# Dog peeing indoors, but only at other people's houses...



## ldr

Hi guys, I'm hoping for a bit of advice about some behaviour we've noticed in Oscar recently. He's 13 months old and we've had him since early April. Ever since he came to us he's been pretty much perfectly house trained, with only a couple of accidents. He hasn't peed in our house now for over a month, however we've noticed that when we take him to OH's parents' house he always pees in their house at least once, often virtually immediately when he walks in the door. Last night he stayed at my sister-in-law's place as OH and I were going out for the evening and she texted when he'd only been there about an hour to say he'd peed up against her handbag, which was sitting on the floor. 

My sister-in-law has two dogs and my parents-in-law have one, so I wondered if the peeing was to do with trying to use his own scent to mask that of the other dogs, but that's just a wild guess, which I'm basing on the fact that I took him to a friend's house where there are no pets one evening and he didn't pee there (admittedly we only stayed about 20 minutes).

OH and I are at a bit of a loss as to how to train him to stop doing this, as he only does it at other people's houses and most of the time we're at home. There doesn't seem to be much point in doing the whole 'praise him for going outside' thing, because he knows he's supposed to go outside and always does so at home. He always seems to only pee a tiny bit when he does it, as if scent marking rather than actually peeing, so it doesn't seem likely that he's doing it because he desperately needs to go.

Any ideas?


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## dbtips

If youre dog is peeing indoors in other houses, then it might be a good idea to let your dog outside for a while. Let him know where to pee and not to pee by doing that. If your pup seems to pee in someones house, its only establishing a territory which can often notice in other dogs. The best thing you can do is to let him relax outside the house.


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## Sled dog hotel

ldr said:


> Hi guys, I'm hoping for a bit of advice about some behaviour we've noticed in Oscar recently. He's 13 months old and we've had him since early April. Ever since he came to us he's been pretty much perfectly house trained, with only a couple of accidents. He hasn't peed in our house now for over a month, however we've noticed that when we take him to OH's parents' house he always pees in their house at least once, often virtually immediately when he walks in the door. Last night he stayed at my sister-in-law's place as OH and I were going out for the evening and she texted when he'd only been there about an hour to say he'd peed up against her handbag, which was sitting on the floor.
> 
> My sister-in-law has two dogs and my parents-in-law have one, so I wondered if the peeing was to do with trying to use his own scent to mask that of the other dogs, but that's just a wild guess, which I'm basing on the fact that I took him to a friend's house where there are no pets one evening and he didn't pee there (admittedly we only stayed about 20 minutes).
> 
> OH and I are at a bit of a loss as to how to train him to stop doing this, as he only does it at other people's houses and most of the time we're at home. There doesn't seem to be much point in doing the whole 'praise him for going outside' thing, because he knows he's supposed to go outside and always does so at home. He always seems to only pee a tiny bit when he does it, as if scent marking rather than actually peeing, so it doesn't seem likely that he's doing it because he desperately needs to go.
> 
> Any ideas?


When I read your first paragraph, first thing I though of before I got to the rest was, I bet they have dogs. Is he entire or not been neutered long, and do you know if he was ever bred from (He would have been young to breed from, but its not beyond the realms of possibility given some people/breeders). Entire males, those used for breeding or if he has not long been neutered are usually the most culprit for territorial marking. If the other dogs are males too especially if entire, or there is females there especially if unspayed and approaching/ not long had a season then that would make it likely worse. The fact that he didnt pee in a friends house where there is no dogs, makes it even more likely, its territorial marking, putting his stamp on another dogs territory. If he is only peeing a tiny amount that too seems to be its scent marking, so likely even getting him to do a proper pee, before he goes in may not stop it.

The only thing I can think of is that you would need to watch him like a hawk, and intterupt him as soon as you see, him stop to lift a leg, but you would have to be damn quick with an Ahh Ahh or some such thing.


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## ldr

Sled dog hotel said:


> Is he entire or not been neutered long, and do you know if he was ever bred from (He would have been young to breed from, but its not beyond the realms of possibility given some people/breeders).


He was neutered just over six weeks ago. I don't know for sure if he was ever bred from, but we were told that he had been a family pet before he came to the rescue where we adopted him.



> If the other dogs are males too especially if entire, or there is females there especially if unspayed and approaching/ not long had a season then that would make it likely worse.


My parents-in-law's dog is female and has been spayed. She's quite elderly and tends to just leave Oscar to his own devices when they see each other. At my sister-in-law's there is one male and one female, both of which are spayed/neutered. My SIL's male dog is quite dominant and territorial but Oscar gets on well with the female.



> The only thing I can think of is that you would need to watch him like a hawk, and intterupt him as soon as you see, him stop to lift a leg, but you would have to be damn quick with an Ahh Ahh or some such thing.


Yeah, that's probably what we'll have to do - just watch him constantly and stop him each time he starts until he gets the message. Thanks


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## ldr

dbtips said:


> If youre dog is peeing indoors in other houses, then it might be a good idea to let your dog outside for a while. Let him know where to pee and not to pee by doing that. If your pup seems to pee in someones house, its only establishing a territory which can often notice in other dogs. The best thing you can do is to let him relax outside the house.


That doesn't really solve the problem though. Of course we can let him out in the garden, but we can't just leave him there all the time, especially on occasions like last night when he is staying over at somebody else's house and has to be brought inside at some point. He doesn't like staying out in the garden for long periods anyway, he likes to be with us in the house, so he'd just end up crying to be let back in if we left him outside.


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## Sled dog hotel

ldr said:


> He was neutered just over six weeks ago. I don't know for sure if he was ever bred from, but we were told that he had been a family pet before he came to the rescue where we adopted him.
> 
> My parents-in-law's dog is female and has been spayed. She's quite elderly and tends to just leave Oscar to his own devices when they see each other. At my sister-in-law's there is one male and one female, both of which are spayed/neutered. My SIL's male dog is quite dominant and territorial but Oscar gets on well with the female.
> 
> Yeah, that's probably what we'll have to do - just watch him constantly and stop him each time he starts until he gets the message. Thanks


There may be a chance the neutering may have an effect once he has been done a bit longer as it is fairly recent, no guarantees of course but it may eventually make a difference.

Deffinately think it is the other dogs and a territory thing, If the old girl has the odd accident too, then that might not help. Any smell left bearing in mind dogs sense of smell is thousands of times more acute than ours, that would encourage it too likely.

If the other is a dominant male and there is a female there too spayned/neutered or not that would likely encourage it. Im pretty sure its territory marking.
Maybe as well as doing the interruptor Ahh Ahh, if he stops, then praise him and give him a treat to re-inforce and acknowledge that it is the right thing stopping too. Try immediately calling him over to praise and treat.


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## dbtips

Hmmm, thats really a challenge. Ive never experienced something like that. What if you can put some kind of diaper for your pup? Well situation of your might be avoided by doing that but your dog must feel anxious wearing something like that. Maybe you can also control your dogs water intake.


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## ldr

Sled dog hotel said:


> Maybe as well as doing the interruptor Ahh Ahh, if he stops, then praise him and give him a treat to re-inforce and acknowledge that it is the right thing stopping too. Try immediately calling him over to praise and treat.


We'll try that, thanks. (And cross our fingers that the neutering helps eventually!)


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## leashedForLife

ldr said:


> He was neutered just over six weeks ago. I don't know for sure if he was ever bred...
> we were told that he'd been a family pet before he came to the rescue...
> 
> My PIL's dog is female &... spayed. ...elderly & tends to just leave Oscar to his own devices when they see each other.
> At my SIL's there's 1 male & 1 female, both [desexed]. My SIL's male dog is quite dominant & territorial
> but Oscar gets on well with the female.
> 
> [interrupt, re-direct & praise]
> Yeah, that's probably what we'll have to do - just watch him constantly and stop him each time he starts until he gets the message. Thanks


i'd get a couple of belly-bands [100% cotton, fully-enclosed elastic; 1 to wear, 1 to wash] for indoors. 
obviously the in-laws aren't watching him like a hawk, or he's allowed to be in another room solo, 
even if _'only for a moment...'_ Well, a moment is all it takes. 

peel-N-press panty liners are cheap & easy; carry a spare in a pocket, leave a dozen at the In-Laws, 
take the belly-band off *only* when he's out to toilet, check it, change if it's damp 
or *1x per 24-hours* minimum, to avoid bacteria accumulating. Use perfume-free & deodorant-free 
pads, as either scent or deodorant can cause rashes :nonod: in delicate places.

i'd also get back in the habit of going with him *every time* he's out to void in the garden, 
so that U know for a fact he's peed & how much. if he just marks outdoors, WATCH indoors.

encouraging him to empty his bladder, rewarding him handsomely when he does [like 1st trip 
of the morning?...] & merely praising when he dribbles, is another shaping exercise.


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