Marking or Wetting

Question
Hi Kathryn,

 A year ago last Christmas a black male poodle came wandering down our very long driveway.  He was extremely matted and in very bad shape.  We cleaned him up and took him to the Vet.  Vet says he's about 5-7 years old, not neutered and other than being lost and left out in the elements for a very long time he was in good shape.  We named him Buddy.  He is very sweet and a great watch dog I love his personality, however, unless I can find a resolve to one very big issue I will have no other option than to find him another home. My husband is ready to take him to the animal shelter.  We do have an older greyhound "Alex" and three cats.  From day one he has gotten along famously with them.  Now to the problem.  Buddy pees on everything, rugs, furniture, food bowls, his included, shoes and even on Alex.  I believe that these are more markings than anything else, because they are not alway large in size.  I have never seen him do this.  But I know it is him.  He has absolutely distroyed my carpeting and some of the finish on my antique furniture.  Please HELP it will break my daughters heart and I know that Alex who suffers with joint pain perked up after Buddy came.  He is his "BUD"...     Also, what can you suggest to clean the rugs and furniture they are heavily soiled and I need to get them really clean, as we are in the process of putting our house on the market.  

One last question, Buddy, does not mind very well. When he gets on a scent he's gone.  I know that Poodles are historially hunting dog, thus, making him a get tracker.  However, his nose leads him into country traffic and across the road into the sub-division, sometimes taking Alex with him.  What can I do to get him to return on command?   Thank You, Heavy Heart

Answer
I know how frustrating it can be to have a dog marking everything.  One thing that can lessen it a great deal is to have him neutered.  The second thing I would suggest is to invest the time and money in obedience classes.  It will give Buddy something to concentrate on and work on - and keep his mind active.  This sounds simplistic, but the act of neutering can stop some of the territorial marking that is instinctive.

Also, there are products on the market that help with the staining of pet urine (Nature's Miracle, for one) but I've honestly found the best thing in the world is to mix 1 part distilled white vinegar to 3 parts water and use it on the marked spot.  It will neutralize the acidic urine scent and discourage Buddy re-marking that spot as well as helping with the stains.  I'd use this mixture on your carpet anywhere he has marked, and then, before you put the house on the market, have a professional carpet cleaning company come and steam clean the carpets.

I hope this helps you somewhat.  None of it (with regard to Buddy) is quick fix.  I'd suggest confining him to the kitchen (a child gate can be a wonderful tool) unless someone is with him to ensure he behaves - at least until he is neutered and trained.  By the way, there are places that will actually take the dog for several weeks and train them in-house. The reason I don't suggest that is they are usually VERY expensive.  

I hope your situation works out.  Should it not, you may want to run a free ad in the paper - many elderly people would love to have a dog for company.  I once had two male dogs (both neutered) who kept fighting and had to give one away to avoid injuring the other.  I did this and a lovely elderly woman took Barney into her home.  They became inseparable.  In his case, he just needed to be "top dog" and the center of attention, and with her he was.

God bless you and your 'babies'.

Kathryn