Leg cocker!

[jan01]

HELP!! can anybody suggest how I can stop my dog (1yr old puppy) cocking his leg in the house??.... the back door is always wide open...it's driving me crazy!!! arghhhhh!!!! I have never had dogs before only bitches & had them well trained within a few weeks!!

[JonnyBoy12]

Place (live) electric fences all round your house and then when the dog pees on them it will get a shock! It will soon learn not to do this.

Good idea, eh?

[thenry]

Tie a weight to the offending leg.

[jan01]

hahaha ... great ideas!! :) ...... maybe it's just a guy thing... although he has stopped crapping on the rug!!

[woofgang]

Clean up all the wee very well with the special wee cleaning stuff as sold in petshops or use Zybax (google) Get a vet check to ensure he hasn't got a wee infection. Is this new behaviour? Was he ever housetrained? if he has, then what changed? How old was he when you got him. If you haven't had him from 7 weeks what training did he have before? Keep the dog under your eye 24 seven. Take him out into the garden on waking before and after meals and about every thirty minutes otherwise.and STAY WITH HIM dont play, dont talk to him, stand there neutrally till he wees When he wees praise and give him a lovely treat. Dos he go through the night? At 1 year, the hormones may be causing complications is he neutered?

[thenry]

If you can afford it (several grand) call over Cesar Millan (genius dog trainer). Or you could buy one of his books or watch his TV shows. Seriously - he is good !

[jan01]

Oh well, I had him at 8ks old .. never house/or any other training, ... he had serious problems with bowl infections etc ...(I was extremely naieve & bought him from a dreadful puppy farm, thinking that I could save him from the dreadful, horendous place where he was... why in the name of God are there placed allowed to treat animals in the dire conditions.. he has the most wonderful personality/disposition .. but my Labs & german shepherd have been soooo much easer ..:(

[jan01]

thank you Thenry will try ... book!! lol x

[woofgang]

Do not try Cesar Millan, he does not treat the dogs well and the dominance theory he spouts is crap. If you answer the questions that I asked, then others might be able to help.

[thenry]

Cesar Millan gets the dog psychology Woof. Who would you recommend - Barbara Woodhouse ? Sit !

[jan01]

thank you woofgang :) ... he goes through the night very easily... you think he might be marking his territory??... I've never had this problem before .. he eats well ..on a special diet to help sustain a healthy gut etc ..

[woofgang]

No, I would be looking at Karen Prior or Victoria Stillwell neither of whom spout dominance crap.
Has he ever been clean in the house? How new is the behaviour?

[woofgang]

Okay, new problem. Is he neutered? Is he drinking more than usual? Have you had any canine visitors?

[FredPuli43]

Yes, he's marking his territory.It is not simply urination out of need. Dogs do not empty their bladders doing this; they simply squirt little enough to mark the spot, and can therefore do it dozens of times without any difficulty . Once he has marked a place he will constantly return to it, to refresh it.

When did he 'learn' to cock his leg? Has he recently learned to be a grown dog?If its a recent 'skill' he has yet to learn that showing off his male attributes and strength is for impressing rival dogs outside ,not you inside !

How to stop it? Practically, you can try to clean the marked spots so he isn't prompted, by the smell, to mark them again. That's only a partial answer, since the question is 'Why does he want to mark in the house in the first place?' Plenty of walks, so he can do it where it counts, is a start. But really, the answer is 1) to watch him like a hawk and yell 'No' and stop him at the first sign of his looking to do it, and put him outside (you have to be quick!) 2) have him with you for cuddles, comfort and reassurance, at all times, so he's happy in himself and distracted. He should gradually learn that he does not need to assert himself by marking in his own home but only outside, where other dogs can smell his efforts.

[wolf63]

Is he de-nutted? Depending on his breed he may be at puberty - where they feel the need to wee on or hump anything that stands still.

[lankeela]

As above, take him out regularly, make sure he gets plenty of exercise and have a water spray bottle handy - if he goes to lift his leg just squirt him and say 'ahhh' (not aaarrrr as in how cute but ahhh as in don't you dare!). You need to go back to basics and train him that it is not acceptable. There is actually something you can buy called a 'belly band' which you put round them and when they go to pee they feel the material over their tinkler and it stops them (honestly!) but I would never resort to one of those unless I had dog with a medical problem where it couldn't help itself.

[lankeela]

http://www.dogchatfor...m/belly_bands_dog.htm

[lcg]

spray him with water when you catch him doing it and then take him outside and shut the door for a minute. he'll then get the idea it's an outside thing rather than an inside thing. and get him de nutted.

[lankeela]

'De-nutting' him will make absolutely no difference - this is a learned behaviour not a hormonal one.