Rocky is marking the house

[rheacer]

Our 3 year old male Cairn, "Rocky" has begun to pee in the house. He was completely housebroken but after we went on vacation the summer he not only started to pee in the house but when he goes in the back yard he now hikes his leg in several places around the deck and on the potted plants, this is new behavior, heused to just squat. When he pees in the house it seems to be move like "marking" because he does it in the same spots over and over and he doesn't pee a large volume, that is why I'm using the term "marking". We have restricted the areas where he's been "marking" but as soon as he gains access he'll go. He is also neutered.

Any ideas are appreciated.

[jimnconnie]

Sounds like Rocky is indeed marking. Did you notice him doing this during your vacation? If you were in an area where there were other dogs around, he may have begun to mark his territory then and it has carried over to doing the same thing now at home. Outside, no problem--inside, big problem! I would suggest trying to watch him very closely in the house, and when you catch him starting to mark shout out a LOUD & STERN "NO!!!",and promplty put him outdoors. He should soon get the message that what he is doing is unacceptable. Good Luck.

[kjwarnold]

We don't have that problem, but when we couldn't get Packy to stop barking at stuff outside, we used the penny-in-a-sida-can trick. Put a penny in a soda can and tape it shut. If you catch him marking, yell "No" and toss the can on the floor. It really worked with Packy.

I guess you've probably already thoroughly cleaned the area so it's harder to detect the smell. I know someone will have ideas on what to spray there to help. Good luck! I'm sure glad we haven't had that problem...

[Jessica H]

This is an EXTREMELY hard habit to break, I have been trying to break Scooter of this for about 8 months. It also started happening after we went on vacation. I have tried the stern NO and it works but he'll still do it, the trick is to keep him close at all times (which is a pain). Now when I catch him he runs to the door like "This is what I meant to do"

He has ruined my $4000 pellet stove, he has peed on my other dog, the cat, me and ANYTHING else. It is not a housebreaking issue, it is a marking thing and its horrible. He also pees on the deck, on the stairs outside and on my farmer's porch; I know this is outside but it is still not acceptable.

I have recently gotten a belly band and it is helping a lot. When he tries to pee he goes in that and he has no satisfaction of his smell where he went, just on himself. I have noticed when its not on he has been doing it a lot less. I have tried EVERYTHING and if this belly band does not work I am going to call a behaviorist. Scooter is not fond of the belly band so what I have started doing is leave it off and I "sneak" and follow him, as soon as he starts to lift the leg I scold him and put his belly band on which he hates, I am hoping he'll associate "If I mark they put that band on me" Bringing him outside when I catch him does nothing, don't care what anyone says, he KNOWS he is not supposed to be going inside. He goes out when he really has to go to the bathroom.

It is HARD to break and if it is not something you have dealt with before it is 100X worse than housebreaking. You have to clean your house, I have a black light and 3 gallons of Nature's Miracle. I went around the house with the black light and was DISGUSTED!!!! I cannot believe the places he has gone.

Try the belly band and do not take it off of him outside until he is past the deck and potted plants.

[rheacer]

Thanks for the advice. The belly band sounds like a good idea, I'm getting one today.

[Jessica H]

I also wanted to add that I brought Scooter to the vet to check for any type of UTI and the pH was slightly high so they gave him some antibiotics so i thought there was hope, I brought him back to get rechecked and he was fine. He still marks, I have noticed a decrease in his marking but he still does it, i would say it has reduced about 30%. He is so bad that when he is in the way back of my SUV he marks IN MY CAR!!!!! This doesn't go over well because I keep my car immaculate, I have been putting belly band on him in the car, at first there were spots in the band, yesterday he was in my car without the band and he didn't mark.

I made mine out of an old flannel pillow case, I used a sewing machine. If you have one it is easy and so much cheaper to make, I made a few with pillow case, some elastic and velcro.

A tip so you are not constantly washing the band, I cut up a puppy pad to fit down by that area so when he does mark it is easy to see he has tried and you can just the pee pee pad away and put another in.

[Aurora5000]

Chase is a marker sometimes. It is usually anything in the kitchen which does not belong there. ie- Grocery sacks we left in the floor after putting up food. A cardboard package we were going to mail the next day. He growls at anything new in the house he sees.

PS what is a belly band?

[Jessica H]

I took a picture of Scooter last night with his belly band on but its on my computer at home and I am at work.

A belly band is just a band (about 3-4 inches wide) and it goes around the dog's belly and closes at the top, its basically a diaper that does not go around the bum.

This link shows what they look like

http://www.pekeatzurescue.com/bellybands.htm

[Chez]

Hi I had this problem with my dog he was dry during the day but not at night, or not always. I have moved house and now(touch wood) he is dry at night. We had trains going past at the old house which is why he went at night to show them this was his house. The belly band I have heard good things about you also need to use biological cleaner and the black light is great. I would also sit back and consider whether you lost pack leader status when you went away, maybe you need to remind him that you are in charge of protecting the house. I hope someone with more knowledge reads your post because these are just things to consider I don't know what will work as after all my dog is 8 and he's only just dry.