Hornblower, please help me with my dog.

[Denisemomof4]

I have the most AWESOME dog. Rusty, my little dachsund, is just SOOOOO COOL!!! He loves to go 4-wheeling, kayaking, floats on my belly in the pool, snowmobiling, car rides. He's just SO awesome!

 

BUT, since we adopted a greyhound 5 years ago he's been trying to prove his dominance. He is CONSTANTLY going to where the greyhound lays to mark his territory. I have all wood floors and he doesn't mark anywhere on the area rug by our living room furniture, but he ALWAYS goes to the large wool rug, especially if Buddy was laying over there. I'm losing my mind! I bought miracle what ever to completely remove the smell and to clean the carpet, which we will be replacing soon. I am leary of spending money on a new carpet, KNOWING this is the one he'll mark! But I have to put something there because the wood floors are darker beneath the carpet.

 

HOW can I train him not to do this? Right now he's on a lead attaqched to the woodstove so he can't reach that rug. But we will be burning the stove in no time. I *may* block him in to our breakfast nook. We will be homeschooling and sending most of our daytime out there. But I HATE the idea of having to do that and know dh will be upset that we added on a new room and have to block it off. He'll go with it, he's so awesome, but he won't be happy and to be honest, neither will I!

 

It's not that he needs to be on a regular schedule to go outside. I've seen him go outside, pee, then come inside and mark his territory.

:confused::confused::confused:

 

How is Bear?:001_wub:

[hornblower]

I have some ideas but can't write now. Gotta go do some stuff with dogs & kids!

 

l8r ok?

[hornblower]

Argh - I typed up a long response & lost it!!!! Boohooo!!!

 

 

Ok - I'll try to remember what I wrote :D

 

rusty neutered?

 

how long has he been doing this? 5 years or just more recently?

 

only one area?

 

how do they actually get along?

 

 

If medical stuff is ruled out & you're thinking for sure it's marking.....

 

-it may be that it's a marking dog. Funny you should mention Bear because he's a serial marker. Any new thing he sees is a target :D Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine,

 

-but if it's situational like this, it could be hierarchy or stress or jealousy. I wouldn't necessarily assume asserting dominance. The most dominant dogs don't NEED to assert anything. They just are, kwim? It's the slightly anxious insecure ones that sometimes feel the need to pull stunts like this. So could be more like jealousy.

 

I'd tether him to you rather than a stationary object

 

I'd do a bit of Leading the Dance

http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20dogs/Writing/LTD.html - just because it does work well to remind dogs who makes bones rain from the sky.

 

I'd try taking the carpet out & seeing what happens, just for a while. Make sure the floor underneath is cleaned with NM too....

 

I'd ream him out if you catch him lifting his leg. Yeah, I'm a positive trainer but all my dogs learn "QUIT THAT!" pretty fast. :D This isn't a housebreaking issue, it's a habit which you don't approve of & really, it needs to be interrupted & explained that it's W.R.O.N.G. I use my voice. Or you can use an empty pop can with pennies inside (not thrown at the dog, just shake it :D)

 

(Bear & I had a number of discussions on this subject :lol: but he's stopped now. Here. I have no doubt that the moment he steps into a new place he'll lift his leg. In fact, when he went to the hoity toity uber expensive hospital, first thing he did was mark their giant wonderful potted palm in the huge lobby with leather armchairs. Gargh Bear! Try to act like you belong here with the yuppy puppies!)

 

 

 

When you clean, remember that NM will take a long time to break down the smell. I've posted before that when I clean up smells, I have the dog tethered &/or near me watching me obliterate their smell with my stinky chemicals (NM & later Febreze). I put a damp towel over the stains so the NM doesn't dry out too fast & I leave a spray bottle standing there as a sentry :lol:

 

Honestly, this is probably just being silly BUT OTOH, we know dogs care about smell & putting their smell on things & I think maybe it might just have an impact on them to see US methodically leave OUR smell on an area.

 

& actually I leave the bottle there to remind me to keep checking & retreating the area but I find that it also serves to keep the dog off that area for a while & sometimes, just a few days of intervention like this can break what was essentially just a tedious habit. If it's a strong compulsion, it won't work that easily but we can always hope.....

 

Oh & if all else fails, belly bands:

http://www.bellybands.net/

 

Some dogs actually won't wet in them because they dislike the feeling. Others will still go but it will protect your flooring & furniture so it might be well worth it.

 

 

hope something helps!

[Denisemomof4]

I didn't see this earlier, sorry! And I'm sorry it took so much time to type out!

 

Yes, Rusty is neutered. He was neutered as a pup but came to me with emotional issues and insecurity at the age of 4 months. I think he's jealous of Buddy somewhat and I think he's trying to show dominance, but at the root of it all is insecurity. He will run and chase horses and large animals............... when they're behind a fence and can't get at him. :D Then he'll walk away all proud of himself for causing a ruckus.

 

Years ago I had to remove the rug from the dark mudroom as I realized he was using it for his toilet. I now have a TINY mat on the slate floor. I want to catch at least SOME of the debris as the kids walk inside.

 

Now it's the large wool rug, but he only started to pee on it once Buddy started to lay on it. The area rug that's by the couch and recliners he doesn't touch.

 

He is AWESOME to sleep with in the winter. He is my own personal hot water bottle and he stretches out and keeps my entire back warm. Since we rescued 3 ferrets 2.5 years ago, ferrets kept upstairs in ds15's room, he will climb out of bed in the morning, lift his leg, and go in my room. I'm SO bummed that I won't be able to sleep with him this winter. His temp runs hot! He keeps me warm while dh throw off the covers. ;)

 

***I'd do a bit of Leading the Dance

http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20dogs/Writing/LTD.html - just because it does work well to remind dogs who makes bones rain from the sky. ***

 

I can do this. I will now have my dd7 AND my dachsund with me everywhere I go. It's funny, the article makes it sound like Rusty has an attachment disorder!

 

***I'd try taking the carpet out & seeing what happens, just for a while. Make sure the floor underneath is cleaned with NM too.... ***

 

I have rolled it up and kept it in place so we could unroll it when people stop by to cover up the dark floor beneath it. He doesn't pee on it when it's rolled up.

 

 

***I'd ream him out if you catch him lifting his leg. Yeah, I'm a positive trainer but all my dogs learn "QUIT THAT!" pretty fast. :D This isn't a housebreaking issue, it's a habit which you don't approve of & really, it needs to be interrupted & explained that it's W.R.O.N.G. I use my voice. Or you can use an empty pop can with pennies inside (not thrown at the dog, just shake it :D) ***

 

I have NEVER caught him! He must look beforehand.:glare:

 

***(Bear & I had a number of discussions on this subject :lol: but he's stopped now. Here. I have no doubt that the moment he steps into a new place he'll lift his leg. In fact, when he went to the hoity toity uber expensive hospital, first thing he did was mark their giant wonderful potted palm in the huge lobby with leather armchairs. Gargh Bear! Try to act like you belong here with the yuppy puppies!) ***

 

NO!!! In *my* world Bear is NOT CAPABLE of doing this! I won't listen!:lol:

 

 

***Oh & if all else fails, belly bands:

http://www.bellybands.net/***

:smilielol5:These may have to be my first step. Humor is usually what gets me through everything! I've NEVER seen these. I think they'd work!

 

Thank you SO much! I learned something new! I never considered attaching him to me. I think he'd actually like it. At least I'd have a clean carpet!

 

Thanks SO much!

[celticmom]

I love dachshunds but they can be very stubborn. It may take a while to train him.

[Denisemomof4]

I love dachshunds but they can be very stubborn. It may take a while to train him.

 

he's 8 years old!!!!!!! I absolutely LOVE him but he's WORK!