Thread: 12 month old starts pissing in the house.

dont allow free reign in the house. Either keep him on lead with you, shut the doors or put him in his crate in a communal area. I prefer crates to beds particularly with more dominant animals as they have a 'safe' zone they know cannot be accessed by other dogs and you stick them to that idea. He's just getting his hormones pumping and acting like a big man, mine started the whole pissing in the house thing when the rottie became a challenge. He'll mark over anything the rottweiler has marked, then the malinois bitch will just mark over the top of all of their scents

I'd watch the body language between them too, just make sure he's not starting to posture or try to pick dominance challenge fights between them too.

Hey Tony,
Both breeds in your dog tend towards intraspecific dominance issues. Your dog is also starting to 'come into his own' physically and mentally.
Julie is right re the crate training and access, but also consider washing the bedding.
Clean up all marking with an enzyme based cleaner thoroughly, including any areas that may have recieved the slightest spray. If he can smell where he marked previously at all it is much more likely to become a pattern and that learnt behaviour is difficult to make extinct.
I would also suggest purchasing some DAP- dog appeasing pheremone, and using it in the problem areas, as well as generally in the house. Not cheap but can be very helpful.
Hope it helps mate,
BG

D.A.P sounds like it might be worth asking my vet about and it may help with a couple of the 14yo bitches excessive licking issues too.

I spend a few hours a day working with him for a week at a time, and then I have to go away for work for two weeks. For the 2 weeks I am away, my wife puts the lessons I have taught him into practice during his walks, and around the house.

The pattern that we seem to see forming is destructive behaviour separation anxiety in the first 4-5 days of my absence, followed by the marking indoors for 3-4 days combined with playful disobedience. The final 4-5 days of my absence, my wife seems to get him on track again and then when I am home, he snaps to attention. I revisit everything he has been taught previously and refresh anything that needs rework, but I cant fault him when he is with me. He does not show any arrogance, aggression or dominance to my wife, but really pushes her buttons. (perhaps he watches me too much when I am home)

Direct control in the house or confined to his mat until told to get off seem to be working well. A big positive is that it is training my wife that dogs need more attention than children.

crate train dogs in separate rooms and make sure each is solid on own.

dap doesnt need vet help. vets are often a great source of misinformation on behaviour, much as you wouldnt ask most trainers to fix parvo or stitch up a torn tendon.

wife needs to be empowered to take on a greater role in training and dominant roles...maybe take on some washing up martin