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Please help - dog peeing everywhere!!

7 replies

GiraffeFluff · 07/10/2017 11:01

Any advice welcome as we are tearing our hair out.
We adopted our dog 8 months ago. He is now 1yr and 4mths old. He was partially house trained when we got him but he had a few accidents. During the summer the back door was open all the time and he went in and out and it was all fine.
However...recently he has regressed and today we found pee against the sofa and in the kitchen.

  1. We adopted a cat a month ago. Understandably, our dog might be feeling funny about this. He did start peeing in the house more when cat arrived. We took him to the vet for a thorough check-up and there's nothing wrong physically. She prescribed him some 'calming' pills and he has one in his food each night.
  2. The big problem seems to be that he point blank REFUSES to pee when we take him outside and give the command. (He used to pee on this command.) Last night before bed I took him out and he sat looking at me, utterly refusing to pee. This morning I found a huge puddle in the kitchen.
  3. He used to be crated at night. Then we started leaving him to sleep in his bed in the living room. But then we started finding pees (this was before the cat arrived!) so we started using the crate again. However, he hates going into the crate at night and he would go and sit high up in the garden when he was let out for the last pee. When I'd get him back in he would dart about and try and go anywhere rather than his crate. BUT he doesn't ever pee in the crate which is why we were using it. Out of pity we decided to let him sleep in the kitchen instead, with the door closed. This has been far except for this morning when we found pee.
    (Thank you if you've read this far!!)
  4. He doesn't 'ask' to go out. The back door is now closed as the cat can't go out yet. We have occasionally spotted him standing by the door and we praise him and let him out straight away but he doesn't whimper or bark. I was thinking about trying to train him to ring a bell BUT often he is outside for ages and then comes in and STILL pees somewhere.
  5. We're trying VERY hard not to get cross with him but it is HARD when he is pissing on our furniture and REFUSING to pee on command when outside.
    Please please can anyone help??? Thanks
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GiraffeFluff · 07/10/2017 15:34

A hopeful bump Blush

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Si1ver · 07/10/2017 15:48

Sounds to me like you need to go back to basics with him.

Take him outside on the lead, when he should need to pee and walk him up and down repeatedly giving the command you use for peeing. When he does pee make a huge fuss of him and give him a treat. Repeat this every few hours. Keep a close eye on him, effectively constant supervision and if you see him raising his leg take him straight outside. Every time he pees outside treats and praise. Lots and lots of praise.

Make sure that all the areas that are usual pee spots are cleaned thoroughly with anti bacterial (you get special no more pee stuff for dogs) as he'll return to his smell.

Crate training is great, but it shouldn't be a battle to get him in his bed. Coax him in with treats. Make sure the crate is comfy and warm. We use old pillows under the dogs bedding to make it soft. Once he's in the crate let him come out again straight away. Later on coax him back again. Keep repeating this. Feed him in his crate or crate area. Work up to closing the door on him. Don't ever use the crate as punishment.

Unfortunately repetition and hard work are going to be the only ways to help the dog correct their behaviour. If you don't take him to training classes - start. He needs to be sure of his place on the family and you need to show him where that is.

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CornflakeHomunculus · 07/10/2017 15:52

If he's had the all clear from the vet then the best thing you can do you is go right back to basics with him. Treat him as you would a puppy with regular trips outside, trying to avoid giving him the opportunity as much as possible to go inside (even if that means using a house line and keeping him with you), lots of praise when he gets it right and cleaning up accidents as nonchalantly as possible. This guide to toilet training is excellent and although aimed at new puppy owners the same method (though less frequent trips outside are necessary) will work for dogs of any age. Make sure you're cleaning up any accidents with something that will fully break down any scent so he's not being encouraged to go in the same area repeatedly. You can use either a solution of biological washing liquid/powder or a proper cleaner like Simple Solution Urine Destroyer (magic stuff!).

It does sound like he's possibly quite a sensitive and anxious chap, it might be worth considering a consultation with a decent behaviourist to get some pointers on how best to support him.

I'd stop using the crate for now as well if he's clearly not happy about going in there. Increasing his anxiety won't help his toileting issues at all.

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CornflakeHomunculus · 07/10/2017 15:53

The same FB group also has a very good guide to distress-free crate training, it's worth going right back to basics with him for that as well if you want to continue using it in the future.

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EmmaLou3422 · 07/10/2017 15:56

One of our dogs started peeing in the house again when we got another puppy. Only thing that solved it was crating the pair of them. They won't pee in their own bed if they can help it! Think it was about a year before I even considered letting them out the crate at night or if we left the house. It seems to have solved it, not one accident since and the puppy is now 4 years old.

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GiraffeFluff · 07/10/2017 16:15

Thanks all. Great advice.
Yes, we think he's a sensitive little chap. He was a rescue and his life before he was found literally roaming the countryside at around 6ths old (Vet's guess) is a complete mystery. He is incredibly loving and soft-natured. He also does 'submission peeing' when he is excited about us coming home, when he's been left alone for a bit, or if we call him and he thinks he's in trouble for some reason 😕

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OhWotIsItThisTime · 07/10/2017 19:23

My dog is like this. He gets enormous praise if he pees in the garden. If I find an errant puddle in the garden (I try to watch him, but with kids it's hard), I'll draw his attention to it and give him tons of praise. He also goes to the treat box, sits and wags his tail! If we see him do it, which is most of the time, he gets praise and a treat. He's obviously trying.

We adopted him at one. He wasn't really toilet trained, but is improving.

My mum's dog pees on command. One day...

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