[Parkerflyhi]

We got a rescue dog a little over a month ago. They were unsure of the age but thought she was between 1 to 2 years of age. We were assured that she was house trained, and with the first couple of days in the house it seemed she was. When we first got her the shelter told us to crate train her but that we would also have to crate train our other dog at the same time. Since our other dog is amazing we have had no issues with hermy husband was adamant that we would not crate train because it would be punishing our older dog for no reason. SO, after a few days after being with us, the new dog started wetting all over the house for seemingly no reason as she was fine the first few days. We attributed it to maybe not being let out enough, but there are times we had just let her out and she will come back in and pee in a random room. We have tried to limit the areas she has access to, since at this point she has ruined every carpet in the house. Using enzyme cleaners does not seem to work as she still keeps going back to certain areas to pee.
The biggest issue is that she pees when she sees any male figure in our house. She seems to get really excited, for example, when my husband comes home from work or my son from school, and some days she will uncontrollably pee all over. She literally pees as she runs all over the room. This has become a major issue as these messes are hard to clean up. She will also pee if my husband so much as touches her. This is only an issue when she sees the two males in the house, not with the females. We expect possible prior abuse as it’s the only thing that makes sense.
Additionally, since she keeps peeing all over, this has given our other dog the idea that it is okay to pee in the house. Besides peeing in all the same spots as the other dog, it seems that she is jealous of the new dog and whenever we are playing with the new dog or acknowledging her in some way our older dog will revenge pee in the middle of the living room floor. Even with telling her no just as she starts to pee, and trying to pull her away, she won’t stop and will completely empty her bladder on the floor while staring blankly at us and it makes a huge mess on a floor that is not supposed to get wet like that. She is essentially ruining the floor, the wood is starting to lift at the edges.
We are at our wits end and my husband feels like it is a mistake that we got this new dog. We did some research and found that it takes about a month for two dogs to get used to each other and the new dog to feel comfortable in it’s new environment, but it has been over a month and I feel some days we have made no progress at all in trying to train this dog. Anyone have any suggestions? We are desperate.

 

[Francl27]

Why would you need to crate both dogs? I don't get it. I would absolutely crate her, but I see no reason to crate your other dog.

And yes, some dogs get confused with carpet. Our new dog kept going on our rug until we got rid of it.. We shampooed it every time with enzyme cleaner but I guess it didn't get rid of the small either, who knows). But we also went back to housebreaking 101 and went out with him all the time, praised him every time he went outside etc. We got him a week ago and he hasn't had an accident in over 2 weeks now (when we removed the rug, but we have hardwood floor and tile otherwise).

Unfortunately, bladder issues can happen after spaying too.. my housebroken dog sometimes pees when she's excited to see our friends. I would get her checked for a UTI just in case.

 

[3GSD4IPO]

Get two crates. Crate both dogs. That is step one.

The next step is to learn about dogs and house training. House training is a somewhat "fragile" thing and is easily undone (as you can see). It is also not a thing dogs generalize well. THAT is why you should have used a crate and rewarded the new dog for peeing etc. outside. This is how you show the dog, "House training where you were is the same here in this house."

The peeing on seeing your husband or son is not peeing because the dog needs to go to the bathroom. It is submissive peeing. Again.. crate this dog. Leash her in the house and control the interactions with the people she submissive pees for. The people need to behave differently too. They need to be calm and stand up straight as leaning over the dog is intimidating. The BEST thing would be that when either one comes home, they get her out of the crate on leash and go outside. Again.. CALM and Upright.. low voice and a quiet demeanor until the dog is also calm.

The original dog is marking over the other dog's urine in the house. This is a pack order behavior. And now this dog is now no longer house broken and needs to be in a crate and taken out and rewarded for peeing etc. outside.

Last, but not least, all the pee needs to be cleaned up with an enzyme cleaner. If the pee has been on rugs or carpets, they need to be steam cleaned to remove odors. You need to put up gates and close doors so that the dogs are confined to hard floors when they are in the house. I also highly recommend SEPARATING the dogs and handling each separately while in the house (one is crated and the other is loose and then swap). Leash the dogs in the house (dragging a leash is fine so you can grab it and get the dog out when you need to and into a crate when you need to).

BOTH dogs need to be put on a potty and feeding schedule (it will help with the house breaking).

BOTH dogs will need some effort and structure to get this to work.

I am not saying this next to be mean, but you all created the issue by not crating as suggested by the Rescue. Crating is not mean. It is a method of control. Just getting a second dog and letting the dogs together without some sort of structure created this. Now you have to add structure and your work is doubled because you have two dogs.

I wish you success in this!!

 

[3GSD4IPO]

Oh.. and one other thing. The submissive peeing around men is NOT FROM ABUSE. It is the genetic temperament of the dog. The dog is submissive by hard wiring and not confident. THIS IS GENETIC.

Men have a different demeanor than women. Lower voice, different smell, and different body language. That alone is enough to cause a dog lacking confidence to submissive pee. This behavior is VERY COMMON and is not abuse based.

 

[Super_Nova]

I would have the new dog checked for any medical issues that would cause her to have less bladder control, like a UTI. If medical comes back clear, then it sounds like it’ll be time to go back to the basics with potty training. No free time, if you aren’t watching them then they need to be crated.

. Since our other dog is amazing we have had no issues with hermy husband was adamant that we would not crate train because it would be punishing our older dog for no reason.

I also want to comment on this. Crate training shouldn’t be seen as a punishment, if training is done correctly the puppy/dog should look forward to go into the crate. My new puppy comes inside and runs straight into his crate because he knows he gets yummy treats when in there. It is also good for each dog to have their own “safe place” where they can get away.

 

[LittleFr0g]

Oh.. and one other thing. The submissive peeing around men is NOT FROM ABUSE. It is the genetic temperament of the dog. The dog is submissive by hard wiring and not confident. THIS IS GENETIC.

Men have a different demeanor than women. Lower voice, different smell, and different body language. That alone is enough to cause a dog lacking confidence to submissive pee. This behavior is VERY COMMON and is not abuse based.

Sometimes dogs who are submissive peers were abused, more often it's genetic. Fixed it for you.

 

[Lillith]

First, I would probably have both dogs checked for a UTI, just in case. If the have a UTI, they might not physically be able to hold it.

If they are clear of medical issues, you might be dealing with some submissive peeing. If she's younger, it's also not unusual for them to lose control of their bladder when they're nervous or excited. There isn't really a whole lot you can do about it, honestly. They can't control it. Sometimes time does help as those muscles develop, but I have a 3 year old dog who submissive pees at the vet, sooo... I imagine she will get used to your family as time marches on, and the peeing will go away, but if she's meeting new people it might become an issue. Hopefully the events of your family coming home and guests becomes less novel as she grows used to your household. You can try doggy diapers, perhaps, in the meantime.

If you're seeing accidents beyond submissive/excitement peeing, you need to go back to Potty Training 101. She might have been house trained in her foster's house, but dogs don't generalize well and sometimes the training does not transfer to a different house. She should be 100% supervised, and when you can't supervise, crate her. Take her out frequently, like every 30 minutes, if necessary. Reward her with yummy treats and praise her for going outside. If you catch her having an accident, interrupt her with a word like "oops!" and rush her outside to finish. You do not want to scold her or make her feel threatened for having an accident. If she finishes outside, praise her and reward her!

Also, the frequent potty breaks will help limit the amount of pee she spouts if she gets excited, too!

I don't think its necessary to crate train your older dog if she's good in the house, but if she's having accidents, too, it might not be a bad idea. It doesn't have to be forever, just until she learns that just because another dog went potty in the house, it does not mean she should, too. I think your older dog should also go through another Potty Training 101 where she is 100% supervised, and crated when she can't be. Please note, also, that the two dogs should not be left alone together, which is perhaps why the rescue said you need to crate train your other dog? I think having the younger crated and the older in another room would be enough, as I wouldn't want the loose dog to torment the dog locked in a crate. They are awfully new to each other, after all.

With the addition of a new dog, there is likely to be some upheaval in your household, but I think with time it will begin to return to normal. If the younger dog continues to pee everywhere, however, I would not blame you for returning the dog to the rescue. That would be awfully hard to deal with! I would try some of the advice given to you, though, and see if theres any improvement. Sometimes a little time is all it takes.