Coton de Tulear

Question
We have a coton de tulear male adult dog age:1 year and recently acquired a female coton de tulear age:3 Mos.
Our male dog before acquiring the puppy was starting to mark an area in the backyard.  When we acquired the female puppy we noticed the male dog marking inside the house usually in specific areas but especially where the puppy has been.  How can we stop the marking behavior?

Answer
Hello Nora and thanks for the quesiton.

What is happening here is your male dog is maturing and the urge to scent mark is very strong. He is establishing this as his territory because he has decided he is in charge. Now, there is a female to impress and protect. This just compounds your problem and getting him to stop is going to be difficult as best.

How is his basic obedience (following commands when given)? If he is established and has good solid basic obedience down pat, it should be easier to deter him from this behavior. But, if he is not experienced, you'll have your hands full.
If he understands what is acceptable and unacceptable, as well as, your request to stop a behavior, I would recommend firming up his limitations. You would, of course, have to catch him in the act of marking in order for it to be effective. You can't do it after you notice the urine spot. Use a enzymatic cleaner to eliminate the urine to prevent future marking.

It is only going to get worse with an intact male and female living in the same house if you don't get a hold of it now. Go back to housetraining 101 and start over with him even though marking is not the same act as urinating, he should understand what is expected of him.