I have volunteered to keep 2 pugs for a week while the owner is away. After being walked for a half hour the male pug pees in the house. He has squirted every item in the house must have been affected. He’s getting neutered next week. Will that help?
Thanks
Irene
Hi Irene,
There are 4 basic reasons a dog eliminates in the house. The first is it’s a sign of a medical issue. The obvious is a urinary tract or bladder infection. This is usually a puppy issue but not always. When it’s an older dog that has always been house-clean without major issues and suddenly they’re eliminating in the house it’s often a pee-mail to the dog owner that there’s something going on internally that may have nothing to do with an incontinence related ailment. There’s very likely something wrong with the dog so always go to the vet.
The second reason for household elimination is puppy development or older dogs brought into the household that were never properly housetrained. Soiling can be kept to a minimum and then extinguished with a little understanding about a puppy’s physical development and some structure throughout a pup or adult’s day. I have it outlined in my free house training cheat sheet, which I’m happy to send to whomever needs it.
A third reason is anxiety and if you don’t treat the anxiety, you won’t solve the house soiling. This is a complicated problem and not, I think related to yours so I’ll skip going into it with any detail.
What you have is old-fashioned dominance. When a male dog and sometimes a female starts marking up against things as opposed to floor puddles they’re stating to all concerned, “This is mine, this is mine and this is mine and this is definitely mine . . . actually for future reference – this is my house, everyone else just gets to live here.”
Does neutering help? Sometimes, but leadership signals work just as well, even better considering the other behavioural benefits you’ll enjoy, including a dog more responsive to training.
My dog Odie, is not neutered and lives in the house with my sons and me. He has never marked anything in my home because before he even walked into the house (at 2 years of age) I made it clear just who was the teacher and who was the student. I made him get out of the truck my way, walk to the house my way (sort of), wait at the bottom of the stairs, popped him right in the crate, let him get his bearings, let him out but ever since dragging a leash so I could supervise him. Every rush at the door, attempt to swipe something off the counter, touch something not for him etc I was on him like Charlie Sheen on a plea bargain.
It was exhausting but better then cleaning up Belgian Malinois pee-mail all over the house. I don’t think it would be enter his mind. Embrace these two rules, “If a dog can’t be caught, it can’t be taught” and “If you can’t see, then he can pee.” Get a leash on him and use a crate when you can’t.
Pawsitively yours,
John Wade
[email protected]
1 thought on “Pug Pees in the House”
I just got an 8 week old puppy. I’ve already taught him to sit, shake, up and lay but he still goes pee in the house. He has a dog door and trained him to use it. He uses it to go out and in just doesn’t use it to do his business. Seeing as I’ve had him only 5 days I would say he’s quite a smart cookie. I just hope that by the end of week 2 he will be trained. I also have a 11 year old Staffordshire hound mix. I had him at 6 weeks old and potty trained him in a week although, I hear with smaller dogs its harder.