I cant seem to potty train my rescued dog

Question
Thank you, Kristen.

Everyone says "Is that a puggle" as he looks exactly like a puggle but his legs are short and bowed like a dachshund and he has a long slender body so I think that he has dachshund in him.  He is approximately 4 1/2 yrs. old, male, and he is an indoor dog, although he does have access to the outdoors.  Presently he eats Science Diet little bites.

I have never heard of a belly band.  I will go to the pet store today to purchase one and I will be certain to keep it clean.  

I do keep the lease on him when he's in the house but I have not figured out a way to tether him to me.  I'm usually in sweat pants or pjs at home - no belt loops. Do you have any suggestions for tethering?

What are your thoughts about diapers for dogs? They are quite expensive and I would think that they might cause chaffing.

I am going to have to try to saturate the spots with Natures Miracle as he has peed on some of the same spots over and over again.

Also, I have been on disability and home with him but I will be going back to work full time.  I don't have a spot conducive to a baby gate and he is a jumper.  How long is it acceptable to keep him crated while I'm at work if I have to for the roommates sake?  
Thank you.
Kelly
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
I'm at my wits end.  My dog is extremely resistant to potty training techniques.  He will lift to pee on just about anything and he has ruined bedspreads and has even peed on my clothes.  He has access to a backyard via a doggie door 27/7 yet he chooses the house. He will go outside when I take him outside.  He's picky though and takes his time finding a spot.  I praise him when he does the right thing.  He never goes poop in the house but the urination problem stresses me and depresses me.  I need to find a roommate and they are not going to tolerate this.  I'm scared about that.  He is a rescue and I love him.  I have actually cried many tears over this problem.  I just don't understand and I don't know what to do.  Please HELP.
-----Answer-----
Your dog's problem is not a housebreaking issue, Kelly. He is marking. This problem can be solved a number of ways:

1. Keep him confined to the room you are in, and let him drag a 4-6 foot long leash when he's loose in the house, so that you can keep an eye on him and immediately scold and take him outside as soon as he starts to show signs that he's going to lift his leg.

2. Keep him tethered to you on a 6 foot leash when in the house, for the same reason as above.

3. Purchase a belly band for him to wear when he's loose in the house, so that if he does lift his leg in the house, he will not actually be able to pee on your things. What a belly band does, aside from protecting your things, is causes him to 'correct' himself for pottying in the house. He ends up peeing on himself, and no dog likes that, so it should break him of doing it. The thing is, with this method, you must keep him and the belly band clean, and you must take it off before taking him outside of course.


You need to thoroughly clean each area that he's already peed on with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle, so he's not as likely to want to mark the same spots again. When you are not at home, or able to watch him, put him in a crate. What breed is he?

Kristen

Answer
A belly band is the equivalent of a doggie diaper, but is made especially for male dogs. Regular doggie diapers do not cover the penis well, and so do not work for dogs with marking issues. Here is a link that will show you what a belly band looks like:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=14457&Ntt=no%20lea

If you can't click the link, just copy and paste it into your browser's address bar and hit 'enter' on your keyboard. You can put a thin maxi pad on the inside of the belly band to help with keeping it (and him) clean and dry.  


I'm like you in that I mostly wear sweatpants around the house, but what I do is get a cheap leather belt and put it around my waist loosely and either just run the looped end of the leash through the belt, or tie the leash to it. I've found that if you run the looped end of the leash through the belt, it can be easier to slide around you and poses less of a risk of getting tangled if the dog is one that likes to run around you (like my 6 month old German shepherd puppy! LoL).

You should be able to crate him for 8-9 hours during the day, and probably up to 10 hours at night, with no problem, providing you give him the opportunity to empty his bladder and bowels before putting him in the crate. I would recommend feeding him at least an hour before crating him. I, personally, prefer the plastic crates with the metal doors. They are lightweight, easy to move around, easy to clean, less likely for the dog to injure himself on, and most dogs seem to prefer them to the wire crates because they are more den-like. You can get one pretty cheap from Wal-Mart or K-Mart. I would recommend a crate that's at least 26 x 18 1/2 x 16 inches, but not larger than 32 x 22 x 33 inches. If the crate is too big, he may potty in it, and that's just the opposite of what you want it for.

Good luck and let me know if you need anything else!

Kristen