# At my wits end with dog peeing on kitchen floor



## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

I would really appreciate some advice here regarding my chihuahua/schnauzer cross. We are almost with our wits end with him. He is about 14 months old. 

He lives in the kitchen at night and has done since he was a puppy, but for the last couple of months or maybe more he has developed a habit of urinating on the laminate floor in one corner of the kitchen probably aorund 4 times a week.

He always does it at night time whilst we are asleep and I usually find the mess when I get up from work.I don't think it's seperation anxiety or anything like that because it is a habit that he's only aquired recently and he spends time alone during the day without urinating.

I've tried scrubbing the area with biological detergent to remove any smell, I've tried putting a cupboard over the area, I've tried giving him less water in the evening, I've tried taking him on a later walk than normal and waiting until he's pee'd before we head back, but he always seems to do it in the same area again and again.

Is there a way I could 'train' this out of him? Thankyou.


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## CMoore (Nov 11, 2010)

Do you think hes marking his teritorry as he may be getting hormornal? Has he been neutered?


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## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

He has been neutered a month or so back- I can't remember if this coincided with his bad habit or not, but I don't think so.

Its usually a considerable quantity of wee too, like he's saved it up or something, because when we're out he'll just 'squirt' here and there.


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## Horse and Hound (May 12, 2010)

Could something be frightening him in the night?


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## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

I don't know. I don't think so. He usually yaps when something startles him. Unless it's something to do with our cat- he's pretty jealous of our cat- and the cats feeding bowl is also in the kitchen..? 

Then again it could be nothing to do with that,


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## CMoore (Nov 11, 2010)

Im having issues with my puppy in this area and have been advised to spray the area with watered down lemon juice, as they don't like it. Its worth a try.


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## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

CMoore said:


> Im having issues with my puppy in this area and have been advised to spray the area with watered down lemon juice, as they don't like it. Its worth a try.


I've bought and used some of that doggie deterent spray, but it hasn't done much good.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Garybuller said:


> I've bought and used some of that doggie deterent spray, but it hasn't done much good.


Why don't you invest in a crate - he would be much less likely to soil that?

Obviously you would need to get him used to it. You need the right size as well. If its too big, he will soil at one end. Worth a try, even if its only for a couple of months or so to break him of the habit.


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## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

I have a crate actually that we got for when he was a puppy and never used. I was thinking of using it as a 'last resort' if need be. Would he be OK in something like that overnight?


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Garybuller said:


> I have a crate actually that we got for when he was a puppy and never used. I was thinking of using it as a 'last resort' if need be. Would he be OK in something like that overnight?


He most certainly would but you need to get him use to it first.


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## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

Twiggy said:


> He most certainly would but you need to get him use to it first.


Thanks for that. Whats the best way to get him happy shut in something like that?


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

What do you do when you find the wee? Do you say anything to the dog, or bring attention to it?


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## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

goodvic2 said:


> What do you do when you find the wee? Do you say anything to the dog, or bring attention to it?


The thing is that he knows he's done wrong, you can tell by the look on his face. I just point at the wee and say "bad wee wee" in a stern voice. Then I let him out in the garden whilst I mop up.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Garybuller said:


> The thing is that he knows he's done wrong, you can tell by the look on his face. I just point at the wee and say "bad wee wee" in a stern voice. Then I let him out in the garden whilst I mop up.


He doesn't know he's done wrong; he's reacting because you are cross. 
Having read through all your posts again, are you quite sure it isn't taught behaviour caused by inappropriate scolding? Have you inadvertently taught him he mustn't wee when you are watching him? It was your post that said 'its almost like he's saving it up' that makes me think its possible.

What was your reaction the very first time this happened and what has been your reaction since then?

I'm not being unkind but its really quite easy to teach dogs to behave badly without realising we're doing it.

When I ran basic training classes, I can remember two or three cases when this had happened, in particular a West Higland White Terrier that was peeing on his owners bed.


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Garybuller said:


> The thing is that he knows he's done wrong, you can tell by the look on his face. I just point at the wee and say "bad wee wee" in a stern voice. Then I let him out in the garden whilst I mop up.


Watched Dog Borstall last night. Im not a big fan, but they had a dog on there (staffy) who, amoung other things, kept peeing on the floor.

Everytime the owner saw it, she would point at it and say "bad dog". In effect she was highlighting the problem.

Dogs do not rationalise and therefore do not know that they have done something wrong. But they do react to our feelings. So if you walk through the door and see the wee, instantly your mood will change and your dog will pick up on that.

Inadvertandly you may have reinforced this behaviour by bringing it in to play.

If you do not catch a dog doing something wrong within 3-5 seconds of them doing it, they they will have no idea what they have done wrong.

Try ignoring it and getting rid of any odours.

Good luck x


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Twiggy said:


> He doesn't know he's done wrong; he's reacting because you are cross.
> Having read through all your posts again, are you quite sure it isn't taught behaviour caused by inappropriate scolding? Have you inadvertently taught him he mustn't wee when you are watching him? It was your post that said 'its almost like he's saving it up' that makes me think its possible.
> 
> What was your reaction the very first time this happened and what has been your reaction since then?
> ...


I know dominance is a bad word on here. But when a dog goes and eliminates on anyones bed, human/dog, it is a dominant behaviour which shows total lack of respect for that human/dog.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

goodvic2 said:


> I know dominance is a bad word on here. But when a dog goes and eliminates on anyones bed, human/dog, it is a dominant behaviour which shows total lack of respect for that human/dog.


It wasn't dominance in this case. On close questioning this lady had been shouting and whacking her young terrier from puppyhood with a rolled up newspaper for urinating in the house until it became so frightened that when it was absolutely desperate it would bolt upstairs to relieve itself out of her presence.
Once I'd fully explained how to go about house training using much nicer methods the little dog was fine.


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## Bearpaw (Dec 10, 2009)

The thing is to now make it right.So, toilet before bed,no fuss when there is an accident and praise when he goes outside.If you think the cats food thing may be contributing,then move it to another room.Is it possible to make his area in the kitchen smaller,with a room divider or such like(this will give him less area to toilet) the same principle as the crate really.If you introduce the crate properly,your dog will see it as a safe snuggly bed,but do read through the crate training threads first,it must always be a positive place.


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## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

Thanks all for your responses- after all this dog psychology and talk of dog behaviour, my girlfriend thinks that she might have found a solution; every night before we go to bed I let my dog out in the back garden for five minutes, to get a bit of fresh air and hopefully have a wee or poo.

At the bottom of the garden there are some plant pots that have filled with rainwater and my other half noticed one evening that he made a bee-line straight to these pots when she let him out one evening.

So it looks like he's just been a glutton and drunk himself silly whilst he's been out and so has needed a wee during the night!


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Garybuller said:


> Thanks all for your responses- after all this dog psychology and talk of dog behaviour, my girlfriend thinks that she might have found a solution; every night before we go to bed I let my dog out in the back garden for five minutes, to get a bit of fresh air and hopefully have a wee or poo.
> 
> At the bottom of the garden there are some plant pots that have filled with rainwater and my other half noticed one evening that he made a bee-line straight to these pots when she let him out one evening.
> 
> So it looks like he's just been a glutton and drunk himself silly whilst he's been out and so has needed a wee during the night!


I do hope thats the answer.
Remember its very difficult for any of us to give advice without actually meeting the dog and owner and we can only act on what the owners have written.


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## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

Twiggy said:


> I do hope thats the answer.
> Remember its very difficult for any of us to give advice without actually meeting the dog and owner and we can only act on what the owners have written.


He didn't pee on the floor this morning anyway (as far as I know- im away on business, but I'm pretty sure my other half would have let me know if he had) but that doesn't mean anything, he's pretty sporadic.

It is one of those situations that is difficult to work out and then suddenly something happens (in this case my girlfriend noticing that the plant pots had retained water & the dog trotting over to it) that makes you realise why something is happening.


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## Bearpaw (Dec 10, 2009)

Hopefully youve found the answer lol!,if he does drink alot in the evening maybe you could get up in the night for a toilet stop.Lets hope thats problem sorted


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## Garybuller (Nov 17, 2010)

Bearpaw said:


> Hopefully youve found the answer lol!,if he does drink alot in the evening maybe you could get up in the night for a toilet stop.Lets hope thats problem sorted


Cheers Bearpaw!


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