Q: Our family has two cutie pie dogs, a 5-year old male Cocker Spaniel and a 2-year old Labrador Spitz mix. We have had the mix for a year and half, as he was a stray that I found and the local humane society could not find his owner or a new adoptive owner, so we took him back.
Both of our dogs seem to urinate in the house. At first it was mostly in the living room/dining room area, so we blocked of that area. Then the family room became their new "bathroom". I have tried everything that I can think of to figure out how to correct this. I've taken them to a local PetsMart for obedience training, which was fun, but not very effective. We do crate them when we go out and they sleep with my husband and I with the door shut. I am a stay at home mom with two daughters age 12 and 14, so the dogs get a lot of attention. Maybe too much! We cuddle with them a lot and don't work on their obedience training at all.
I have read some books about this problem and realize disciplining won't work or really isn't even the issue. What I'd like to know is if their is any point in looking into a dog psychiatrist? I really need help because we are having to rip up the family room carpet again, and now they are starting to go in the computer room. My husband would like to get rid of them, but I want to look into solving the problem. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
A: I expect these two boys are neutered, but if not, do that as soon as your veterinarian approves their health for surgery. That's pretty much the root cause of this behavior. It's just instinct on their part, nothing malicious, but it sure can create a miserable situation for the humans.
Neutering at this age will have limited benefit. It has the most effect on the future habit of urine marking in the house if done before the dog starts it, usually before a year of age. That's because hormones kick-start the behavior, but if it goes on long enough before neutering, habit has formed on top of the hormone cause. The habit can continue after neutering.
Sometimes this can never be cured, but often it can. The first step is to start using a bacterial enzyme odor eliminator product such as Nature's Miracle on every accident. It must penetrate deeply, because the urine does, too. These products work by having the little organisms in the product actually eat the odor causing residue of the urine. It removes the smell to the extent that your dog is not drawn to use the spot again by past scent marks.
The bacterial enzyme products have to be "cultivated," by keeping the material moist until it has had time to finish the job. Damp towels over the area can help. Repeated applications can help, too. It also helps if you avoid using other products on the spot that would kill the little organisms before they can accomplish their mission.
The only other product I trust to really work on dog urine is white vinegar. It has the advantage of apparently giving the dog a scent message to leave that spot alone! It has the disadvantage that it will only work if used while the spot is still wet. Like the bacterial enzyme products, it must penetrate very deeply.
If you're taking up the carpet anyway, and if there is a concrete floor underneath, treat it for a couple of days before laying the new carpet. First use the bacterial enzyme product--keep it active a long time. Then seal the concrete with a couple of coats of a water seal product. This will help keep any residual odor from seeping back up through.
Watch the walls, baseboards, doors, etc., too. All these areas need treating, since male dogs lift their legs. All these areas are sending out the call of the wild to these two dogs to mark them again and again.
The other big thing to do, for quite some time, is stop letting them walk around the house unescorted. Each dog must be in the room with a person watching them at all times they are loose in the house. Leashing the dog to your waist is a good way to do this part of the time, and has the added benefit of increasing a dog's bond with you.
The 100% supervision has to continue for a long time, until old habits die and new ones are formed--and also until the whole house has been thoroughly treated and that has had time to change in their minds. After several weeks, minimum, you could try giving them one room at a time again.
If these two dogs are not urinating in your room at night when closed in there with you, that sounds very hopeful to me that you can be successful with them. It won't be easy, but if they are good-natured dogs with children, that certainly makes it worth the effort. I wish you many wonderful years with them.