4yr old Dalmation urinating in the house

Question
I have a 4yr. old Dalmatian. About a year ago he started peeing in the house. He goes on the side of the sofa/love seat, on the walls. He does it if we are out and we are seating right there and he will go.He will do it even when he comes in from outside. He knows that it is wrong because when you say something to him he will go hide under the table. I have taken him to the Vet and they could not find anything wrong. I even had him fixed thinking that could be the problem but it did not help. We are always cleaning the carpets and the furniture. I don't know what to do. Please help!

Answer

Hi Cindy,

If your vet has ruled out the possibility of a urinary tract infection, there are some things you can try to break your dog of this habit. Be sure your dog is urinating outside. You may need to walk him outside on a leash to confirm this. If you let your dog outside by himself, it's anyone's guess how much he's actually relieving himself. Also, when you leash walk your dog you can offer praise every time he "goes". Since going to the bathroom outside is what you want, praising your dog whenever he does this will be helpful.

If he can smell his scent, that could be an open invitation for him to continue to mark those areas in your home. Clean the areas where he's soiled with an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution.

You didn't say when you neutered your dog. Neutering an adult dog won't always stop the marking habit. It would be helpful not to give your dog the unsupervised run of your home, since he can't be trusted not to soil in your home. Keeping him on his leash when you're home with him, can help prevent accidents from occurring. Tie the end of the leash to your belt loop, or just hold the end. Offer your dog praise for sitting quietly by your side, so he knows it's the kind of behavior that makes you happy. Yelling at your dog, or punishing him after the fact does no good. The cure lays in preventing his unwanted behavior from happening in the first place.

There is a product called a "belly band" that is helpful in breaking male dogs from the marking habit in the home. Belly bands are made to prevent dogs from marking their territory in the home, it should be removed when you take your dog outside to relieve himself. A belly band is a wide belt that fits around the waist and covers the genital area. Belly bands are not intended to absorb pee, but to inhibit peeing. There are many brands of belly bands available, here are a couple:

http://www.deeogeepetstore.com/belly-bands.html

http://www.bellybands.net

http://www.wayfair.com/Maxs-Closet-Belly-Bands-Dog-Diapers-30400-01-XMX1013.html


You can also make your own belly bands:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4824111_belly-band-male-dog.html

Urine and waste trapped in the fur can cause skin problems. Check your dog for irritated skin, and don't let him wear a belly band if it's soiled.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti