[Spencer]

Perry has recently taking up marking INSIDE. It used to be an only outside thing, but has turned inside. At first it was just one area - that contained my SHOES! - and he was scolded and looked generally upset and sheepish/sorry. Yet he continues to go try and pee on my precious shoes, and just last week attempted to mark The Fiance's feet!

I thought I had this under control with belly bands (that make his hair not fluffy underneath and make him "look like a sissy" quoth The Fiance), but when I sat down at the desk to get on the computer tonight and set my foot in a warm puddle o' pee... I decided this means war.

I have no idea what to do, and frankly, am tired of having to put the belly band on him, because when he wees inside and has the band on, he just pees all over himself. Which means I have to give him a bath.

Any advice?

He knows he has done it, and will even go as far as to lay down and army crawl himself to you once you find the area because he knows he is in trouble. (which is slightly adorable, but don't tell him I said that!)

 

[Spencer]

He is crated when no one is at the house, but when I am home, I let him, TheQueenOfEverything, and TheGreyhound out... I feel bad leaving him in his crate when everyone else is out, and I don't think that he will make the connection of "I pee on her shoes, so I can't be out with everyone".

Perry is 4 (the vet thinks, according to his teeth), and yes, he is neutered.

 

[Spencer]

The little pee pants (his most current nick name) did it again! I don't know where, and I don't know how... but he did it again! Ugh, we're about to whip out the doggy diapers, 'cause that belly band is holding in nothin'.

 

[Spencer]

Hmm, this isn't totally unheard of for a neutered male.

First things first, are you sure he is marking and not just peeing? Is he housetrained? Usually marking is only a small amount. A puddle makes me thing he is just doing his business.

It is usually enough to fill the liner in his belly band, but I know it is marking because he will do it even after he has been outside and peed to his heart's content.

If he really is marking, or doing a combination of marking and relieving himself, then there are a few things that might be causing him to do it. Some reasons for marking might be that he feels insecure, or certain smell of other dogs and animals you might have brought into the house via your shoes might be causing him to mark them specifically.

I had thought about that with the shoes. The people I work for recently got a 13 month old vizsla puppy, of whom Perry has met and is dominant over (if you can picture that, lol). He was also with me by himself and the vizsla for 10 days while I house/puppy sat and is insanely jealous of my female dog right now. I let her sit in my lap while I was on the computer, and he stood with his front feet on my leg crying. Not a hurt cry, but a very upset cry that I have never heard before.

Though, him trying to mark your fiance might mean he feels insecure around him. Are you and your fiance living together? If your fiance recently moved in with you, or visits often(whichever is the case) then he might feel threatened by him.

The Fiance and I have lived together for over a year now, and Perry didn't come along until March/April this year. Perry loves The Fiance, and doesn't mind cuddling up or even sleeping with us/just The Fiance alone. It could be that and I am just loveblind to the symptoms, but I haven't noticed anything. I will have to ask The Fiance (whom only really pretends to like Perry for my sake.)

Thank you for your suggestions. This is getting bad! I hope it can be fixed with diligence on my part, as much as I treat him like my little boy, he IS a dog... whom doesn't understand that Mommy collects shoes like they might be currency in the future!

 

[Spencer]

I know it's frustrating to have to guard your shoes(a girls best friend IMO lol) and clean up after him, so I hope all goes well.

Another scenario might be he was trying to mark your fiance's shoes and any smell that might have been on them. Or he could just be feeling threatened. If he is feeling threatened and insecure it might be because he is confused as to where he stands in the pack. Not saying he is trying to be the alpha and dominant, but just confused as to his position in the pack.

Any idea on how to help that process out, if that is the case? With the other three dogs, we never had a problem before. TheGirl was just always the boss, then came TheGrey, and then came TheProblemChild. I guess Perry just got shoved in that without much warning. He definitely sees thegirl as the boss, and thegrey lets Perry (literally) walk all over him, so I never thought it was a problem. (ProblemChild would eat Perry with glee, so they have only met through the wires of crates.)

 

[Spencer]

YET ANOTHER long one

Could you use those belly band things for him and if you catch him lifting a leg get him in trouble for it but he's not leaving behind a scent?

He isn't really able to leave much pee in the area that he so chooses... one upside of the belly bands. He really ends up just peeing on himself, and I figure it out when a small poodle that smells like pee wants to sit in my lap.

If this is newish behavior, there is a possibility it could be physical.

Maybe ask your vet if you can drop off a urine sample to check for infection or crystals.

I hadn't thought about taking him to the vet over this yet, but that is an option... The last time he was at the vet, he was a wooly mammoth, so I'm sure they would be surprised to see him again! (My vet dilemma is another story for another thread topic... essentially, I hate my vet's office. They have several different vets, and you never see the same one. There is only ONE vet that I like, and I've only ever seen him ONCE. However, that being said... I LOVE the girls that work up front and the vet techs I have met. The girls up front always remember us and our dogs and make us feel welcome. One of them in particular is kuku for cocopuffs over TheGreyhound!)

Spencer - could it be that little pee pee pants is pissed off (haha.. sorry.. not funny, I know...) at you? Is he feeling sad? neglected? Is he trying to get your attention? Dogs usually go for their owner's precious belongings when they want some extra love and attention, right? Is he doing this to get attention from you? Even if he is getting in trouble, he is getting noticed.. something is better than nothing!

I hope ya'll are able to work out it.

See, I was entertaining that idea... that he feels neglected. However The Fiance is quick to point out, that I am "nicer to him than even TheQueen"... which I suppose on some level might be true. Don't tell The Fiance I said THAT though! Maybe I did treat him better and give him more attention when he first arrived at our house because he was lost, obviously scared, and needed someone to take charge and make sure it was okay. Now that he lives with us and knows where his next meal is coming from, I may have backed off a little. He still gets more "picked up and loved on" kind of cuddles than anyone else, because he's the tiny one. TheQueen is 27 pounds, and rolls around like croc when you pick her up. She isn't a fan!

----------------------------------------

I feel like I am making excuses for everything that everyone suggests! (Like my kid is the bad one at daycare that keeps biting all the other kids!) I've just called the vet (whist typing, yes... I am skilled!) and made pee pants an appointment. Also, I've sent an email to my mother's friend whom is a behaviorist for all things that wag, and am waiting to hear back. While it is only noon, and we have the rest of the day ahead of us, Perry hasn't had a selective accident in the house. Yay! I feel like I should get one of those "___ days on the job accident free" signs!

 

[Spencer]

I asked if they would want me to collect a sample myself, or just bring him in... they said because it has been several months since he has been in that they would like to see him and re-evaluate. Which I totally understand. The last time they saw him, he was nasty and matted, and his teeth were disgusting. So they might tell me he is younger than they told me last time upon taking another look at his teeth.

This is my second vet office here in this town. The first ones were snooty and over priced (this was when I only had ONE dog, too!), so I had switched to the current one... maybe I'm picky, but they are MY dogs, after all.

The people that live in this town are either university students, families, or people that are wealthy from old money, and they all have their own little cliques... so it is hard to get good opinions from people. I need a vet that is always on call and knows for a fact that I have TWO accident prone dogs. TheQueen has eaten half of a sponge that had been used to clean and bleach the bathroom, she has also eaten an entire pack of gum that contains xylitol, swallowed a 6 inch roll of rawhide, and licked all of the flea/tick meds off of her shoulderblades. Don't ask me how she did it, but she did, and through all of that she's fine! TheGrey tends to be drawn to chocolate. For Christmas, he managed to open an armoire and eat all of the candies given to The Fiance, The Fiance's Sister, and myself from The Fiance's grandmother. THEN, ate about 4 pounds of M&M's that were AGAIN... in a cabinet that he had to work to get open.

I should own stock in veterinary medicine.

 

[Spencer]

Bumpity bump bump!

Actually, this is relevant. That little p*sser marked me THREE TIMES YESTERDAY!

He only got it on my shoe once, but THREE TIMES! Once while I was at someone else's house visiting (it was in their house... mannnnn), once at PetCo after we had just met and I loved on another dog, and once after someone petted him (he was happy to let them). Marked! Me!

I understand (and see every day) that he is very jealous of anyone touching me or talking to me... dog or otherwise. But he loves to be social (minus the grumbling he does, which everyone assumes is growling). TheFiance and I talked and we think that he might need to be socialized more... meeting new people (he growls and barks at new people from afar, but is happy to meet them when they get close), and meeting new dogs (he growls and barks again, but is happy to meet them, and if he thinks he should be the boss, does a loud yippy bark and let's them know... then everything is fine.)

I just hate people think he is a mean little dog, because he isn't. I was joking with TheFiance that he needs a sign or a shirt that says, "I'm grumbling, not growling".

 

[Spencer]

Vet said he was perfectly fine -weight/etc/everything... and that he was doing pretty good with fleas, considering where we live!

Between then and now, we have been belly banding him constantly (except when he is in his crate or outside)... and have cut down on the times he marks in our house. But it isn't rare to find him with leg hiked up against a wall then frolicking off like nothing is wrong.

If anything, he has been out inside more than he was before, with more constant supervision, and is out with TheQueen and TheGrey every day before I go to work. As well as he is having twice as many potty breaks as he was.