Ep 104 Urine Trouble: Dogs That Pee Out of Spite

If your dog pees on one specific person’s belongings, it might seem like she’s holding a grudge.

Today, discover how your dog expresses confusion or anxiety by her choice of pee target.

In this episode, you will learn how to reestablish your dog’s place in the hierarchy.

Show Highlights

• This is a specific urination problem episode: dogs that just pee on your stuff—(it is a little more than just marking)
• They are targeting your items – shoes, beds, etc.
• This urination problem is a relationship issue
• This is generally a behavior issue
• You need to have your dog checked for any health issues to make sure she is not having any urinary tract infection issues or health issues that may be causing this behavior
• If your dog is older, she may be incontinent—just like people
• “Doggie Depends” may be an option
• There are some dogs that are highly anxious and suffer from separation anxiety – Ep 077
• Urinating on your stuff is a common reaction for dogs who experience separation anxiety
• Anxiety is an issue when the dog lacks self-confidence – she doesn’t know what the boundaries are or where her place is in the hierarchy
• For example – when a new baby comes into the home, there comes a hierarchical change – the dog could pee on the baby’s things to mark her territory to show that she is higher in the hierarchy
• Dominance is a part of the hierarchy
• Hierarchical positioning
  • The dog has enumerated positions in the hierarchy
  • To dogs, there is only higher or lower – never an equal
  • Dogs pee on a specific person’s items not because of the person, but because of perceived ranking they have in the hierarchy
  • This behavior could also be perceived as trying to show you that they are willing to “step-up” in the hierarchy because they don’t trust your leadership and structure
• Other major things that can happen to offset the hierarchy balance in your home:
  • If someone leaves – a family member goes off to college or passes away
  • If you bring in another pet into the home such as a dog or a cat
  • Cats are very dominant to core dogs and generally the core dog will get automatically knocked down on the hierarchy list
• You have to be looking for these signs such as peeing on your things, depression, anxiety – look at the changes that may have been made in your home
• You need to help your dog reestablish themselves in the hierarchy

Homework

What you can do to help your dog who is showing signs of dominance or questioning her place in the hierarchy, and help you reestablish her place in the pack

1. First and foremost, do basic training together to help establish your places in the hierarchy and gain her confidence
2. Teach your dog the DOWN command – Your dog must do the DOWN command willingly
   • Do this with no motivation – no food, body language, toys, etc.
   • You will use this to help reestablish your hierarchy
   • No correction – no leash correction, verbal NO, etc.
3. Have your dog hold the DOWN command for 3 minutes
   • Move up in 30-second intervals
4. If you and your dog are not the problem, you need to work with the other person and your dog together
   • For example – work with your dog in the baby’s room so your dog sees that still has her place in the hierarchy

These are a few things you can do to help raise your dog’s self-confidence and re-establish the hierarchy in the household

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