[Taylornicolle99]

Okay I really need advice! I have a 9 month old Great Dane and we are really struggling with him peeing in the house. The other day, we had friends over and he peed in the house twice! After going out more than what we usually take him when it is just us. This happens almost every time we have people over, so we take him out more, but then he still does it.
Then a few weeks ago, we went to my bfs parents house and he peed 5 TIMES in the house! We were there for two days!! One of the times I was standing by the door to take him out as soon as he finished eating and he just started peeing right away before he even got to the door.
I don’t know what to do anymore! It causes me so much stress and I feel so bad. He rarely pees in the house when it is just my bf and I at home. It’s even more frustrating because once he starts peeing he doesn’t stop! He just sits there and stares or walks and pees. It feels like he is doing it to be spiteful but I know that’s not true. Does anyone have any advice? Especially for when we are at other people’s houses. Thanks

 

[storyist]

A few things in your post strike me. First, not all dogs understand that not peeing in their own house means not peeing in other buildings. Some are quicker to get that idea than others. One of the Rottie girls I have now was really slow about it and embarrassing when I took her anywhere for all too long. So what happened at the bf's parents' house isn't unusual. Since your guy isn't to the point of understanding "not indoors anywhere," if you take him someplace like that again, you have to treat him like an unhousebroken puppy. Him being more excited and liable to pee when company comes is also not uncommon.

Second, why are you letting him "just sit there" or "stare and walk and pee"? Leave a collar with a short grab line on it on him in the house, and when he starts that, grab him and get him outside before he's hardly started. If you can do something that startles him and makes him stop the flow long enough for you to do that, even better. If you have to drag him, do it. Slippery floors help.

Last, a 9-month-old and he's sitting while he pees? Do you really mean that or just that he's still squatting as opposed to leg lifting? And walking as he pees? If those are really accurate descriptions of what he's doing, I think I'd be asking the vet about it as it strikes me as unusual. Maybe people who have raised more males than I have will chime in. Is he able to hold it at night?

 

[DaySleepers]

Agreed with storyist - peeing while sitting or walking that isn't normal, especially if it seems to take him by surprise (ie he's walking normally an the pee just starts flowing, rather than squatting/leg lifting and then starting to walk as he keeps peeing). This can be an indicator of a urinary tract infection or other issue that's impacting his bladder control, so if it does seem like the pee just lets loose with no warning or normal potty behavior from him, you need a vet to rule out medical possibilities first.

 

[Taylornicolle99]

Hi! Just wanted to respond to your concerns. He isn’t sitting, it is more of squat. Sorry that was an inaccurate description. He has not lifted his leg yet. We have a 3 y/o female dane and he pees just like she does. I didn’t think it was too concerning that he wasn’t lifting his leg. Should I talk to the vet about that?
Also, I just wanted to clarify he’s like in the squatting position but trying to walk when he’s peeing in the house. He doesn’t do it outside. I don’t ever just let him pee in the house. I immediately try to stop it but he just doesn’t seem to care. I make loud sounds, I pull his collar, I try to get him to stand but he doesn’t stop right away. When he does pee in the house we take him right outside.
Thank you for the advice about treating him like he’s not housebroken when we’re somewhere else. I didn’t think of it that way. What should we bring doing when people are over? Just keep reinforcing going outside?

 

[DaySleepers]

Okay, that sounds much more typical! It's very common for males to not start lifting their legs until they're more mature, and giant breeds are slow to mature to begin with, so the squatting isn't a concern. Thank you for the clarification, with that I'd say approach this as a potty training issue.

Guests are probably very exciting and/or interesting to him, and may distract him from paying attention to his bladder or make it harder for him to contain himself... literally. If he's wandering off to pee somewhere when the guests are over, consider tethering him to you (basically keeping him on a lead) or confining him to the room you're in so you can keep a close eye on him and get him out if he starts showing any kind of pre-potty behavior like sniffing, circling, pacing/restlessness. Plan on doing extra potty breaks during these times as well. Definitely be extra on top of going out with him and throwing an immediate post-pee reward party whenever there's guests in the house or are visiting someone else's house. Make sure you reward him for finishing outside even if he started in the house, to help motivate him to try to stop peeing and go outside with you when he's having accident. All this will help reinforce that following the potty rules are still super rewarding, even in new and challenging scenarios.

 

[storyist]

What DaySleeper said. A male squatting at 9 months isn't unusual. It's not common, but there are males who never lift their leg or only do it occasionaly. So it does sound like he just needs more help with his housebreaking. Try not to ever give him a chance to get going without you right there to react. Crate, pen, tether. MAKE him care when you catch him starting inside, swoop down on him, RUSH him outside.You don't have to yell to make it clear you aren't pleased.

 

[Taylornicolle99]

Thank you for the help!

 

[RonE]

FWIW, I've seen some very impressionable female dogs who lifted their legs to pee, probably because they lived with males. Typically that doesn't end well.

 

[BKaymuttleycrew]

FWIW, I've seen some very impressionable female dogs who lifted their legs to pee, probably because they lived with males. Typically that doesn't end well.

I have a female, leg-lifting marker. She started when she was just under 2 years old & is still doing it at the ripe old age of 14. When she just needs to empty her bladder, she squats. When out on a walk & she wants to mark, she often lifts. Whether she learned the technique from one of her doggy 'brothers', or just came up with this on her own... I dunno. But it's never caused any problems.

 

[siclmn]

I have a female, leg-lifting marker. She started when she was just under 2 years old & is still doing it at the ripe old age of 14. When she just needs to empty her bladder, she squats. When out on a walk & she wants to mark, she often lifts. Whether she learned the technique from one of her doggy 'brothers', or just came up with this on her own... I dunno. But it's never caused any problems.

My 9 year old Jackchee Chiwawa Jack Russel mix had started doing this so I took him to the vet and discovered that he had a urinary infection. He gave me some pills and put him on a special Science Diet dog food and he is cured. Easy peasy.