Cujo Shih-Tzu

Question
I have a male Shih-Tzu that likes to potty on my living room chair. I'm not sure of his age, but he IS potty trained.
The main problem I'm having is when I try to discipline him, he gets very aggressive. Any help will be appreciated.


Answer
Dear Ryan,

If he potties on the chair while he's sitting on it, get him to the vet to rule out any urinary problems he may be having.  Dogs generally don't like to urinate where they sit, and he could be urinating there without knowing it.  

If he's pottying on the chair from the floor, ie., lifting his leg to mark it, you've got a housetraining problem.  You'll have to clean the chair thoroughly with a vinegar and water solution to eliminate the scent, or better yet, replace the chair.  Now limit his access to the chair to times when you are in the room watching him like a hawk.  Catch him in the act, or about to act, and get him outside.  Do not hit him.  Best way to do it is to keep him on a leash tied to you in that room and just bring him outside immediately when he starts to mark.  You may say "Outsideoutsideoutside" while you're bringing him out but any other form of discipline must be avoided.  Any normal healthy dog is going to defend himself from a human who he knows is about to hurt him.  It's your job to set him up for success so that he doesn't make mistakes; you have to manage your situation and retrain him so that you don't get into these confrontations with him.  He also needs to get a treat outside right after he eliminates outside.

Go to my website http://www.dogdaysUSA.com and read more on marking and housetraining techniques, again only if he's actually marking the chair.  Today the site is undergoing some updates so it's under construction, but you should be able to get into it later today or tomorrow.

Thanks for your question.
Suzanne Harris, BSc, CPDT
http://www.dogdaysUSA.com