My dog peed on my foot!!?

Question

I just got my dog about 3 weeks ago. He is almost 2 years old and a chihuahua/pomeranian mix and I'm having a lot of trouble with him. He's scared of strangers and other dogs. He even bit me once because someone else was yelling at him and he thought that was the other person's hand. He bit my mom too. So today I was walking around in the backyard and he got so excited and jumped all over me so I told him to sit to calm him down, but he wouldn't so finally I yelled at him and he just peed on my foot. Same thing happened again later on that same day. He doesn't listen to me anymore...I really don't know what to do with him. PLEASE HELP!!!

Answer 1

You have a dog that is submissive. Probably given the fact that he was a rescue, and you NEVER know what the previous owners have done to him. I think the solution is for you (and others) to STOP YELLING at the dog. Yelling never gets anywhere, and it sounds like you tried that approach and it isn't working.

Now, that being said, dogs only understand basic things. Although, us people have a tendancy to humanize them, we sometimes give them too much credit for being able to understand us. Dogs learn best with a YAY! / NO type training. It is basically BLACK and WHITE. So grab a leash, so you have some control on the dog, and a handfull of treats (cut up hotdogs works good). Take the dog around on the leash and work some of the things you want to train.

I am going to use your comment on the jumping up as an example. I am assuming your dog knows how to sit and you have access to a petsmart to buy a clicker. So with dog on leash ask dog to sit. If he does CLICK! (insert hot dog here) YAY! good dog! If he jumps up on you there is a NO..... that's it (don't dictate why their bad and how you feel about that, because they don't understand) .... and a small tug on the collar. (Don't jerk the dog's head off.) Ask dog to sit again..... if he does CLICK! (insert hot dog here) YAY! good dog!...... If not, NO.... small tug. After this SHOW them what you are looking for. Put dog in a sit... CLICK! (insert hot dog here)... YAY! good dog!

Do not create a GREY area by letting him jump up sometimes, and then not others. No jumping up.... all the time. Carry around your clicker and be prepared to REWARD dog for good behavior. By usind this REWARD approach instead of the YELLING, you should be able to make progress more quickly.

Answer 2

The first thing I would advise is to step back and take a deep breath. You will need to remain calm and gentle with this dog if you want any hope of changing these behaviors. I know it can be frustrating, but he doesn't understand what you want of him, yet. He can and will if you are willing to work with him. Are you willing to put the time in?

Ok, I agree with several other people here, no more yelling! Dogs' hearing is so much better than ours and they don't really need the Volume, they need the Inflection. I find that dogs respond very well to the sound "AT" when trying to correct a bad behavior. It's a sharp, quick noise, simmilar to what another dog would sound like. When he jumps on you, say "At, At!" and turn your body away from him. Eyes up. don't give him any attention until he's calm. When he is, praise him, quietly and calmly. A gentle "good" will do, or a clicker. Treats are always a good way to reward a dog for good behavior too. You can use these things in any training you want to do really.
If he bites while you are holding him, "AT!" and put him on the ground, ignor him for a few seconds. Pick him up and try again. He'll learn that biting takes your attention away from him.

If you get cable TV there is a wonderful program on "Animal Planet" called "It's the Dog or Me". The trainer is a British woman who really knows her stuff. Take a look if you can, if not, perhaps you could have a friend tape it for you. It's eye opening. You might also do well to have a trainer come and work with you. Your dog might not do well in a large class with a bunch of other dogs because of his fear.

Oh! As for his fear of strangers and other dogs...Use reverse phycology. Have people that he doesn't know very well give him nice treats when they see him, every time! Have them squat down, looking away from the dog, hold out their hand with a bit of hot dog or other yummy treat. Let your dog go to them on his own. He'll get the idea that strangers aren't so scarey, they have treats!
Same concept with other dogs, keep him at a safe distance, give him a word to associate with the dog, "DOG" "good", give a treat, focus his attention on you instead of the other dog. When ever he looks at you instead of the dog, "Good" & treat.
Well, good luck!!

Answer 3

First, thank you for adopting an older dog! It appears that he has either been abused or was not socialized by his previous owner....thus producing his behavior. He urinated on your foot out of fear. A lot of the smaller dogs will urinate when either excited or afraid. He really needs obedience training. He needs to be taught that he is not the alpha. I’m suspecting that he is biting out of fear, this is not uncommon for dogs that have been abused. My first beloved dog had been severely abused and he turned out to be THE BEST DOG EVER!!! The majority of dogs that have been abused will be the most faithful companion and bond very close to you! I took him to a trainer because he started to become aggressive with my cats after my divorce. Most ppl wouldn’t think that a life style change would be any problem for them, but that’s not true. It can be very traumatic on them!!! As this was the case with my beloved dog. I took him to a one-on-one trainer...YOU DO NOT WANT TO TAKE YOUR DOG TO AN OBEDIENCE CLASS WITH OTHER DOGS! There will be too much confusion for him in this situation. He is not listening to you because he does not see you as the alpha. Dogs will feel more secure if they know you are the leader(alpha) and what is expected of them. If you cannot afford the obedience trainer, shoot me an email and I’ll help you out the best I can with training tips and websites that will give you more information. Also, he SLOWLY needs to be introduced to strangers and other dogs. This needs to be done with him on a leash and you NOT holding him. When you hold a small dog they think that they are a BIG dog, may sound silly, but it’s the truth! Many small dogs have social problems because they have been held when around other dogs. The best place to introduce your dog to others is OFF YOUR PROPERTY, this is because they may have a tendency to be protective since it is there domain. I wish you the best, and again, feel free to shoot me an email for any questions!

Answer 4

I agree 100% w/ Diane S. Stop yelling at your dog. He definitely sounds like he came from an abusive family.

My mum and pop had a dog like that. He was a good loyal dog, but had problems w/ PEOPLE.

People cause animals lots of trauma if they don't treat the animals w/ lots of love and 'calm'.

If you were abused, don't you think you'd act 'different'?

Do unto others, including animals, as you would have them do unto you!

You never know. You may come back an animal in the next life!

Answer 5

I would say he may of been abused in his past. He needs love gentleness and patience. Yelling at him will only make things worse as you found today.

He can be rehabilitated, but you have to do it in a calm and loving way however much it gets to you. He needs to get over his nervousness. That won''t happen over night. No one knows what he endured before you got him. Obedience training would help you both too I'm sure.

Good luck with your little one. Given time he will make a wonderful companion if you have the patience to work through this with him.

Answer 6

You should try dog training. I started taking my little monster 2 weeks ago and it's already made a difference. It may sound expensive, but it's so worth it to be able to live with your dog in peace!

Answer 7

You prolly need to spend some quality time with your dog. And since that dog is soooo small you really don't need to yell at it. That just scares them. Just tell them a ferm NO and eventually they will get it. Also after you tell them NO show them what to do and say the command while you are pushing him down. And for the peeing thing...you stick his nose near it then say...NO! BAD __________ ( put name in blank )
once you get to know your dog more like take it for walks and stuff it will listen to you. Trust me.

Answer 8

your dog is part Chihuahua so these dogs are very sensitive to begin with... your dog peed cause he was afraid of you yelling at him
try to take him to a professional dog trainer or try to train him on your own but yelling at him won;t help be Stern & say no .
good luck

Answer 9

You will be doing yourself & your dog a huge favor by enrolling in obedience classes with a trainer that teaches positive reinforcement training...Not only will you learn to teach your dog appropriate behaviors but also learn to understand your dog better.
The biting thing?...Bad news!...Google NILIF. (Nothing in life is free) & implement the techniques...I manage a pack of Great Pyrenees (ranging in 90 to 125 lbs. in weight) which is a breed that is hard tempered & independent thinking...Without NILIF I would not be pack leader in their eyes & that could result in chaos at the very least...It sounds to me like your dog has put you under himself in the "pack" heirarcy there...If you don't understand your dog & be a firm & reliable leader your dog will be nervous & try to assume that roll.

Answer 10

This dog does not respect you at all. They do not pee on someone they respect. They also pee in front of not on one whom they are submissive too.

I am a dog trainer behaviorist. You need help with a dog with attitude/dominace issues