[Carmel]

I just got Ubi yesterday and already, he's marked my couch. Luckily, he didn't get the area rug only the hardwood but I find that even when outside he is marking everything by lifting up his leg and peeing on the side of the house, or the side of the patio. I'm scared if I stand still long enough, he's gonna mark me too!! The vet who looked at him before said he was neutered and of course, I checked.

Any advice on how to stop this behavior?

 

[g00dgirl]

Re: A Neutered Dog Marcking

Watch him like a hawk! Marking outside isn't a big deal, but marking inside is a housebreaking issue.  Just keep a GOOD eye on him and clap your hands or make a noise to stop him in his tracks, then take him outside.

 

[Barbs2Ks]

Re: A Neutered Dog Marcking

Keegan still marks outside after his neuter but has never marked inside.

 

[Carmel]

Well, I am slowly peeling back the layers of this poor dog and these are a few of the things I've noticed--

The staff at the pound and also the lady who kept him for me so I could pick him up on a Sunday, told me that he didn't like crates. That's putting it mildly!!! I put him in the crate, heard the whining and barking. Closed the door to the room the crate was in and ignored him. I went out for 15 minutes, came back and he was STILL barking but this time, was throwing himself against the crate walls. I walked into the room and he had managed to bend the bars in the cage and get out-- also, he managed to urinate in the crate. I think because it was sprayed all over the floor around the cage, it was submissive urinating.

Well, I had to go back out for something else. So I figured that instead, I'd leave him in a hallway. The doors were all closed and he was blocked in with a baby gate. I came back, he'd jumped the baby gate, urinated on my couch and against the waste bin in the kitchen, plus he defecated on the kitchen floor. Before I left, I had made sure to watch him eliminate in the backyard, where I've been taking the dogs to go. So I didn't figure this was a problem of really having to go and even if it was-- there's still no excuse.

I figured that it was back to basics-- I've got him on a leash that's wrapped around my waist. He'll be permanently attached to my side while I am at home... I'll be watching him like a hawk.

 

[Barbs2Ks]

Some of the rescues do come with a lot of baggage but in the end it will be worth it.  So glad to hear you are hanging in there, we are here for moral support  

 

[g00dgirl]

Sounds like separation anxiety to me.  There are lots of sites with info on how to deal with it.
Delilah had separation anxiety when I got her from the shelter.  She pooped and peed in the crate, and wouldn't ever relax inside of it, I'm sure she jumped and clawed around in it too because things that had been sitting on top of it were strewn across the floor (and I realized her nails never needed to be clipped then!) but never bent the bars.  You are lucky he didn't poop in it! Everything gets "sprayed" on the walls because they are clawing around and kicking it all over the place.
When I moved out from my roommate, I let her stay loose in the house.  She never tore anything up, but she would still poop and pee even she was houstrained while I was home.  Like you noticed, she had just gone outside too so she didn't NEED to go- she just did because of the anxiety.
Eventually I started tethering her in the kitchen so she couldn't get tangled under any table legs or reach anything off the counter.  I used a six foot leash with teh handle closed in the dishwasher door.  She did great that way- she just hated being confined in a crate or behind a gate.
So, you may want to give that a try, as well as working with him in other ways to relieve his SA. (Gradually increasing periods of time when you leave from 1 second to minutes... etc.)
Good luck, its might be a hard road

 

[nate487]

poor things ! (the both of you) i hope this dog was not treated badly before you got it. hang in there and keep us updated.

 

[Guest]

awh poor baby.  he definitely sounds stressed.  i'm not suprised at all at his behavior being in a new home less than 24 hrs.

is there any way you can spend time with him w/o having to go out for a day?  i'm sure he'll come around.

when i got vetty (not a rescue) thor marked in the house for the first couple days and he had never marked before.  new things are so stressful to them.  they're at our mercy for EVERYTHING.

abused or frightened rescuces know that more than our own dogs.

ps - thor marks about every 25 ft on our walks!!  and he'll spend FOREVER sniffing some other dogs mark.  I have to drag him to keep walking  :rofl:

 

[Carmel]

Well, I went out for a half hour and figured that I would be accommodating and leave the two of them alone, penned in the kitchen with water and toys as it was a hot day. They are getting along famously and I am pleased to see that...

Unfortunately, I came home to my house smelling like a urinal, and again, Ubi had jumped the gate. Steel is terrified of the gate will not pass it even if I were to lay it down on it's flat side (In my old house, I had the same baby gate against the stairway and I was going down the stairs with an armful of laundry, tripped and accidentally threw basket, and content plus the baby gate at my poor, unsuspecting dog. I figured that the fear of the baby gate was handy because he stays a respectful distance away... I don't foster it, I just don't encourage him to be braver )

I have Ubi at my side 100% of the time to catch him in the act. So far, I've only caught him once and screamed bloody murder, which made him stop. I threw him outside, he went and since then he hasn't done it in my presence.

So, I figured since I can't trust the little bugger to refrain from using my house as his own personal pee ground, I need to put him in the kennel. Unfortunately...

I put him in just a few minutes ago with a kong and peanut butter. He's relaxed now but I'm in the room. I am thinking of letting him out right now because he's calm. Next time, I'll leave while he's messing around with his kong and come back in after 15 minutes. I'll let him settle and let him out when he's calm. I want to keep doing this until I can come in and let him out and he's calm again...

On another note, he's really super smart (if but a little stubborn). I already have him successfully retrieving balls (much to my Golden's dismay), responding to his new name, and sitting. We are working on recall, down and stay and he's slowly getting them, but as always-- these things take time.

As for the kennel thing... anyone have any suggestions? Do you think this will work?

 

[owenowlsnest]

We used a doggie panty and pads for a couple weeks because of incontinance.  I thought he'd be embarrassed with it on, but he thought it was fairly cool. In the morning he wanted it off quickly so that  he could do his business outside. Maybe wearing something wet got to bug him. It's not the solution, but might save some clean up while you're working on the anxiety.  Might work in the car, but then again you don't want him to eat it either.  You might even wipe the wet pad in an area in the yard.  I hate the smell of urine, I'd be going bonkers.

 

[Kalyn]

Doing the crate in small increments and releasing him while he is calm sounds like the best approach. In my experience, rescue dogs become very devoted as they are so thankful for their new lives. You just gotta get through the anxiety.

Good luck to you and kudos for adopting a rescue dog!!!!!!!