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Old September 20th, 2009, 11:36 PM
ashtoreth's Avatar
ashtoreth ashtoreth is offline
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My dog started peeing/pooping inside again...

So... As most people who comes here, leave and returns after a while, its because something is wrong...

I'll try to keep it short and include all details, but im exhausted and everything.

The Dog :
A gorgeous, super gentle, smart 1.5(ish) years old Siberian Husky. Male, Neutered, up to date in his shots, no known UTI or any other illness. On top of that, he used to be housebroken.

The Problem :
He started peeing and pooping inside the house again..

The WTF:
We did not change his food habits, he still gets tones of exercise and affection,,

What did change recently:
I'm puppy sitting my mother 8 year old Bernease Mountain Dog, but they get along well (now anyway, it never been love, but they can cohabit) She doesn't get more cuddles than him, and she's really not dominant, in fact, she just doesn't play that game (was not really socialized and ended up not giving a crap about other dogs, shes a people dog...like most bernease I was told)

However, the Issue been around when :
Some new people got in the apartment (we worked on that, and it disappeared) or when he was somewhere new (same, we worked on that and it disappeared as well)

Me :
I now work part time in a vet centre, my schedules makes it easy to me to be at home when my boyfriend is at work, and vice versa (which doesn't make the best relationship scenario, but thats another story :P) My other job consist at doing websites, taking pictures... and training dogs ... (ironic since I now have a problem with a behaviour)

I don't consider my self a know it all about dogs, I have a lot to learn, but I also have a lot to offer.

I am also, at the last string of patience dealing with his behaviour, I tried many things for it (some worked, some not so well) but now he peed in my bed, and I want to sleep... I'm not giving up on him but I'm interested in hearing other ideas

PS: yea, for me thats a short post :P
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Old September 21st, 2009, 12:02 AM
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Marcha Marcha is offline
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Does your dog pee/poo inside when you are home? Or when you are out? Or both?

Have you changed the brand of food? Are the new dog (Bernese) and your dog eating separately, or together, and are you sure your dog is not also eating the other dog's food?

Between the two dogs: which of the two is dominant, and which is submissive? Or which is naturally the 'leader' of the two?

Are the two dogs being walked together, or separately? If together, are your dog's bathroom habits changing on the walk too? If separate, are your dog's habits still the same?
Have your walking habits changed with the arrival of the Bernese? As in, both might still be getting enough physical exercise, but is your dog still getting enough mental exercise?

Do you usually wait for the dog to say 'when' it's time for a walk or have you always been in charge of 'when'? Or has the arrival of the Bernese changed 'when' the walk will be?

Are you able to put the dog on an individual fixed schedule with you and your partner's flexible schedules? If so, are you able to put each dog on its own individual schedule regarding walks so that each still gets a serious amount of 'pack walk' human/leader - dog/submissive and physical/mental time to the extent that each individual dog needs?

Have you and your partner's schedules and home-times changed (increased, decreased, differed) since the arrival of the Bernese?
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Old September 21st, 2009, 10:27 AM
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Bailey_ Bailey_ is offline
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New changes in a home can make a dog feel 'stressed out'. Some changes can be seemingly small, affecting only certain dogs compared to others. Generally every dog will tell you in their own way when they are not feeling 'comfortable' with their surroundings and as owners, it's our job to figure out why. (Which can obviously be challenging at times, seeing as our beloved pets don't talk.)

Have you been letting the BMD and your pup outside to use the washroom at the same time?

What can often happen during this transition of a new dog in the territory - is a few things.

1.) Your pup is so distracted by the other dog in the yard (possibly wanting to encourage play) that it doesn't give itself 'time' to do it's business.
2.) Your pup may simply be uncomfortable about this new dog using it's territory as a bathroom. (Which will make more sense after replying to Marcha's question about who is more dominant out of the two.)

My first suggestion would be to start letting them out seperatley to go to the washroom. Your pup may have an initial instinct of wanting immediatley back in the house to keep track of the BMD, so remove the BMD from sight if neccessary.

Peeing on your bed - also a HUGE sign of stress in dogs. It's their natural reaction to 'cover' your scent, and therefore "protect you" from whatever is stressing them out.

My honest opinion? Your dog is feeling out of sorts about this new dog, but we'll need to know more about their relationship to really conclude this.

How long are you puppysitting for? Generally it's a good idea to keep constant tabs on your puppy through this process. Crate him whenever you can't watch him, even if you're home but are going to be distracted. (Either that, or keep him on leash and with you.) The key is to stop giving him opportunity to relieve himself in the home because he DOES know where he's supposed to go.

Hopefully that helps a bit. Keep us posted.
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Old September 21st, 2009, 11:12 AM
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ashtoreth ashtoreth is offline
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its not the first time m puppy sitting Bella (the bernease) however, its the first time I puppy sit her when hes more adult (he was 3 month last time)

Bella doesn`t play, its not her thing, so he has more than enough time to be alone. but I will bring them alone.

It would make sense though, I`ll give it a try thanks

I always keep forgetting my dog is such a wuss omg mini change...freaking out

also, new pictures to come soon
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Old September 21st, 2009, 11:26 AM
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Bailey_ Bailey_ is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ashtoreth View Post
its not the first time m puppy sitting Bella (the bernease) however, its the first time I puppy sit her when hes more adult (he was 3 month last time)

Bella doesn`t play, its not her thing, so he has more than enough time to be alone. but I will bring them alone.

It would make sense though, I`ll give it a try thanks

I always keep forgetting my dog is such a wuss omg mini change...freaking out

also, new pictures to come soon
Can't wait to see pictures, I adore SH's!

It shouldn't really matter if your dog has met Bella before. She's still in 'his' territory, not to mention that if they haven't seen one another for a while, they won't remember. (Not the same way that we would remember anyway.) Your dog has also already come into his independent stage, which can also be a factor as to why this is affecting him.

It also doesn't matter if Bella wants to play or not. As a trainer, you'll know that dogs are constantly communicating to one another, so if YOUR pup wants to play - he'll be showing this to Bella by his body language and eye contact; which could be distracting him from doing his business while they're outside together.
Not to mention that just having her in his sight means that in his mind, he is truly 'not alone'. You need to phsyically ensure that they are seperated.

What do you mean by 'its not her thing'? Have you noticed that she is dominant or submissive with him?
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  #6  
Old September 21st, 2009, 01:27 PM
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ashtoreth ashtoreth is offline
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thats the thing, Bella is really a strange dog, I never seen one like her before, she`s not sub, shes not dominant either, she just....well doesn`t act like that at all, shes...being thats about it, she plays with us and some other dogs, id say shes more into the submissive side if I could stamp a sub/dom stamp on her hehe but yea... shes...really wierd, she doesnt give signals at all, I try to work a lot with her, but with her age and the lack of other dogs, it's hard ... shes far better than she used to be though.


preview will post more in the pic sections!
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The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
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Lex - hairless rat
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Old September 21st, 2009, 01:40 PM
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Bailey_ Bailey_ is offline
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Beautiful dog!!!

In a group, dogs will ALWAYS be one or the other. You may get an insecure dominant dog, acting dominant only because of being around other extremley submissive dogs, lack of proper socialization, or unknowing owners - which means if you were to place that dog among a group of truly dominant dogs, you'd see a quick change in behavior once corrected from the new leader of the group.

But generally you should be able to tell if your dog feels more comfortable being a 'follower' or a 'leader; usually by the way she'll approach other strange dogs in new situations, and also by *how* she's playing/interacting with dogs.

If you were able to really put a finger on the kind of personality your dog has, you'll be much more able to determine how you should approach new situations with other dogs.
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"If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater. . . suggest that he wear a tail."

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