogs don't pee in the new house and continue to do so a my ex's

Answer 3

Spay or neuter your pet as soon as possible. Spaying or neutering your pet may stop urine-marking altogether, however, if he has been urine-marking over a long period of time, a pattern may already be established.

Resolve conflicts between animals in your home (see our handouts: “Canine Rivalry” and “Feline Social Behavior and Aggression Between Family Cats”).

Clean soiled areas thoroughly (see our handout: “Successful Cleaning to Remove Pet Odors and Stains”). Don’t use strong smelling cleaners as these may cause your pet to “over-mark” the spot.

Make previously soiled areas inaccessible or unattractive (see our handouts: “Aversives For Dogs” and “Aversives For Cats”).

If making soiled areas inaccessible or unattractive isn’t possible, try to change the significance of those areas. Feed, treat and play with your pet in the areas he is inclined to mark.

Keep objects likely to cause marking out of reach. Guests’ belongings, new purchases and so forth, should be placed in a closet or cabinet.

What NOT To Do:

Don’t punish your pet after the fact. Punishment administered even a minute after the event is ineffective because your pet won’t understand why he is being punished.

Answer 4

take all your dogs out at seperate times. they are all seeking attention.all the dogs are trying to do is mark their territory. after one uses it in the house take some distilled vinegar and put on the spots when yoou clean it up. that should take care of it

Answer 5

I have never had this problem with dogs. However, I have had it with 2 cats and come to find out, it was because the people who lived there before us had cats that sprayed. Although we could not smell it after several cleanings, our cats did. . .could this be the case with the dogs?

Answer 6

You should use a pet stain remover..it has enzymes. If you dont use that, then even if you cleaned it with water, the dog's strong sense of smell can still smell the urine.