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Help! Established male dog won't stop peeing in the house because of new male k

794 views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  ayoitscaio 
#1 ·
Sorry for the long post, but I can't find tips pertaining to this particular situation ANYWHERE and we really want to address this issue now!

My boyfriend and I have two dogs that he has raised since they were puppies. There is one male, Jaks (5 yr) and one female, Eva (6 yr). Two days ago we got a male, 9 week old kitten named Binx.

Preface: Jaks, our male dog, is fully potty trained and rarely ever goes pee in the house. The only time he has done it consistently was when my boyfirend lived with a roommate who had a male dog. Jaks is definitely a beta male, so we think that he used to pee out of anxiety/territorial/wanting attention when the other male dog was around. We didn't even think this would be an issue with a cat! So heres what's been going on:

When we first introduced them, we put Binx into the bedroom and put Jaks and Eva in the living room. We gave Jaks and Eva bones to distract them and put up a baby gate in-between the two rooms. Jaks was the first one to notice Binx, he came over to the gate and sniffed, and Binx tried to climb the gate, so I picked him up and they sniffed each other. Binx was raised in a house with two dogs so he was really relaxed. We brought Binx into the living room and put him on the couch and Jaks sniffed away and they were fine with each other. Jaks obviously kept following him around to sniff him but it was all very amicable.

That night, I was playing with Binx and Jaks and Eva were on the bed, Jaks jumped off the bed and started peeing. I assumed its marking his territory so I shooed him outside and cleaned it up. Then in the morning, Binx kept trying to go up to Jaks bowl while he was eating and Jaks growled him away. I let him do this because I think they need to establish their stance between each other. They were fine all day yesterday, until last night.

I had 2 friends over and we were sitting on the couch. Binx was on the couch and my friend was playing with him while I was on the other side of the room. Jaks started peeing again next to the couch so I shooed him outside, cleaned it up, and then scolded him.

Not even an hour later, Binx went up to Jaks food bowl and I would pick him up and move him into the bedroom in front of his food bowl, this went on about 2 or 3 times. The 4th time he did it, Jaks started peeing again. I shooed Jaks outside and cleaned it up and then sprayed Binx with water when he tried to go near the bowl.

I talked to the vet today and they suggested lifting up the dog bowl whenever he is finished eating so Binx can't rub his smell on something that is clearly Jaks territory.
Has anyone had this issue before? I know it's only been 2 days but because Jaks has done this before with another male dog we don't want it to become more of a habit. Is there a way to positively reinforce that peeing in the house is not ok? We are trying to give him extra attention to ensure to him that he isn't less loved because of this new animal. Yelling at him and making him go into a separate corner when he pees doesn't seem to work. We don't want to put him in a crate because my boyfriend crate trained the dogs in a way where the crate is their safe place, not a place of punishment, so we don't want to change that. The kitten hasn't peed anywhere since yesterday. He does have trouble using the litter box but I think that is more out of still being young and needing training rather than territorial.
 
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#2 ·
I would suggest starting potty training from square one.

First, use an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle to remove any remaining urine scent so your dog doesn't think that is a good place to go.

Second, don't scold him or you may teach him that peeing in front of you is what is bad. Instead, supervise him closely so he doesn't have a chance to pee. If you see him sniffing at something and going into his "marking mode" interrupt him (not scolding, just something like "Hey, hey!") to get his attention. Rush him outside, and when he goes praise and give him treats.

Third, take him outside frequently, not just when he asks. Praise him for going outside. This way he learns, sure, pee and mark all you want, but outside is the place to do it.

I would also follow the advice to pick up the dogs' food when they are done. It's best that the dogs don't need to feel worried about the cat taking their food.
 
#3 ·
Thank you so much for your advice! I never thought to go back to square one and start potty training him all over again. The good news is my boyfriend and I work opposite schedules so someone is almost always home with them. I am going to try to take Jaks on even more walks as well so he gets it all out. The praise and encouragement definitely sounds like the route I want to go! My boyfriend told me to scold him but it definitely isn't getting through and might even be making him more anxious. I bought the cleaner and it should arrive by Saturday.He doesn't really have a "marking mode"... when he pees he literally does it silently and incognito! He doesn't lift his leg or anything but I will definitely just have to monitor him closer. Thank you for taking the time to answer!
 
#4 ·
Until the cleaner arrives, vinegar and baking soda help get rid of the odor, and stains. If he doesn't really have any "tells" that he is going to go, you will have to watch him even closer, or try to learn them. Easier said than done, I suppose.

And yes, the scolding may have confused him and made him more anxious. Dogs have to relieve themselves. Not optional. So it confuses them when they get in trouble for performing a natural bodily function.
 
#5 ·
the good news is our entire floor is tile so it is super easy to clean. we have been putting white wine vinegar on the spots he pees as well as antibacterial wipes and then drying the entire area. But i will go pick up some baking soda after work. Thank you so much for all of your help. Hopefully we can work with him to make him feel as comfortable as possible in his own home! It is a small home (600 sq ft) so I can see how that might be part of his stress as well. But we do have the two separate rooms so i might work on having him know his dog bed is his safe spot and keep the kitten off of it. I also bought the kitten a scratching post hammock today so that perhaps it can have its own spot to relax as well.
 
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