definitely too old to still go in the house..

[jcam]

hi everyone,

I have a 17 month old boxer (soon to be 18 months) who pees on the couch, chair and table legs. to me it looks like hes marking his territory even though he knows he cant do this. i have only caught him in the act a couple of times, yet he still continues to do so. i tried cleaning those spots with vinegar and those special enzyme solutions that supposedly stop this unwanted behavior. my house i really starting to smell like pee, even hours later.This is a huge problem and i have run out of ideas. has anyone else had this problem before and fixed it? and how? i appreciate any help/advice anyone can give me!

 

[Sansal]

Is he fixed?

 

[Cami]

to me it looks like hes marking his territory even though he knows he cant do this. i have only caught him in the act a couple of times, yet he still continues to do so.

He actually doesn't know that he can't (or that you would prefer he didn't) or he would not be doing it. Is he neutered? How do you react when you have caught him doing this? Need more information to offer additional assistance.

 

[Roge]

Unfortunatly there is no quick fix to the issue and he is not asking to go out to pee so Id say you need to go back to the begining with the training . Bring him out to potty every hour and use treats and make a fuss of him when he goes and gradually increase the time between potty breaks week by week ,make it something that he wants to do so he sees it as good thing and by making a fuss of him he will see it also pleases you.
Does he ask to go out for a poo ? if so you are half way there.If you dont have him neutered at this stage maybe you should consider it,
Im sure other members will chim in with good advise , Good luck .

 

[gmacleod]

If he's not neutered, get him neutered quick. Now the marking has started, it won't be easy to stop, but you've a better chance with a neutered dog than an intact one.

Even if he's already neutered (or you get it done quickly), it is not easy to stop a dog marking inside once he's established the behaviour - as it seems your dog has. The first thing you need to do is stop it happening. By that, I mean ELIMINATE any possible opportunity he has to lift his leg on something without you seeing him do it. Any dog that is not housetrained OR who is marking inside (which are actually slightly different things) should NOT have the freedom to roam in places where you're not there to supervise. That means he has to be in the same room as you at all times. If your house is open plan, thn tether him to you. But do not allow him the freedom to disappear for a moment and pee on the sofa. And if you're not there, or have to have some time to yourself (e.g. you've got to cook, or go to the bathroom) where its not practicable for him to come too - then you crate him. Donùt have the crate close to any furniture though - it's perfectly possible for a dog to pee out the crate LOL

The point of the above is to first STOP the marking from happening. If it DOES happen, then you're definitely going to be there to see it - and thus have the opportunity to give the dog some feedback about his actions. This is impossible if you miss seeing him do it (i.e. feedback has to be instant - if it's even 2 minutes after the event, it's too late).

The combined effect of stopping (preventing, by lack of opportunity) the behaviour, giving him appropriate feedbavck if/when he tries it with you present, and plkenty opportunity to pee all he likes on things outside are your best bet for fixing the problem. Good luck!

 

[jcam]

i appreciate the advice so far! thanks!

additional info:

he is not neutered and i dont plan on neutering him (unless i cant get him to stop marking then i have no choice). usually when he does it, i am at work, which is 10 hours a day. i can understand that he cant hold his bladder for that long, but he has on several occasions. so when i come home i usually see pee around table legs or on the back of the couch,never directly on the floor.

the times i have caught him, i corrected him the way im supposed to, i didnt hit him or scare him but i wasnt laid back about it either. i gave him a very firm no, bad dog and then took him out. every other time he asks me, even if its in the middle of the night.

also, im not going to hire or get anyone to walk him during the day. he doesnt let anyone in the house besides me or my family, which is fine with me b/c i dont want anyone in my house unattended anyway. so please dont suggest it.

 

[Cami]

In all honesty you simply have no chance here. Unless of course you start catching him enough, start correcting him the right way and he starts to understand and sees the bigger picture.
When you do catch him in the act a "not laid back reaction" isn't the correct way. You can say NO! to distract him, take him outside, let him finish and then praise him for going potty in the right place. I know FOR SURE how frustrating it can be knowing that you are going to have to clean up the accident but you have to keep your emotions in check if you want this to work. Get mad AFTER the fact away from him if you must but he can't know you are upset. If that makes sense?

I know you didn't want this suggestion but I am coming from a place of experience and can offer a different perspective. I own a pet sitting/dog walking company. I go into people's homes every day. Some of these homes have dogs who would NOT let a "stranger" into the home but I have become "family" to them. They would in A New York Minute attack anyone that wasn't a part of their family if they were trying to get in or did manage to get in the home. My presence has not changed their attitudes towards strangers. Just because I am allowed in doesn't mean anyone else is! I can also understand that you say you don't want anyone in your home unattended either. It can be hard for some people to get over the fact that someone is in their home when they are not. A professional has a job to do, comes with a solid business reputation (references), insurance and bonding. I can't speak for everyone in my industry but I personally have no desire to snoop around peoples homes or take their things. I have seen piles of cash, credit cards, checkbooks and a whole lot more things that have value and they all are still there when the client comes home. I visit multi-million dollar homes as well as those lived in by hoarders. A house is just a house (although some are nicer environments to work in).

If you really want to help this situation you have some soul searching to do. He either needs to be neutered to stop the DESIRE to mark (he doesn't even think about it he just does it), seek out the assistance of a professional to come in and even see if a potty break during the day is beneficial or figure out what so many others CAN'T who are dealing with a similar situation. What you are (or have been doing) isn't working. You need a fresh perspective. We are just trying to help.