# my 9 yr old chi is peeing all over the place. help!!



## Tippy (Oct 27, 2008)

Looking for some advice and help.

I have 2 chihuahuas. one of them is mine. he's a 1 year old named mason, took a while to potty train him but proud to say he is fully potty trained and house broken. than there is the 9 year old, hes name is pauly, he is my boyfriends dog. My boyfriend use to bring pauly over and pauly would pee on things in my apt, he just recently moved in with me and it went from peeing on a few things to constantly peeing on EVERYTHING!! I come home to puddles in the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room. and it's from Pauly (because I keep mason in his room while we are at work and he has no problem holding it til one of us gets home) The situation with Pauly has just escalated from just a little to now out of control. I thought maybe it might be because he's getting older and he can't hold it in like he use to be able to so I started paying my neighbor to take the dogs out 2-3 times a day while we are at work, and it hasn't helped out at all. I still come home to pee marks and puddles. another example. I took him out for a 15 minute walk, he did his jobs, 5 mins after we got back there was a pee mark in my bedroom and a puddle in my kitchen. he's going to be the death of me. 

We've done about everything i can think of to try to stop him from this behavior. Time-outs, loss of toys, spankings, nothings working...

I dont know what else to do... my boyfriend doesnt seem to really care. I feel like I'm overreacting at times. My boyfriend will just clean it up and not even say a word to the dog about this bad behavior, i've been the one trying to punish Pauly. I'm 9 months pregnant and almost ready to pop. I just can't have a dog peeing all over the place with a newborn under the same roof. Things need to be a little more sanitary for the little one, i'm almost ready to tell my boyfriend either he needs to find out whats wrong with pauly and fix it or he has to go, i'm at my wits end....... any help or advice would be much appreciated. 

p.s. both dogs are fixed too. and they get along great so it can't be territorial behavior i dont think?


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## ItZy BiTzY (May 15, 2008)

Has the Vet checked him for UTI probs? Maybe other causes. I would get him Vet checked first. He may just be marking but, does not sound that way.

I know someone else will have ideas.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

If it isnt medical then you can try a belly band..that would be much better than getting rid of him:-(


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## OrchardLane (Aug 30, 2008)

Tippy said:


> We've done about everything i can think of to try to stop him from this behavior. Time-outs, loss of toys, spankings, nothings working...


First of all Pauly needs to get to a vet. His behavior indicates that there is an issue somewhere in his system.

A male dog that marks does not make puddles - he spritzes all over the place. 

Large amounts of urine several times a day indicates a medical issue and reprimanding a sick dog is not going to solve the problem.

Pauly needs to go to the vet for urine and blood work. Get a full blood panel for organ function.

In the mean time, you need to invest in an enzymatic cleaner to remove the scent of the accidents in the home. So anywhere there has been a mistake ... clean with the cleaner. This is essential in preventing him from getting into a habit of going inside the house in certain places.

Keep taking him out - make it more frequently - treat him like a puppy right now until you know what the issue is. 

If his bloodwork and urinalysis comes back ok - then start crate training him from scratch but I honestly feel something is wrong with this little guy and he doesn't want to make a mistake - he probably can't control it.


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## CM Katie (Sep 28, 2005)

OrchardLane gave some great advice!
Also this isn't like a child- taking away toys or putting him in a time-out isn't going to work because he doesn't understand what you're doing. He won't make the connection that because he peed all over the floor, his toys are suddenly disappearing. And never hit your dog.


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## Guest (Oct 28, 2008)

All good advice. Get him checked by a vet to be sure he's not ill. Clean the house and be sure to remove all the odor. Confine him or put a belly band on him to prevent him peeing in the house. Start at the beginning like he was a puppy and re-potty train. Maybe he's just reacting to the new living arrangement. Marking is about taking charge of his territory and maybe he thinks he has to do it now because he's there full time. Never hit a dog. There's something going on with him and you need to figure out what it is.


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## Tippy (Oct 27, 2008)

I've taken him to the vet already, I forgot to mention that. I also sought a 2nd opinion as well and also spent a lovely $4,000 on labwork and xrays. he's had every test the vets could think of. all of which the end result for both vets were the same answer.. he's perfectly healthy. aside from tarter on his teeth he was a perfectly healthy 9 yr old, he's very active and not overweight at all, I walk him 2 times a day and the neighbor i pay also walks him 2 times a day so he gets 4 walks a day. That was the first thing we thought of was something wrong with his health, now that we know its not that, we've moved on from that. 

I've tried to remove all odor, bought just about every dog odor remover cleaner made. I guess he could be responding to the new living arrangement but it's been a year now that he's been in the apt, and this behavior started out little here every now and then to OMG it's out of control. 

I've also tried starting at the beginning. (thanks orchardlane & ladyj for suggesting) my b/f thought i was nuts. I had him crated as if he was a puppy again... it was a big mess... i think he purposely potty'd all over the crate b/c he was pissed off at us for doing that. we tried it for almost 2 months.. it got us no where (

It's been a frustrating year and I almost wish it was something medically wrong with him, that I could live with, but it almost feels like he's acting out because for the first time in his life... we're starting to treat him like a dog instead of a child.


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## OrchardLane (Aug 30, 2008)

Tippy said:


> I've taken him to the vet already, I forgot to mention that. I also sought a 2nd opinion as well and also spent a lovely $4,000 on labwork and xrays. he's had every test the vets could think of. all of which the end result for both vets were the same answer.. he's perfectly healthy. aside from tarter on his teeth he was a perfectly healthy 9 yr old, he's very active and not overweight at all, I walk him 2 times a day and the neighbor i pay also walks him 2 times a day so he gets 4 walks a day. That was the first thing we thought of was something wrong with his health, now that we know its not that, we've moved on from that.
> 
> I've tried to remove all odor, bought just about every dog odor remover cleaner made. I guess he could be responding to the new living arrangement but it's been a year now that he's been in the apt, and this behavior started out little here every now and then to OMG it's out of control.
> 
> ...


WOW $4000 for bloodwork and xrays?? Vets must be living quite the life in your area!! A full bloodwork panel for organ function, a full bloodwork panel for hematology PLUS abdominal xray setup+2 angles would only cost us $350CAN total taxes in and our vet is one of the most expensive in our city!! $4000 is outrageous?! Even the teaching University in another province wouldn't cost us that much even with travel fees, bridge fees and hotel stays - we still wouldn't top over $600!! Maybe you should see if there are more affordable vets in your area as that is way too much for the services you received!!

If the issue is not medical then you need to be 110% consistent with him. 

The only thing that will break this habit is training. You can't change methods on him a million times as he will be so confused by the changes he will not know what to do - you need a routine, a schedule and a plan. 

Scolding, hitting and taking away his toys won't solve the issue so IF you really want to solve this issue you need to be 100% dedicated and committed to putting in the effort. This won't get fixed overnight and you need to stick with the plan - you can't deviate from the plan or you will undo everything you started.

This also won't work if your BF is undoing everything you try to do. You need to work as a team and have the same rules. Your dog walker will need to follow the same rules too. Everyone MUST be on the same page and everyone must be 100% committed to solving the problem.

You will need to:

1) Control his food and water - He is not to be free fed. YOU are to eat before he is allowed to eat - this will help establish dominance. If you control what goes in - you control what comes out.

2) Pauly needs to work to earn everything - that means to get his food, he needs to sit. To get a treat he needs to perform a task - to get a toy etc - make him work. Everytime you make him work for a reward - you are becoming the pack leader as the pack leader controls the resources of the pack. Being cute is not enough to get a treat. Make him EARN it.

3) Pauly is to be crated *when not being 10000% supervised*. Supervised means you are paying active attention to what Pauly is doing. Supervision is not watching TV, talking with friends or making dinner while Pauly is loose in the house. If you are in the the livingroom - then Pauly should only be allowed in the livingroom and access to all other rooms should be denied. 

Yes you have tried the crating before but you need to STICK with it!! If that means you need to clean out the crate 4 times a day then - that is what it means. Eventually he will learn that it is not fun to lay on a dirty blanket just to tick you off - as probably what happened before was he messed the crate out of spite and then the crate training wasn't reinforced so he got his way.

4) When Pauly is out with you and the BF in the home and IS being supervised he is to be wearing a Belly Band. This will make it very unpleasant for him to pee on anything. You could even tether him to you with a 6' long leash so that Pauly has to follow you around the house given him added supervision and again asserting dominance.

5) Walking does not equal bathroom time. 

Many owners think it is the same thing but it is not. Dogs need specific potty breaks, exercise AND mental/physical stimulation throughout the day. If Pauly gets walked 4 times a day that is great but he needs to be interacted with/stimulated and have potty time too as he may be doing this as he is bored. 

You need to teach Pauly the word for Potty. You need to show him where he needs to go outside and you need to reinforce it with praise and treats.

6) STIMULATE Pauly. Get brainiac type toys for him to play with and use them with him. Teach him new tricks - anything to stimulate his mind and get him thinking. PLAY! The key is to get him active to prevent boredom which can be a cause of accidents. This type of stimulation should be done 3-4 times per day for 5-10 minutes each time. The sessions should be fun, positive and stimulating for Pauly.

7) KEEP A LOG. Get a book and pen and keep it in a convenient location. Write down everything about Pauly's day: when he eats, when he drinks, when he goes outside, when he goes on a walk, when he makes a mess and where etc etc etc. This will help you determine a pattern - once you see a pattern you can modify your schedule to correct the issue. 

People think and assume they know what the issue is but until you see a good 2-3 weeks worth on paper .... you don't know what you are missing. You would be surprised at what pops up. 

8) Never stop cleaning. The enzymatic cleaners must continue. Anytime there is an accident. It NEEDS to be done. Otherwise your training won't solve the issue as there will be scents to go back to. A dog will re-mark an old scent to maintain their "territory".

9) Buy and READ (with your BF) Tamar Geller's The Loved Dog. It is a great training method for Chihuahuas. If you follow her method you will gain a better understanding of your dogs and you will have a happier, cleaner home. 

The info above will get you started until you read the book but I highly encourage you to get it as it sounds like Pauly believes he is in control.

He is making mistakes in the house out of the transition to the apartment. Transitional related accidents usually are corrected within a month of the move. 

This seems like a dominance and lack of consistency issue. Pauly was probably never properly housetrained and now you really need to do it right.


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## Tippy (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes, I know. the bills racked up. The vet had suggested surgery to fix his arthritis, (he has a limp) that gets worse with weather, surgery fixed it, all the bills added up to that wonderful number. But what else can you do, it's either try to find out if any what the problem may be or just be oblivious. 

Could be b/c my bf isn't on the same page as me. I am the one that tries to stay consistent with this problem and trying to fix it. He's also told me he'd get up extra early to take him for walks...funny not even months after he said that I ended up being the one to actually do what he said he'd do. 

I think i'll definitely try the belly band. I've never heard of it up until now. Pauly and Mason do know the word Potty. These dogs are very smart and know better, which is also another frustrating part of this ordeal. I feel like he's only doing this cause he's gotten away with it from my bf and since my bf was the only one he's ever known up until me than thats all that matters. like who cares if that lady's upset... my owner doesnt care and so i'll keep doing it...

sigh. thanks for the suggestions.


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## catz4m8z (Aug 28, 2008)

Wow, you really couldn't get better advice then these guys give could you??
Trying to think of anything not already mentioned is hard but here goes!!
1- Is your apartment older and is it possible that there were old scent marks that you didnt noticed but your dog felt compelled to mark over??
2- Have you tried a doggy behaviourist to make sure there is no signs of stress that you may be missing??
I hope you get on top of your problem and congrats on the new arrival!!


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## Mom2myFairLady (Oct 30, 2008)

_OrchardLane_ said it! Worthy of 'sticky'. 

The only thing I can add is to share my own experience. A few years ago we had to 'dog-sit' my in-law's Rat Terrier. They moved 1 hour away and lived in the apartment that didn't allow pets. They were building their house at the time. I was pregnant too, by the way. 

She would go to the bathroom in the house, even though she was 3 years old and was housebroken. I must admit I was not very fond of her and obviously it showed. Dogs are able to pick up on our emotions better than some ppl))

Anyway, we were told the dog was experiencing separation anxiety, and my aloofness towards her didn't help. 

As I see it your BF needs to 'step up to the plate', so to say. Both of you need to be dedicated to one purpose here. On top of that the chi needs to know he/she is loved and that they mean something to you. It's not hard to do - they are usually completely content just to sit by you. 

Hope that helps.....


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