Question for Sugar Magnolia

[untateve]

SM, I have a question--

 

I have a female half-lab, half-australian shepherd mix dog (fixed). We've had her for a year and she is 15 months old.

 

She is essentially completely house trained and has been for quite awhile. However, on occasion, she will pea on one of my boy's beds or on their bean bag chairs. Nowhere else in the house. I once caught her just as she was finishing up on the bean bag. She's not an aggressive dog--I have never seen her bite/snap at anyone or any animal for any reason.

 

I have guesses as she certainly does not see them as 'pack leader' (yes, we watch Cesar Millan). Is she just 'marking her territory' so the boys know that she is indeed their pack leader? I'm at a loss and I don't know how to fix this. My wife and I have stopped letting our dog sleep in the boy's room because of this and that's too bad.

 

Any ideas on why she does this?

[whomper]

They are mad about your incessant sniffing

[untateve]

They are mad about your incessant sniffing

 

 

My boys or my dog?

[Duchess Jack]

heck, while we're at it - I've a 1/2 black lab, 1/2 beagle. Guinness. He's a little over a year old. 'F'er gets so excited when I come home he pees. I have taken to waiting on a tiled floor in preperation for it. I don't want to disipline him because I heard it was an issue of subserviance. THoughts?

[spain]

SM, I have a question--

 

I have a female half-lab, half-australian shepherd mix dog (fixed). We've had her for a year and she is 15 months old.

 

She is essentially completely house trained and has been for quite awhile. However, on occasion, she will pea on one of my boy's beds or on their bean bag chairs. Nowhere else in the house. I once caught her just as she was finishing up on the bean bag. She's not an aggressive dog--I have never seen her bite/snap at anyone or any animal for any reason.

 

I have guesses as she certainly does not see them as 'pack leader' (yes, we watch Cesar Millan). Is she just 'marking her territory' so the boys know that she is indeed their pack leader? I'm at a loss and I don't know how to fix this. My wife and I have stopped letting our dog sleep in the boy's room because of this and that's too bad.

 

Any ideas on why she does this?

 

You think thats bad? Try inviting H8Tank to come visit you for the weekend...

[isleseeya]

I am allergic to dogs .... cats also ...and can't be around large hairy men either for too long

[spain]

I am allergic to dogs .... cats also ...and can't be around large hairy men either for too long or else I get an uncontrollable erection...

 

[isleseeya]

 

 

I find that benadryl is very effective aid in preventing all , including spain's edited statement

 

Sometimes I have double up on the benadryl and cut back on the viagra

[untateve]

bump because SM is on the boards as I type.

[Sugar Magnolia]

SM, I have a question--

 

I have a female half-lab, half-australian shepherd mix dog (fixed). We've had her for a year and she is 15 months old.

 

She is essentially completely house trained and has been for quite awhile. However, on occasion, she will pea on one of my boy's beds or on their bean bag chairs. Nowhere else in the house. I once caught her just as she was finishing up on the bean bag. She's not an aggressive dog--I have never seen her bite/snap at anyone or any animal for any reason.

 

I have guesses as she certainly does not see them as 'pack leader' (yes, we watch Cesar Millan). Is she just 'marking her territory' so the boys know that she is indeed their pack leader? I'm at a loss and I don't know how to fix this. My wife and I have stopped letting our dog sleep in the boy's room because of this and that's too bad.

 

Any ideas on why she does this?

 

 

First off my methods are very different from Cesars because I don't believe everything a dog does is because they see themselves as the pack leader or strive to be one, and see their owners as weak members of the pack. For example, many of the dogs I have seen Cesar treat on his show are doing what they do out of fear, and then being corrected for it, which is very unfair to the dog, and can often make the behavior worse-keep in mind you see the edited version on TV. My training is based the studies and recommendations from PhD Applied Animal Behaviorists. There are things Cesar does preach that I do agree with and certain methods he does use are effective.

 

Dogs are creatures of habit which can work in our favor sometimes but it does turn against us. First make sure the area where she has gone is cleaned up with an enzymatic cleaner to neutralize the odor. The problem is the smell may have gone down into the mattress and into the bean bag chair. We can't smell it but a dog can. Outside of getting rid of the mattress and bean bag chair, I'd tell the boys to keep the door shut and only have the dog in the room when supervised. This way you can correct her if she does go there. Dogs only live in the moment so if you don't see it happen and scoop her outside, she will not understand the correction, even if you correct 5 minutes later.

 

If they want to have her sleep in their room, she can do so in a crate, but she can't have the freedom in the room. If she whines in the crate, then she can be let out in the middle of the night, and she is learning the appropriate behavior. I don't know how often she pees in there, but if you don't allow her access unsupervised for maybe 6 months the behavior may go away.

 

If she was peeing on the boys I'd see this as a pack leadership issue, or nipping them, or guarding her toys from them. It can't hurt to have the boys raise their status with her. My suggestion is to buy the book How To Be The Leader of the Pack-And Have Your Dog Love You For It by Patricia McConnell PhD. It can be found on Amazon and I've seen it at Borders Books. It is a 15 page booklet and have the kids follow the protocol in the book.

[Perchoutofwater]

I thought this was about her husband doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning.

[untateve]

First off my methods are very different from Cesars because I don't believe everything a dog does is because they see themselves as the pack leader or strive to be one, and see their owners as weak members of the pack. For example, many of the dogs I have seen Cesar treat on his show are doing what they do out of fear, and then being corrected for it, which is very unfair to the dog, and can often make the behavior worse-keep in mind you see the edited version on TV. My training is based the studies and recommendations from PhD Applied Animal Behaviorists. There are things Cesar does preach that I do agree with and certain methods he does use are effective.

 

Dogs are creatures of habit which can work in our favor sometimes but it does turn against us. First make sure the area where she has gone is cleaned up with an enzymatic cleaner to neutralize the odor. The problem is the smell may have gone down into the mattress and into the bean bag chair. We can't smell it but a dog can. Outside of getting rid of the mattress and bean bag chair, I'd tell the boys to keep the door shut and only have the dog in the room when supervised. This way you can correct her if she does go there. Dogs only live in the moment so if you don't see it happen and scoop her outside, she will not understand the correction, even if you correct 5 minutes later.

 

If they want to have her sleep in their room, she can do so in a crate, but she can't have the freedom in the room. If she whines in the crate, then she can be let out in the middle of the night, and she is learning the appropriate behavior. I don't know how often she pees in there, but if you don't allow her access unsupervised for maybe 6 months the behavior may go away.

 

If she was peeing on the boys I'd see this as a pack leadership issue, or nipping them, or guarding her toys from them. It can't hurt to have the boys raise their status with her. My suggestion is to buy the book How To Be The Leader of the Pack-And Have Your Dog Love You For It by Patricia McConnell PhD. It can be found on Amazon and I've seen it at Borders Books. It is a 15 page booklet and have the kids follow the protocol in the book.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. We generally have been keeping the door closed so that she isn't in the room unsupervised. I assume I can get an enzymatic cleaner at a pet store. It really is odd to me that she doesn't ever pee elsewhere in the house. She is crate trained, but we let her sleep in her bed in our room at night. No issues about her peeing there.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Thanks for the reply. We generally have been keeping the door closed so that she isn't in the room unsupervised. I assume I can get an enzymatic cleaner at a pet store. It really is odd to me that she doesn't ever pee elsewhere in the house. She is crate trained, but we let her sleep in her bed in our room at night. No issues about her peeing there.

 

 

You can get this at the pet store. The most popular brand is Natures Miracle. I suspect she still smells her urine there and it attracts her to go there again. The bed is an unusual place if she has slept in that bed before. I have seen puppies allowed to sleep in a human's bed go down to the bottom of the bed and pee and then go back up by the pillows 'cause they can't jump down. Dogs are attracted to pee where it is absorbant-like the carpet vs the hardwood. Often dogs who pee in their crate, the owner has put a nice cushy bed in there and the pee just absorbs into the stuffing, leaving the top of the bed dry. I tell them to remove the bedding and the problem is solved. I don't know what your bean bag chair looks like, but I wouldn't think of it being absorbant-which would make it an odd place to go.

 

I'd think back to when she first had an accident in the room. Was she in there with the door closed? Does she know how to whine to tell you she has to go out? Maybe she goes there when she doesn't have an option to go outside, since she doesn't know how to communicate her need.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I thought this was about her husband doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning.

 

 

I suspect when golfing season starts on 4/15 there will be a lot less laundry, cooking and cleaning done my the male persuasion in our household. I will be quick to remind him, I'm working and he's not.

[untateve]

You can get this at the pet store. The most popular brand is Natures Miracle. I suspect she still smells her urine there and it attracts her to go there again. The bed is an unusual place if she has slept in that bed before. I have seen puppies allowed to sleep in a human's bed go down to the bottom of the bed and pee and then go back up by the pillows 'cause they can't jump down. Dogs are attracted to pee where it is absorbant-like the carpet vs the hardwood. Often dogs who pee in their crate, the owner has put a nice cushy bed in there and the pee just absorbs into the stuffing, leaving the top of the bed dry. I tell them to remove the bedding and the problem is solved. I don't know what your bean bag chair looks like, but I wouldn't think of it being absorbant-which would make it an odd place to go.

 

I'd think back to when she first had an accident in the room. Was she in there with the door closed? Does she know how to whine to tell you she has to go out? Maybe she goes there when she doesn't have an option to go outside, since she doesn't know how to communicate her need.

 

 

 

The bean bags are covered in a denim lining, so the pee absorbs right in and thru to beanbag "case". We wash the denim lining, but the smell may have gotten to the case. My dog scratches at the door, loudly, when she wants in or out. It is possible that she whined and the boys didn't hear her and so she peed. I've heard her whine once when she was in our room and I got up and let her out right away.

[wiegie]

I'm thinking that perhaps it is your sons who have the urination problem--they are acting out because they feel that they are in need of attention because their dad is spending too much time doting on the dog.

 

Psychiatrist, heal thyself.

Edited February 16, 2007 by wiegie

[untateve]

I'm thinking that perhaps it is your sons who have the urination problem--they are acting out because they feel that they are in need of attention because their dad is spending too much time doting on the dog.

 

Psychiatrist, heal thyself.

 

 

I thought you knew me. I cannot prescribe the candy. Psychologist.

 

Have I mentioned how good my dog smells?

[Savage Beatings]

We're actually taking out Corgi (1 year old) to the Vet next week because we think he might be insane. He licks everything all the time... ALL THE TIME!

[untateve]

We're actually taking out Corgi (1 year old) to the Vet next week because we think he might be insane. He licks everything all the time... ALL THE TIME!

 

 

 

You know, the licking of everything might not necessarily be a bad thing...if your dog will use his powers for good instead of evil.

[wiegie]

I thought you knew me. I cannot prescribe the candy. Psychologist.

 

Have I mentioned how good my dog smells?

 

Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Economist, Ecologist. It's all the bloody same.

[Savage Beatings]

You know, the licking of everything might not necessarily be a bad thing...if your dog will use his powers for good instead of evil.

 

 

Funny story... [checking to make sure wife isn't looking over my shoulder]

 

My wife usually parades around in her bra and panties for a couple of hours each morning, only getting fully dressed the minute before she has to leave the house. So she makes the kids breakfast like this each day. A few days ago she was making the girls some peanut butter toast for breakfast and she dropped a piece on the floor. Some of it got on her so she came back upstairs to change. The next day, she started complaining about the dog licking everything again. I picked up her panties with a big smear of peanut butter on them and said, "Well apparently you've found a way to make this problem work for you!"

 

Wife Me

[darin3]

I am no animal expert, but I know this... when my cat was peeing in random spots, it was because he had developed kidney failure.

 

Have you taken your dog to the vet lately?

[untateve]

I am no animal expert, but I know this... when my cat was peeing in random spots, it was because he had developed kidney failure.

 

Have you taken your dog to the vet lately?

 

 

 

It's not random spots...It's only those two spots. So long as she has no access, she consistently scratches at the door to be let out.

[isleseeya]

I am smearing peanut butter all over myself as I type this and see if my wife and or neigthbor's dog are around

[Sugar Magnolia]

We're actually taking out Corgi (1 year old) to the Vet next week because we think he might be insane. He licks everything all the time... ALL THE TIME!

 

 

This is a form of compulsive behavior, and can result from stress, boredom, or lack of exercise. My dog does this sometimes (she's an Australian Shepherd) but I can say leave it and she stops. If a dog can't stop it's defined as compulsive.

 

Sometimes putting the dog on prozac helps, but first I'd try increasing exercise (if he plays fetch you've got it made), give him things to chew on, play some games with him, feed his dinner out of Kong toys or Buster Cubes. With some high energy dogs, I have the owner fill 4-6 Kong toys, hide them around the house and have them hunt for their dinner. Herding breeds are known for compulsive behaviors 'cause they are working dogs and need to use their brains and need to stay busy and well exercised.

 

You see a lot of compulsive behaviors in zoo animals for this very reason. Pacing, staring at inanimate objects, excessive licking, and self mutilation are common problems at zoos, and also seen in our family pets.