1) Removing the cause of the problem.
The dog leaves its urine on objects to mark them as his property. To eliminate this behaviour we have to discover why the dog has to constantly brand its property; why is it so afraid of losing either the objects or the area where the objects stand? The time when the behaviour began and the area of the house marked may give some clues as to the source of the dog's anxiety. A new baby or new boyfriend, a puppy or another dog introduced into the household can cause this problem. The cure is to spend more time with the dog and never shut it away from activities centred round the newcomer. When a new adult is the cause, include him or her in games and training the dog.
Dogs who are very territorial at the front window, barking at passing people and dogs, may mark the drapes and sofa near the window. If this dog has been taken for walks up and down the street, marking every post and shrub, he regards this as his territory. The presence of dogs in his territory is very frustrating. The barking does nothing to drive them away so his instinct is to mark his territory more clearly and beside the window is as close as he can get. These dogs may have been petted on demand and never made to obey their owner instantly every time. They regard themselves as the alpha dog and have no hesitation in snarling at or even biting the owner. For these dogs, all unearned affection and treats must stop and a training program featuring instant obedience initiated.
Other causes of the problem may be; locking the dog away when visitors come; a nearby bitch in heat; moving from one house to another. In all these cases a strong leadership role of all the adults in the family must be established in order to reduce the anxieties of the dog. To do this, each member of the family should spend five minutes a day training the dog to sit, down, stay and come instantly on command. Training is done with dog on leash, the command given once, the dog gently pushed into position (or pulled on a cord for "Come") if it does not instantly obey. When dog is in position give praise in a happy, excited voice and a treat (minute piece of cheese). Training can be less frequent once the dog is obedient. Introduce new commands so it remains interesting to you and the dog.
2) To eliminate wetting.
Water. Restrict the access to water when the dog is left alone or overnight. In severe cases only give water at meal times.
Outdoor behaviour. Take the dog to one place for elimination, training it to relieve itself on command and praising it when it performs. If nothing happens after a few minutes bring the dog inside. Before a walk, get the dog to relieve itself on its spot and do not let him cock his leg during the walk.
Indoor behaviour. Have a small area, a crate is ideal, with comfortable bedding where the dog can be left when you cannot keep an eye on him. Each time he comes out of the crate take the dog to his outdoor spot. If he relieves himself promptly he can stay with you; if not, he goes back in the crate. Until the leg cocking habit is broken, the dog when out of the crate should be with you. You might use baby gates if there are no doors or a soft nylon cord to attach the dog to your waist.
Clean up. Remove scent from areas wetted by washing with a soapy Oxydol solution, followed by a 1:3 white vinegar/water solution. The period during which you have the dog under complete control will allow time for any remaining scent to disappear.
Correction. Any time the dog sniffs at furniture immediately correct with your voice and make the dog move away. Praise when this happens. If urine is found on furniture, stay calm. Make the dog look at the spot, scold in a low growling voice and then take the dog to the outside spot and praise when it relieves itself.
Other dogs. Do not allow other dogs to be brought into the house while this training is going on.
Duration. When the dog is relieving itself outdoors on command, slowly reduce the time the dog is in the crate and let it spend more time with you, unless it misbehaves. Those parts of the house where wetting was most evident should be the last places the dog is given unsupervised access. Overnight and when you are away from the house should be the last times to leave the dog uncrated.
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