I have a dog who is marking in the house -

[hedgehog]

We have two male dogs, both neutered. The older, larger dog (a Beagle/German Shepherd cross) is about 8 years, the younger, smaller dog (A spitz) is about 4. The dogs have free access to an outside pen. The problem is that the spitz marks spots in the house - anything new that is left on the floor (laundry baskets, back packs) and several chairs.

Is there a good way to stop this? I do wash the floors with an orange oil based detergent, and that does seem to help until the next cycle starts.

[Texasgal]

1. When this problem has happened

to me in the past I have always used an enzyme based cleaner to get rid of smell. Enzymes help with dogs "smelling" and wanting to mark the same places over again.

[mockmonkey]

2. I have a cat who does this

The Vet put her on Buspirone and it does help a little. We still make sure we keep clothes put away and because she is a cat that jumps on things we bought some StayAway motion deterrents.

I have been using Fizzion Pet Stain remover it has worked the best of everything I've tried and with 13 cats I have tried a lot of products. Many products have so much perfume in them that after awhile I can't tell if I'm smelling cat pee or the product that was supposed to remove the pee smell. I heard about this product when watching an episode of "My Cat From Hell."

http://www.fizzionclean.com/fizzion/default.aspx

I wasn't able to find out if it was ok for use on wood floors. If you do purchase it, Amazon sells it, you don't need to buy the starter pack. Just buy the refill pack and buy a cheap spray bottle. They sell a small refill pack (2 tablets) for about $10 or $5 if you have other orders over $25 1 tablet makes 16 oz they also show a 2 tablet pack that is 1 tablet = 23 oz. I don't know if the tablets are a bit larger to make 23 oz. or if it's just a little more concentrated. The tablets can be cut to fit opening of bottle if you need to.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_7?url=search-alias%3Dpets&field-keywords=fizzion+pet+stain+%26+odor+remover&sprefix=fizzion%2Cpets%2C262&rh=n%3A2619533011%2Ck%3Afizzion+pet+stain+%26+odor+remover

Another suggestion is to maybe put down those Dog Pads on the floor and maybe your dog will go on those and be less messy but still a pain in the butt.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_8?url=search-alias%3Dpets&field-keywords=dog%20pads%20100%20count&sprefix=dog+pads%2Cpets%2C235

[Myrina]

3. Catch him in the act & stop him.

... use a spray bottle, soup can full of something noisy (nails, nickels, stones), or just clap your hands and shout at him to let him know you see what he's doing, you disapprove & it needs to stop.

In the worst case, get a low-level buzzer collar (some do nothing more than vibrate and make a humming noise like if your cell is on vibrate) and use that when you catch him doing it.

[Walk away]

9. Buzzer collars are abuse and negative reinforcement does not work....

unless it is consistent. That means that you have to verbally abuse or buzz the dog every time he marks and if you miss one you start all over again. Any behavioral scientist in the world will explain that ONLY positive reinforcement can change behavior without risking making the problem worse or creating another problem.

[Myrina]

11. Bullshit. I used to think the same thing.

Then I adopted a 3 year old cattle dog/rat terrier mix with a will of steel. Come hell or high water she was going to go after every dog or person she encountered (which is why she ended up in solitary at the shelter to begin with). Spray bottle, harness, can full of noisy coins - nothing.

I investigated the collars as a last resort because, like you, I was uninformed and saw that they have them now with settings that do no more than what a cell phone in vibrate-mode would do. And yes, I tried it out on myself.

The sound alone deters her from going into "charge mode", and only once did I actually have to use the buzz setting and that's when she was about to escalate a "disagreement" with a Shepherd that would have torn her to pieces. In the case of buzzing her vs. saving her from getting herself badly injured or killed, I didn't hesitate.

As far as consistency, EVERY type of training one does needs to be consistent or it will lead to other issues.

[Walk away]

12. That is simply not true.

I am sorry but positive reinforcement NEEDS TO BE INTERMITTENT in order to be successful at shaping behavior. Anyone who ever took Introduction to Psychology is familiar with this basic rule. You rely on faulty anecdotal evidence in arguing your point. I am speaking about behavioral science. You have no idea how using negative reinforcement affected your dog except that you have succeeded in frightening her into stopping a behavior. Thankfully, science give us safer, kinder and more reliable alternatives if we care to spend the time learning how to use and practice them.
You are obviously free to treat your dog how you wish. I am just pointing out for the benefit of others that there is a better way which is science based and endorsed by most animal behaviorists.

[hamsterjill]

4. A visit to the vet would be in order.

Have you ruled out any urinary tract infections/issues, etc.? Sometimes animals that have previously been well potty trained will have accidents, etc. when they are having urinary tract issues.

Hope this resolves soon!

[IrishAyes]

5. Sorry to say

But this is why every dog or cat I ever chose has been female.

Had a few male pets, but only because they chose me and I hardly had anything to say about it. Such as the finest Dobie-Rott in the world; I think he probably was an escapee because although we found him on the highway, several men had already gathered around and were trying to catch him. Those group members who've been around awhile might remember Swee'Pea's story. Funny how afterwards my husband and son were the only males he'd tolerate, and I suspect he didn't mind them because he knew they were mine.

RIP, my dear one.

PS: I forgot to mention a good cure/deterrent: roasted coffee beans. One time I moved to a place where I didn't know the previous owners didn't let their dog out often enough, but MY dogs found the spot next to the door fast enough and started to refresh it. No matter if they'd just come in. So after the usual enzyme treatments, etc. didn't stop them, I pulled up the carpet and scattered a whole pound of coffee beans around, then laid the carpet back over them. No more problems ever after that.

[hedgehog]

6. This sounds like a version of my orange oil solution -

replace the urine smell with something humans prefer!

[mockmonkey]

7. My cat is female

It hasn't stopped her from marking.

[Sunlei]

8. how many years has he been doing this 'habit'?

I'd go back to basic training using a crate as if he was a baby puppy. No unsupervised time in the home. keep him leashed with you in the house at your side. He stays in his crate or outside when you don't have time to supervise.

Build a positive bond with basic training while he is tethered to you. Make him proud to do his basic commands, to hold a down stay at your side while you are in your home.

This takes a few months to build this kind of bond. To teach the dog and you to communicate how to learn.
It helps to take a basic obedience class like the kind offered cheap at petsmart if you're not experienced with dog training. do not shortcut with fear, it doesn't work.

Then you set the dog up to lift his leg in the house, to make a 'mistake' and you instantly have a come to Jesus moment. Theatrics, not abuse. You use that positive bond and the tools you learned from the basic training.

I know a lot of people who had or have dogs who pee in the house and deal with it in different ways other than actual time placed in training.

belly bands so the dog pees in a pad they change, pads on the floor all over the place and a house smells of pee, punish the dog so the dog learns to not pee in front of them anymore. dog stays in a separate part of the house, dog lives outside, or they get rid of the dog.

The reason I asked 'how many years'? is because it takes time to train out a 'habit' if it's been going on for years.

[Walk away]

10. I think the belly band is a good idea here.

It actually equates to negative reinforcement but it's consistent because if the dog always wears a pad in the house, he punishes himself with his own pee whenever he marks. He get's no reward because when he smells his spot there is no scent. The drive to mark is all about spreading the scent. If it doesn't work he may give up and break the habit.

I have used belly bands in house training small dogs that cannot be crated and it can be very effective. They don't like to pee themselves, it gives you a chance to use positive reinforcement while training and it keeps the owner calm and their house clean until the problem is solved.