Jack/Pug Female

Question
I have a two and half year old Female Jack Russell Pug Mix.  I taught her to ring a bell when she has to go outside and she did great with that.  I then installed a doggie door and she has adapted to that as well.  She is 100% potty trained, but still likes to mark her territory.  Whenever I wash the shower rug, she will pee on it.  She will also sometimes pee in random spots if another dog is at our house.  My husband also leaves for weekly business trips and her indoor peeing seems to increase.  I punish her everytime I find the pee or catch her in the act by placing her in her kennel.  She is a very smary little girl and I can't help but wonder what all this is about, she knows it wrong, but is willing to risk it.  Got any suggestions??

Answer
Hello Kate,

I'm not sure about Pug behavior and this advice pertains to Jack Russells only but I have a couple of suggestions for you.
First of all, no matter how often you clean the rug or the areas that she has peed on, the smell will always remain unless you use a commercial product specifically designed to rid animal odors. Lysol, Pine Sol and all those products smell great and clean to us but to dogs, they can still smell the urine through all of these! That's why they usually go back to the same spot. Try Urine Gone or Gonzo or some other pet approved product.
You're absolutely right about marking her territory when another dog is in the house, this is normal canine behavior, and it sounds like she is acting out in either fear or anger that your husband is away.
Punishing her AFTER the fact does absolutely NO good. They are very smart indeed, but if you punish her at 5pm for a mistake she made at 3pm, she will have no idea why you are correcting her. It HAS to be while you catch her in the act for the lesson to be learned.
Hope I helped at least a little. Good luck with her, she sounds like a great little dog.
Take care