Indoor Soiling Suddenly

[vlf2012]

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Hi everybody.

Im desperate for help here Milo is driving me barmy!

Milo is normally good with toilet training and will poop and wee in the back yard, but all of a sudden hes decided to do his business indoors

He does his poops on the bathroom floor - seems to enjoy my bath mats?

But its the weeing which is getting me down - he has started doing it either on my stairs (rented house so big problem), on the corner of my bed or on my bedding and it leaks onto the mattress.

I cant understand why this is happening, he goes for at least 2 long walks a day and he sits at the back door to bet let out which is frequent so this is what is the hard to understand part.

He isn't neutered but Im seriously considering this as an option because its either that, get a dog behaviorist or he has to go, which is the last option!

Any help would be greatly appreciated

x

 

[banana]

How old is Milo?

 

[TTT]

Step 1: Off with the balls!

Step 2: A cage to spend time in when he is unsupervised!

 

[vlf2012]

Milo is 15 months old.

He has a cage for when hes unsupervised as well.

Ive just bought a baby gate to stop him from getting upstairs but think may speak to vets about getting him neutered

 

[banana]

I would neuter him but I think hes gotten into a habit of messing.

Did you train him with puppy pads?

 

[vlf2012]

Yes we trained him with puppy pads.

Hes only recently started doing this. We asked our vet for advice and she said males are prone to it, and because terriers are highly sexed anyway, and theres a female dog next door who's not neutered either he could possibly be doing it because she's in season, but she thinks it could also be him scenting for some reason?

Think were going to get him chemically neutered first to see if it makes any difference

 

[banana]

Id just get him done - then you will know if thats what it is?

 

[eingana]

Ah, if he's entire and he's got an entire female nearby then it's possible that this is a marking habit which he may not get out of even by being neutered. Unfortunately many of the things which are meant to be improved by neutering are more prevented rather than improved, as once theyv'e got the habit then it can be pretty hard to train out of them.

Yes, neuter him as a first response. Then look at what you're cleaning with and improve that so you're actually getting the area clean to doggy nose standards, with biological clothes washing liquid and rinsing, followed by specialist pet odour remover soaked right down into any fabrics he's weed on (Safe4 make a good one) and if you're still not certain you got it then beg, borrow or otherwise acquire a decent steam cleaner and steam the area thoroughly. If there's a chance that he was scenting rather than just having a wee, which I think is very likely, then I'd also look at something like a DAP diffuser in the room that he would wee in worst. That makes them think that the room already smells of them, so they don't need to add to it.

Then you need to look at a distraction or something else you can do with him to behaviourally replace the scenting behaviour. Whether that's a toy, a game or a command for him to follow and for which you can praise him, it's far harder to stop a behaviour if you don't have something to replace it with because it doesn't take away from his wish to wee. Distraction works by not only stopping him but also by rerouting his thoughts off onto something else so he's not thinking about weeing so much.

What breed is Milo? If he's a clever boy, how about a game of finding the treat in a selection of boxes or chasing a thrown toy? These are not to be used when you catch him weeing, but when you think he's about to take that decision to cock his leg. So many things are about spotting that moment when his brain gets taken over by the urge to do something and acting at that moment to divert them. Identifying that moment is key.

As far as the pooing goesin the house, that could be something as simple as either being scared by another dog while he was out or not liking going for a poo when the ground is cold and the bathmat being much nicer to squat on. Keep the bathroom door shut or keep the bathmat over the side of the bath as a first aid for this, but if he's pooing inside presumably that means that he's not going when you're out for a walk.

Does he go on command? If not, can I suggest going back to basics with that and introducing a word for having a poo when he's in the garden and squats? Standing with him and catching him going, praising him and giving it a word that you can use later should pay dividends.

 

[vlf2012]

Ah, if he's entire and he's got an entire female nearby then it's possible that this is a marking habit which he may not get out of even by being neutered. Unfortunately many of the things which are meant to be improved by neutering are more prevented rather than improved, as once theyv'e got the habit then it can be pretty hard to train out of them.

Yes, neuter him as a first response. Then look at what you're cleaning with and improve that so you're actually getting the area clean to doggy nose standards, with biological clothes washing liquid and rinsing, followed by specialist pet odour remover soaked right down into any fabrics he's weed on (Safe4 make a good one) and if you're still not certain you got it then beg, borrow or otherwise acquire a decent steam cleaner and steam the area thoroughly. If there's a chance that he was scenting rather than just having a wee, which I think is very likely, then I'd also look at something like a DAP diffuser in the room that he would wee in worst. That makes them think that the room already smells of them, so they don't need to add to it.

Then you need to look at a distraction or something else you can do with him to behaviourally replace the scenting behaviour. Whether that's a toy, a game or a command for him to follow and for which you can praise him, it's far harder to stop a behaviour if you don't have something to replace it with because it doesn't take away from his wish to wee. Distraction works by not only stopping him but also by rerouting his thoughts off onto something else so he's not thinking about weeing so much.

What breed is Milo? If he's a clever boy, how about a game of finding the treat in a selection of boxes or chasing a thrown toy? These are not to be used when you catch him weeing, but when you think he's about to take that decision to cock his leg. So many things are about spotting that moment when his brain gets taken over by the urge to do something and acting at that moment to divert them. Identifying that moment is key.

As far as the pooing goesin the house, that could be something as simple as either being scared by another dog while he was out or not liking going for a poo when the ground is cold and the bathmat being much nicer to squat on. Keep the bathroom door shut or keep the bathmat over the side of the bath as a first aid for this, but if he's pooing inside presumably that means that he's not going when you're out for a walk.

Does he go on command? If not, can I suggest going back to basics with that and introducing a word for having a poo when he's in the garden and squats? Standing with him and catching him going, praising him and giving it a word that you can use later should pay dividends.

Milo is a Jack Russell terrier hes 15 months old.

Thanks for the advice on the weeing situation that's what's getting me down the most.. I have got an enzyme cleaner which im using the clean his wee's, which I also think is scenting.

The pooping situation, he does poo outside! thats the frustrating part! I think hes just a strange boy, but I think I'll have to start over like hes a brand new puppy :ermm: but it will be worth it in the end.

As for him being clever he follows commands and he loves to play so distractions and praise I will do.

Tank you for the advice

 

[AnMadraMór]

Ah, if he's entire and he's got an entire female nearby then it's possible that this is a marking habit which he may not get out of even by being neutered. Unfortunately many of the things which are meant to be improved by neutering are more prevented rather than improved, as once theyv'e got the habit then it can be pretty hard to train out of them.

Yes, neuter him as a first response. Then look at what you're cleaning with and improve that so you're actually getting the area clean to doggy nose standards, with biological clothes washing liquid and rinsing, followed by specialist pet odour remover soaked right down into any fabrics he's weed on (Safe4 make a good one) and if you're still not certain you got it then beg, borrow or otherwise acquire a decent steam cleaner and steam the area thoroughly. If there's a chance that he was scenting rather than just having a wee, which I think is very likely, then I'd also look at something like a DAP diffuser in the room that he would wee in worst. That makes them think that the room already smells of them, so they don't need to add to it.

Then you need to look at a distraction or something else you can do with him to behaviourally replace the scenting behaviour. Whether that's a toy, a game or a command for him to follow and for which you can praise him, it's far harder to stop a behaviour if you don't have something to replace it with because it doesn't take away from his wish to wee. Distraction works by not only stopping him but also by rerouting his thoughts off onto something else so he's not thinking about weeing so much.

What breed is Milo? If he's a clever boy, how about a game of finding the treat in a selection of boxes or chasing a thrown toy? These are not to be used when you catch him weeing, but when you think he's about to take that decision to cock his leg. So many things are about spotting that moment when his brain gets taken over by the urge to do something and acting at that moment to divert them. Identifying that moment is key.

As far as the pooing goesin the house, that could be something as simple as either being scared by another dog while he was out or not liking going for a poo when the ground is cold and the bathmat being much nicer to squat on. Keep the bathroom door shut or keep the bathmat over the side of the bath as a first aid for this, but if he's pooing inside presumably that means that he's not going when you're out for a walk.

Does he go on command? If not, can I suggest going back to basics with that and introducing a word for having a poo when he's in the garden and squats? Standing with him and catching him going, praising him and giving it a word that you can use later should pay dividends.

This. Permanently maiming your dog as a "precaution" is not the answer. It's not a bitch and so won't leave stains etc during season if you just leave the dog alone. Too many dogs are snipped and it does nothing, but encourage the owner to take a back seat making many behaviours worse.