marking :(

[Malli]

so the youngin' is marking. It appears only at my inlaws when the sil and bil's dogs are around, and at the kennel they just stayed at for our vacation, on his own bed. We are paranoid but so far as I've seen and checked, he hasn't marked at home (since there was question about the initial housebreaking, so I overlook that), and we were just at my parent's house and they have a female dog, and I did not see any marking there, either.

On sunday he gave a little puppy lean and squirted enough for a mark on the floor at my inlaws(when bil/sil's dogs (1 male 1 female both altered) visiting) . NOT impressed!

suggestions?
Housetraining I can and have mastered, but this is a bit more complicated, in my estimation.

he is neutered, and has been for more then 1 year.

[SisMorphine]

Most dogs don't generalize well. So he may be housebroken at YOUR house, but you bring him to someone else's and it's free reign to pee like a bastard. House break him for each place he goes to regularly and see if his marking attitude changes.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Sounds like it may be stress-related behavior. Maybe give him some melatonin or l-theanine when you know situations like that are going to be coming up? And invest in a belly band?

[TheRedQueen]

Fig has a belly band for trips to new homes...he marks in Michelle's mom's beach house...and that was unacceptable. So a belly band, more confinement (not being able to wander off out of sight), and more potty breaks to make sure it's all out.

[Malli]

Most dogs don't generalize well. So he may be housebroken at YOUR house, but you bring him to someone else's and it's free reign to pee like a bastard. House break him for each place he goes to regularly and see if his marking attitude changes.

pretty sure its not a housebreaking issue, he has been at my inlaws more then my parents and was fine my parent's place, and the amount was what would be typical for a mark. The kennel people also indicated he marked his bedding, and was sure to mark it again after they had washed it for him. I was concerned about the housebreaking issue so I had made a pretty solid effort for the first few visits to the inlaws to get him out and make sure he went, and he had been out as soon as we arrived before we even went it, but that had been maybe an hr or 2 before.

The other issue is my bil and sil's dog has had LONG standing housebreaking issues that they "think" they have only started resolving in the last few months. So perhaps that plus the other male that doesn't really like him are all combining.

Where would I get a belly band? How would I get him to keep it on? He wouldn't just pull it off?

He does get easily stressed (very sensitive dog), but I'd prefer he learn to handle the stress then give him something for it.

[Malli]

Most dogs don't generalize well. So he may be housebroken at YOUR house, but you bring him to someone else's and it's free reign to pee like a bastard. House break him for each place he goes to regularly and see if his marking attitude changes.

pretty sure its not a housebreaking issue, he has been at my inlaws more then my parents and was fine my parent's place, and the amount was what would be typical for a mark. The kennel people also indicated he marked his bedding, and was sure to mark it again after they had washed it for him. I was concerned about the housebreaking issue so I had made a pretty solid effort for the first few visits to the inlaws to get him out and make sure he went, and he had been out as soon as we arrived before we even went it, but that had been maybe an hr or 2 before.

The other issue is my bil and sil's dog has had LONG standing housebreaking issues that they "think" they have only started resolving in the last few months. So perhaps that plus the other male that doesn't really like him are all combining.

Where would I get a belly band? How would I get him to keep it on? He wouldn't just pull it off?

He does get easily stressed (very sensitive dog), but I'd prefer he learn to handle the stress then give him something for it.

[TinaMartin]

I second the belly bands. You can get them at Pet Co., Amazon, and they also have their own web site.

[Malli]

thanks Tina

[TinaMartin]

thanks Tina

No problem. I don't look at belly bands as a crutch but as a tool to break a bad habit.

[amalie79]

When Simon needed a belly band, I made them-- used flannel fabric and stitch witchery and hand stitching, and velcro strips to close, and then cut Poise pads in half.

Also, you mentioned not wanting to give him something for the stress-- sometimes things that are as "lightweight" (for lack of a better term) as melatonin or l-theanine can actually help him destress enough to actually learn to handle the stress. If the stress is high enough, he won't be able to learn to handle it until a little of the edge is taken off. We've used those kinds of things off and on to assist in the stress training with good success.

[Malli]

thanks Tina

No problem. I don't look at belly bands as a crutch but as a tool to break a bad habit.

Thats what I was thinking. I mean, his house training (not marking included) is top notch other times. Although that situation occurs so infrequently that I'm not sure it would be enough to form a habit...

When Simon needed a belly band, I made them-- used flannel fabric and stitch witchery and hand stitching, and velcro strips to close, and then cut Poise pads in half.

Also, you mentioned not wanting to give him something for the stress-- sometimes things that are as "lightweight" (for lack of a better term) as melatonin or l-theanine can actually help him destress enough to actually learn to handle the stress. If the stress is high enough, he won't be able to learn to handle it until a little of the edge is taken off. We've used those kinds of things off and on to assist in the stress training with good success.

Amalie, if I said good stress, would you get me? I think he likes both the in laws dogs, and the male that is there pretty well avoids Uzi unless he gets in his face too much. And he looooves the female. What do you think? Or maybe I'm just not seeing it and the problem behvior is symptom of bad stress only?

That we have noticed, it seems to only happen when the two dogs are actually IN the house with them, does that seem possible?

[amalie79]

Amalie, if I said good stress, would you get me? I think he likes both the in laws dogs, and the male that is there pretty well avoids Uzi unless he gets in his face too much. And he looooves the female. What do you think? Or maybe I'm just not seeing it and the problem behvior is symptom of bad stress only?

I totally know what you mean. Every time we leave the house, River has a ton of good stress-- she's SO. EXCITED. TO GO. ANYWHERE!!!! She whines, and spins circles, and tongue flicks. It's stress, but she is HAPPY. She wants to be doing this. But I still often put a Thundershirt on her, or give her Rescue Remedy, or extra l-theanine, because at that level, in my opinion, stress is stress is stress. Even though it's good stress, she's still too amped up to be able to think, to focus-- she has lost her ever loving mind. It helps to take a little edge off. You see it with toddlers-- kids that are so excited or happy or whatever that they aren't able to follow basic directions.

Does that make sense?

[Malli]

yep! I wouldn't say he's at that level, but he does tend to pace a little, and his response to training will be present but decreased. We're at River's level when we arrive

[Malli]

I wanted to add that I do hear your advice, and will watch him more closely next visit, and keep the melatonin and l-theanine in mind

[Malli]

so, he went for a visit, just "grandma and grandpa", no other family, canine or human. No inclination noted (says Wes). So at least we have narrowed down a time, we think given his behavior with just gma and gpa, wes and I and Oscar at the same house, and his behavior at my parent's, that we've also confirmed the cause.

[DemoDick]

If this is genuine marking behavior, and not a housebreaking/nerve issue, the only way to curb it is to keep the dog on a leash with you the entire time you are in the house and correct him appropriately when he does it. Take him outside to give him an outlet for marking. And crate him when you can't leash him. No unsupervised free time until he learns not to mark. Let him earn that time with good behavior. Do this in every new environment.

G'head...ask me how I learned this.

[Malli]

Oh, I think I know! Connor!! Riggs!!

From my assessment, it appears to be a nerve/marking thing. I only say marking because he knows how to empty his bladder in full (and does so regularly), and the amount is small, as in the amount that would typically be used for a mark. The one we know he definitely did was barely a splatter, much less a puddle.
I think the nerve part because I know him, and in retrospect, that kind of situation might indeed make him stressed, and he had just been a kennel, where the staff specifically told me that he had marked ON his bed (which was his own that I brought for him from home), which he has never done before, and I know he was stressed at the kennel.
I also work for a private kennel, and I know what a mark pee looks like because I clean them up from all over the kennel owner's home all day! Although typically it is on something, instead of on the floor.

I'm just happy I've narrowed down the cause and motivation. So far its the only place I've seen him do this (discounting a few accidents when he came to live with us at only 7 months). We don't intend to allow him to do it again, so he'll have an escort when his "cousins" come over or we stay with my inlaws and they have additional company.