10 Month old Maltese- Urinating in the living room

Question
My 10 month old Maltese keeps urinating on the living room carpet? My fiance doesn't want to get Casper neutered... I was told by the vet that when Casper does that he's marking his territory. However I do lay down the training pads. Any suggestions?

Answer

Hi Erika,

Getting your dog neutered can help if the problem is marking, and not a house training issue. There is absolutely no reason to own an unaltered male dog. Besides the marking issue, neutering lowers the chances of testicular cancer, and the urge to roam, as well aggression issues. Your dog is still young, if the marking goes on long enough, it will become habitual behavior, which even neutering won't easily break. Now is the time to neuter your dog!

Marking isn't a house training issue. A dog uses urine marking to help make a new environment smell like home, masking the unfamiliar odors with his own scent. Humans also engage in marking behavior, though it usually takes such forms as moving in a favorite chair and hanging pictures on the wall. In addition, marking functions as an efficient way to protect a dog's perceived space than physically challenging each interloper who approaches that space. In general, the less confident the dog and the more complex the environment, the more likely marking will occur, the more frequently it will occur, and the more it will involve intimate objects. Enrolling in an obedience class is helpful when a dog is marking as a way to establish himself as the "top dog", and it's also a helpful way to instill confidence in a dog.

If you can't trust your dog not to mark in your home, he needs your strict supervision. That means in sight at all times, or crated (or otherwise confined to a safe, dog-proofed area) whenever you can't be watching him. No exceptions.

It is extremely important to get rid of the odor your dog has left with previous markings. Use a specially formulated urine odor eliminator, such as Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution, in all areas that have been marked. Remember that urine soaks through carpet to the padding, so try to clean the padding too, or replace as necessary. Do not use ammonia or other standard household cleaners, since some will leave odors that many pets will feel compelled to mark upon.

You may find this helpful:

http://www.northbaycanine.org/spayneuter-txt.htm

Best of luck,

Patti