shit-zu house training

Question
I have a male shit-zu he is 1.5 yrs old he is very defiant the biggest problem is he hikes his leg on everything and sometimes even right in front of us. We love dogs and also own 2- 5 yr old labs,I have never had trouble with the labs but the zu is off the charts. any ideas???

Answer
Hi Missy,

Your dog isn't acting defiant, for him marking normal behavior!
Marking is not a house training issue. It's usually a smaller amount of urine, primarily on vertical surfaces. Your Shitzu may be having conflicts with your other two dogs. When there's instability in the pack hierarchy, a dog may feel a need to establish his dominance by urine-marking his territory.
Leg-lifting is a sign that your Shitzu is asserting his dominance.

First, if your haven't yet neutered your Shitzu, you should do so. Neutering can help stop marking behavior. However, neutered animals may still mark in response to other intact animals in the home.

Second, clean areas where your dog marks with an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature's Miracle.

Make previously soiled areas inaccessible or unattractive to your Shitzu. If this isn't possible, try to change the significance of those areas to your dog. Feed, treat, and play with your Shitzu in the areas he is inclined to mark.

Watch your Shitzu when he is indoors for signs that he is thinking about urinating. If he looks like he's thinking about urinating, interrupt him with a loud noise and take him outside. If he urinates outside, praise him and give him a treat. When you're unable to watch him, your dog should be put in has crate, or a small room where he has never marked, or tether him to you with a leash.

Practice "nothing in life is free" philosophy with your dog. This is a safe, non-confrontational way to establish your leadership and requires your dog to work for everything he wants from you. Have your dog obey at least one command (such as "sit") before you pet him, give him dinner, put on his leash, or throw him a toy. Establishing yourself as a strong leader can help stabilize the hierarchy and thus diminish your dog's need to mark his territory.

Don't punish your dog after the fact. Punishment administered even a minute after the event is ineffective because your dog won't understand why he is being punished.

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

Patti