Still Marking
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Hey,
I'm posting this for Mom, because she doesn't have an account. As I haven't ever had this problem I thought I would cast out to you all.
Tucker has been doing well at the house, though he has made a vow to chew every valuable in site. ; ) But her question is with his marking habits - he has been with them for a little under 8 months now and marking is still occurring. It's not in the same place, but often the bed, sometimes the bathroom, sometimes the table. He is getting out and walked very regularly with Pearl his female buddy. Any thoughts to illuminate this or what they could do ? -
Is Tucker still intact? Is Pearl?? With some dogs, being neutered does help reduce and eliminate this behavior. From what you described, his chewing combined with the marking could mean stress in the sense that the walking is definately not enough physical exercise for him. All dogs chew, if you can provide items that he is allowed and suppose to chew. These would have to be items of great value to him, tasty and invigorating. Nylabone (some are better than others where they do not break apart. The small shavings are harmless and if you soak them in a broth it makes them yummy. Make sure to have two so there will not be rivalry.) Rotate toys every week. If you can catch him in the act, make a no reward marker sound or cue, then give the appropriate chewy; throw two away from him so he has to run to get them and make a choice. The scene should always DIVERT AND REDIRECT. There is a substance called Allum that is used in canning, make a paste and put it on the items he has been chewing on. There is so much more, but I will stop here. Call a trainer, go online, there are also many books….
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In Dr Dodman's book,Dogs Behaving Badly, he recounts a client whose dog was 'marking' and urinating inappropriately. Could there have been a major change in routine lately at your home? What about his favorite human, are they stressed out or anxious about anything? Is there possibly a bitch in heat in the neighborhood? (even neutered dogs will mark due to the stimulation of estrus) Make sure your mom cleans with a biological and/or enzymatic cleaner. You can purchase a black light to illuminate the areas exactly where there is urine residue. Dogs will 'mark' to overmark urine by someone else, is Pearl an absolute angle? Maybe she is peeing, due to hormones or an infection and Tucker is going over this. Due diligence and total patience with a strict elimination schedule are in line for this behavior. Remember never yell or scold. They will only learn to pee when 'that psycho' is not around!
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Having had a dog that would not stop marking (yes he was intact), belly bands nothing helped. You watch, he was good. You blink, he marked. He'd mark me in public. So I know your pain and the ONLY suggestion I can give is try a belly band for him to wear when in the house, leash to her and work on it. Letting him have full range is not going to ever stop it.
I do have a tidbit to share, not saying I advise it, but our Rottie board got a laugh. My friend Deb had a rottie/pit mix who would not stop marking. One day her husband actually peed over where the dog just marked. The dog didn't mark their doorway (his fave spot) for several days, so Pat peed on every place they found with a black light, lol. They had no more marking. Now again, not advising it but I have to tell you when you are desperate sometimes desperate matters work.
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Oh Debra, I had to laugh. :) But perhaps it's not such a silly thing. Curious to know if the husband was the leader of 'their pack' and then perhaps the rottie/pit got the message "if there is anyone going to pee in the house it is going to be ME (husband)".
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I'd take Tucker to the vet to rule out a UTI, too…or order some Vet 9 urine test strips online and check yourself. BTW, make sure the reagent strip aren't past their expiry date, send them back if they are. If everything is well within normal limits, retest in a week.
I fostered a puppy this summer who was hell to housebreak, he was getting worse instead of better! When he sprinkled on the bed simply because he couldn't hold it and jump up at the same time, I took him to the vet. Lo & behold, a bladder infection. Lots of water, Antibiotics and a vitamin C pill crushed up in wet food every night b4 bed got rid of the infection within 4 days.
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I do have a tidbit to share, not saying I advise it, but our Rottie board got a laugh. My friend Deb had a rottie/pit mix who would not stop marking. One day her husband actually peed over where the dog just marked. The dog didn't mark their doorway (his fave spot) for several days, so Pat peed on every place they found with a black light, lol. They had no more marking. Now again, not advising it but I have to tell you when you are desperate sometimes desperate matters work.
you know some interesting people DDS. I can't figure out which is more peculiar, that they would do that or that they would tell you!
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I'll pass this all on to Mom.. hope it helps. :D cheers
Great story Debra
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ROFLMAO, tell me? ROFLMAO she posted it on the AOL Rottweiler public board for the world to see. Hey it was about her HUSBAND, we don't mind shaming them, lol. I think he was thinking pack leader, lol. I do have to say, husband wise we should all have such a good guy. He has withstood countless rescues, dogs, geese, you name it and nonstop harassment from the gals on the board cause at one point they shared a screenname and we KNEW after 9 it was him online so we would have a field day saying outrageous things to him pretending we THOUGHT it was her.
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Farley Mowat recounted in his book, "Never Cry Wolf" that when he "marked" the territory around his tent, the male wolf in the area respected his marking, but the wolf also marked the same places from the other side, not intruding on his space. So that method could backfire if the dog decided he had to reciprocate. Reminds me of a cartoon where a man catches his dog lifting his leg on the couch, takes him outside and demonstrates how to pee on a tree, whereupon the dog, back inside, stands on his hind legs and pees on the couch. Funny! :)
